Barry's Blog: 2007 German tour Sept/Oct

Updated 2.30pm Saturday September 22nd

OO OO It's getting close ! :)
I leave Tuesday and I am trying to connect all the dots right now, but I have so many to join up I don't know whether I'm coming or going !

Hafta go do something right now (not sure what) but I know I have to do it !
oh yeah....I'm writing a setlist for the first few shows, it will change throughout the tour .

I'll be back here soon to update you on the trials and tribulations of being a Wholigan.

Getting excited, see you soon !:)

Hamburg/515 updates site

German http://www.fivefifteen.com/

GERMANY HERE WE COME !!!!!

Updated 9pm Thursday August 23rd
The band lineup will come as a big surprise to a lot of you, it is...........
Me (of course)
Darren Atkinson (drums)
Darren Lolk (guitar) fromL.A's 'My Generation' and formerly of 'The WhoShow'
Dave Smith (bassist since 85)
___________
Hamburg 2003 'Overture'

Unfortunately the current bassist Mark Tinker was unable to make it because of a severe family illness.(which is not my place to share, unless told )

Dave was kind enough (and very willing I might add) to step in at the last minute, and those of you that know Dave, know he is very capable and can be seen at the bottom of this blog/page in
'the real me' video taken at the Hamburg WHO convention in 2003 and in older video's on the right hand side of this page and in older blogs.
http://thewholigans.blogspot.com/2006/10/25-years.html
Also the other 2 at the bottom taken in Leeds in 03.

Darren Lolk (top photo) who also is a great 'Pete' can be seen here>>>>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIMveDCZKo8 Baba o'riley

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3A7hmEQ1y4 My Generation
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmSSJU6v2BY Lrom
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4WwX31Sxg Happy Jack 06
These video's are a 1 off gig I did in San Francisco with Darren's L.A band 'my generation' in 2006.
Darrren has played with us since then.

THE WHOLIGANS ……..25th Anniversary tour 2007
A tribute to The Who since 1982
w/special guests from the UK 'Black Olives' http://www.blackolivesmusic.com/

Germany
Thurs Sept 27th Cologne

http://www.blue-shell.de/live_music.html

Fri Sept 28th Hildesheim
http://www.rockclub-hildesheim.de/2006/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=9&Itemid=49

Sat Sept 29th Wuppertal: http://lcb.wuppertal-live.de/events/what=stage

Sun Sept 30th Off
Mon Oct 1st Off
Tues Oct 2nd Oldenburg http://www.oldenburg.de/stadtol/index.php?id=cadillac
Wed Oct 3rd Nuremberg: http://www.der-hirsch.de/index.php?id=376&month=10&year=2007
Thurs Oct 4th TBA
Fri Oct 5th Adorf http://www.rock-adorf.de/
Sat Oct 6th Dresden ... http://shorterlink.com/?1F19VV click 'Terminal' then 'Vorschau' at the bottom of the page.

Sun Oct 7th Off
Mon Oct 8th Off
Tues Oct 9th Off
Wed Oct 10th TBA

Thurs Oct 11th Hamburg http://www.grossefreiheit36.de/kaiserk.html
http://www.grossefreiheit36.de/august/wholigans

Fri Oct 12th Flensburg http://www.grossefreiheit36.de/kaiserk.html
http://roxy-music-hall.de/konzert/index.php?option=com_gigcal&Itemid=31
http://www.grossefreiheit36.de/august/wholigans

Sat Oct 13th Berlin
http://roxy-music-hall.de/konzert/index.php?option=com_gigcal&task=details&gigcal_gigs_id=52&Itemid=31

Sun Oct 14th Bad Enbach http://www.oxygen-eventclub.de/

Monday Hangover ;) (no NOT Hanover....HANGOVER)

To see updates as they come in , go here http://www.fivefifteen.com/

Or visit one of our sites.

___________________
I did a Q & A for the upcoming Wholigan German tour for the newspapers, that's how they promo shows.
The translation is far far far from the actual interview.(at the bottom of this blog is the English version)

Copy and paste this link http://www.grossefreiheit36.de/august/wholigans (German version)
Into here
http://babel.altavista.com/babelfish/tr
and in the dropdown menu put German to English.

It's fucking hilarious (imo anyway)seeing as I know what I said in English ! lol:)

For instance

These 2 are priceless!!!!

Quote……Who experienced The Wholigans 2003 in Hamburg, or wherever in the USA or Great Britain, will confirm:

"those sweep the roof of the hut!"

Or

A: Thus I played innumerable bad people with large dreams in these 25 years with approximately 20 different Wholigans and it to have with us played, and I am in principle the only constant in that volume.

The interview in English.

Actual interview in English
Interview with Barry Quinn – founder and lead singer of The Wholigans

1. 25 years ago, you founded The Wholigans. What made you coming up with this idea

A: Well it wasn’t so much of an ‘idea’ but more of an accident.
The band I was in based in Montreal were an original metal type band and played also popular songs of the day like Ozzy, Aerosmith, Queen etc and at some point we careened off into The Who with a couple of songs like ‘squeeze box’ ‘summertime blues’ ‘Pinball Wizard’ etc
They seemed to go down very well with the crowd and we added a couple more and it snowballed.
It just so happened I looked and sounded like Daltrey (neither intentional)
The guitarist also bore a close resemblance.
One day we changed the name of the band to The Whooligans’ taken from a best of Who lp called HOOLIGANS.
(note our spelling)

After a little while we removed one 0 and became The Wholigans, and many years later fans borrowed our name to refer themselves as Who fans calling themselves ‘Wholigans’
I’m very proud of the name.
We were one of only 3 tributes in the world at that point in 1982 that I’m aware of , and we were the first ever WHO tribute to take the act to another level.

2. The members of The Who were: Pete Townshend as one of the greatest guitar players in Rock who invented the power chord, and even Paul Weller admitted, that he’s not able to play everything on guitar, John Entwistle, who was elected ‘bass player of the millennium, Keith Moon, undoubtly the most energetic and wildest drummer ever in rock music and last but not least, Roger Daltrey, your alter ego on stage, also undisputed one of rock music’s icons and one of the best frontmen. How did you manage to find musicians that are able to do what the original line up of The Who did, with the same power, with the same anger – and in nearly the same quality?
A:
Well I’ve played with close to 20 different Wholigans over 25 years and I’ve auditioned many bad players with big dreams, and many great players with myself being the one constant.
I think I am the weakest link , but because I have such great players around me they make me look good.
This is not about 1 individual, it takes an army of 4.

It took years to find some, minutes for others and some by accident.
It’s not particularly the playing that makes a great Wholigan, but the attitude combined with great playing makes a great bandmember, you’ve got to feel the music, not simply go through the motions on stage.
Usually if I can’t get on with the guitarist then usually that chemistry works great ;)
Bottom line is , only the best musicians play with The Wholigans and would play for free (which is usually the case after expenses!!! )
Rockstars need not apply.

3. What were and are the reasons to do a Who tribute, instead of doing own stuff?
A:
As I’ve said it was an accident in the creation of this band so that was not a choice, but having said that we all as individuals have recorded/pursued original material and should something happen for an individual..great.
The Wholigans have now become a franchise and will continue with different members no matter what, even one day I will be replaced ;)

4. Who ever witnessed The Wholigans on stage, will confirm, that it’s almost like seeing the old original.. Even Irish Jack Lyons, one of the first ever Who fans who experienced The Who’s legendary appearances at the Marquee in London, back in 1964, and also one of the most famous fans (he inspired Pete Townshend to the main figure of Quadrophenia, Jimmy), broke to tears while seeing you for the first time at a Who convention in London in 2003, saying: it’s absolutely like being back again in the 60ies.
Did you do a special training to get the same attitude on stage as the original members, and what happens when you turn back from being Roger Daltrey into being Barry Quinn again?

A:No training necessary, love to play, & love to play The Who.
As for Roger back to Barry ?
Well, to be honest you see a lot of me on stage with just a few Daltrey-ism’s thrown in, I just do what I do and fortunately it works.

5.The Who are still working – and just have been on a worldwide tour, with also 7 shows in Germany. What’s the difference between the shows the people in Germany just witnessed attending the shows of the original Who and The Wholigans? Why should people, who’ve just seen the original come to see The Wholigans’ show?

“What’s the difference”
A: We only play material recorded during the day’s with Keith Moon from day one until his death in 78, although our main sound /style is that of the ‘Live at Leeds’ live album era.
The Who are a lot different band now in their 60’s, they haven’t lost that special something, but they are a new Who ....a different Who, they are not the band from Live at Leeds, and nor should they want or try to be.

If you want to go see The Who 2007 style , go see them they will still blow you away.
If you want a recreation of sorts and see the bands ferocity back in era when rock music could stop a freight train, come see The Wholigans.
The music/and show we play is borrowed from the great WHO.
We provide a brief glimpse into The Who’s history and try to make the audience feel they are there for the first time.

6.Have you guys ever met members of the original Who, and if yes, what have been their reactions?
A:
We all have met the members over the years including at the recent 2006 Who convention in London England where Roger sang a few songs with Simon Townshend’s band ‘the casbah club’ and we ended up the day with our own show at the convention having to follow Daltrey which is mean feat what with ton’s of fans clamouring for more Roger.

I have nothing but nice things to say about The Who (but too long to say here)
Between the band ,we all have our own Who stories and all 99% positive.

7. You’re even going that far, that you try to use as much as possible of the same gear, the original Who used in their prime years. Is this really necessary, and how and where do you get this old gear?

Uhm...”necessary” ?
Well yes it can be done no doubt, but it is our choice to be as faithful as possible to not just the look but ’The Sound’
The Who have a ‘sound’ that can’t be copied it must be felt , Who fans know exactly what I mean.
Quote “where do you get this old gear?”.....perseverance ole son n a bit of cash ;)

8. Don’t you think, you’re just doing some sort of ‘nostalgia act’ or is there anything, either in the music or in the show, that could be of any interest for younger people?

A: Of course it has a nostalgia factor, but the messages in the music are as much relevant today as when they were written.
‘My Generation’ and ‘I can’t explain’ say as much to today’s youth as they did in the 60’s.
I won’t waste your time with repeating the lyrics verbatim, sit and read/listen them with a 17 year olds eyes......you’ll see/hear and feel.

The Who and The Wholigans have fans from 9 to 90 , it’s amazing that their music spans such a huge gap and continues to.
Personally the word ‘nostalgic’ doesn’t belong in the same sentence as The Who it sounds like a bleedin medication for old farts !

9. In the USA and also in UK you’ve become a ‘big deal’ in the meantime, playing for thousands of people, what do you think might be the reasons for this success?

A:The Who ...1st and foremost......... and our fearlessness to tread uncharted waters with no guarantee’s.

I’ve always said YOU must knock on opportunity’s door .
Don’t wait for opportunity to call you, it usually doesn’t happen.

10. In Germany, you’re (up to now) relatively unknown, so you’re playing the smaller clubs. This means, there’s not much money to make. What are the reasons to do this tour nevertheless, instead of doing shows to a wider audience in America and make some good money?
(See above)
It’s not about the money, but it comes in handy sometimes though ;)

11. Will you be playing songs of the whole Who era, so will there also be new material?
Would you please explain, why you are playing the songs THAT you're gonna play?

A: as I said earlier it’s The Who era of
Roger Daltrey
Keith Moon
Pete Townshend
John Entwistle

That we proudly portray and it’s something you can’t see anymore.

LOUD N PROUD !

That’s our Who .
Maybe one day we’ll change, but with the The Who still touring…why should we?