The Who Tour 1981

UK tour

The UK tour began on 25 January 1981 at Granby Halls in Leicester and ended on 16 March 1981 at the Poole Arts Centre in Poole. Here is a fairly typical set list (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "Substitute"
2. "I Can't Explain"
3. "Baba O'Riley"
4. "The Quiet One" (John Entwistle)
5. "Don't Let Go the Coat"
6. "Sister Disco "
7. "Music Must Change" (Replaced with "Dreaming from the Waist" after 2 March)
8. "You Better You Bet"
9. "Drowned"
10. "Another Tricky Day"
11. "Behind Blue Eyes"
12. "Pinball Wizard"
13. "The Punk and the Godfather" (Added on 9 February)
14. "Who Are You" (closed the regular set at some earlier shows)
15. "5.15"
16. "My Generation" (usually including "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" (Ian Samwell, Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott) starting 31 January)
17. "Won't Get Fooled Again" (played earlier in the set at some earlier shows)

Encores (variations of the following list):

• "Long Live Rock" (Performed on 25, 26, 30, and 31 January, 3, 7, 8, 14, and 20 February, and 2, 7, and 11 March)
• "The Real Me"
  • Performed on 25, 26 and 31 January; and 3, 15, 19, 24, 25 and 28 February; and 2, 6, 10 and 15 March.
• "Did You Steal My Money"
  • Performed on 25 January (not as an encore); and 4, 9 and 14 February.
• "Dancing in the Street" (Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter)
  • Performed on 25 January and 24 February.
• "Dance It Away"
  • Performed on 25 January and 24 February.
• "Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley, Bert Russell)
  • Performed on 25, 26, 30 and 31 January; and 4, 9, 14, 19, 25 and 28 February; and 1, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15 and 16 March.
• "Naked Eye"
  • Performed on 26, 30 and 31 January; and 4, 7, 14, 15, 19, 25 (not an encore) and 28 February; and 1, 7 and 14 March.
• "I'm One"
  • Performed on 26 January.
• "Let's See Action"
  • Performed on 30 and 31 January; and 20 February.
• "How Can You Do It Alone"
  • Performed (loosely) on 30 January.
• "My Generation Blues"
  • Performed on 30 January.
• "Bargain"
  • Performed (loosely) on 31 January.
• "You Stand Naked" (invented title)
  • Performed on 31 January.
• "Magic Bus"
  • Performed on 8 and 19 February (not as an encores) and 14 March.
• "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart)
  • Performed on 9, 14, 25 and 28 February; and 6, 9, 15 and 16 March.
• "My Wife" (John Entwistle)
  • Performed on 20 February.
• "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison)
  • Performed on 24 February.
• "See Me, Feel Me"
  • Performed on 16 March.

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. "Sister Disco" was the second song during the first concert in Leicester, which had an especially experimental set list. Some other songs were played which are not in the above lists:

• "Feel So Fine" (Johnny Preston)
  • Performed on 25 January.
• "Hi-Heel Sneakers" (Robert Higginbotham)
  • Performed during "My Generation" on 26 January.
• "Can I Get a Witness" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
  • Performed during "My Generation" on 19 February.

Rockpalast TV appearance

On 28 March, shortly after the UK tour, the group appeared on the German TV program Rockpalast, playing a slightly abbreviated set. This performance later appeared on the reissue of Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live. All songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified.

1. "Substitute"
2. "I Can't Explain"
3. "Baba O'Riley"
4. "The Quiet One" (John Entwistle)
5. "Don't Let Go the Coat"
6. "Sister Disco "
7. "You Better You Bet"
8. "Drowned"
9. "Behind Blue Eyes"
10. "Another Tricky Day"
11. "Pinball Wizard"
12. "Who Are You"
13. "5.15"
14. "My Generation" (including "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" (Ian Samwell, Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott))
15. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Encores:

1. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart)
2. "Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley, Bert Russell)
3. "See Me, Feel Me"