The Who announces New Zealand show

Saturday March 21 @ Auckland's North Harbour Stadium.

"The Who quite possibly remain the greatest live band ever. Even the
list-driven punk legend and music historian Johnny Ramone agrees with me on
this." Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam

"More than any other band, The Who are our role models." Bono, U2

"In the annals of rock history The Who (like their contemporaries the
Beatles and the Rolling Stones) stand alone." US Rolling Stone

Arguably THE greatest live band ever, The Who will make an explosive return
to New Zealand for the first time in 40 years to perform a one-off concert
in March 2009. This is the news Who fans have been waiting for since the
band's last visit in 1968!

The Who have sold over 100 million albums and been an inspiration to
everyone from The Clash to The Ramones to Pearl Jam and have been honoured
with every prestigious award going. They were inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall Of Fame by Bono in 1990 in the very first year they were eligible,
the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005, the first annual Freddie Mercury Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2006, a Lifetime Achievement award from the British
Phonographic Industry in 1988 and from the Grammy Foundation in 2001. Their
music still forms the backdrop to 21st century life featuring in television
shows such as the hit TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and in many
movies.
Their charitable work is legendary with millions of dollars being raised
over the years for a variety of causes and this work being recognised by the
award of a CBE to Roger Daltrey in 2005. In an honour many bands would
crave, The Who also is recognized in the Guinness Book of Records as the
World's Loudest Band!
In spite of the loss of original members Keith Moon (in 1978) and John
Entwistle (in 2002), The Who remain the standard-bearer for great live rock
and roll and are still one of the most in-demand live acts in the business.
Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Simon Townshend (guitars), Zak Starkey
(drums), Pino Palladino (bass) and John 'Rabbit' Bundrick (keys) are
currently performing in the US to rave reviews and are keen to continue on
the road next year.

The 21st century has sparked resurgence in the creative collaboration
between Townshend and Daltrey. The 2004 greatest hits collection Then and
Now featured tracks Real Good Looking Boy and Old Red Wine and the band also
released Endless Wire, their first new studio album since 1982, in October
2006. The album debuted at #7 on the US Billboard chart and #9 on the UK
albums chart, won a rave four-star review in Rolling Stone and was well
received by both fans and media.

The band then embarked on a year-long tour to support it, and is now
continuing the trek with shows in Japan, Australia and New Zealand in early
2009.

"We don't want to stop now," Roger Daltrey told Billboard Magazine. "We
don't want those long hiatuses that we used to have. We feel at this time of
our lives it's too precious a thing to take liberties with time. When you're
young, you've got that time. When you're old, you haven't."

Over their extraordinary career, the band's live performances have been
matched by no other, with reviewers continuing to rave:
"Clapped out, over the hill, past it, out of touch, devoid of energy, a
bunch of wrinkly has-beens? Not The Who. They may be well into late middle
age, but for a couple of hours they delivered a masterclass in
mind-crushingly intense, but also wonderfully subtle power rock," said
London's Telegraph.

"It's not exactly a disadvantage to be able to draw on a back catalogue
that includes classic songs such as My Generation, Who Are You and Pinball
Wizard. But to deliver them with an urgent intensity, rather than as some
dinosaur-rock self-parodying tribute band was something special."
Promoter Andrew McManus is thrilled to have secured the rock legends for
this very special one-off concert.

"I had the opportunity of watching The Who headline the 02 Festival in
Ireland last year and was blown away by not only Roger Daltrey's vocals but
also the sheer magic coming off stage collectively from Pete Townsend and
the rest of the band. This is a real coup for New Zealand and the band
can't wait to visit again. Forty years has been too long!"

Special guest support act will be Counting Crows, in their very first visit
to New Zealand. The band is a global phenomenon, having sold over 20 million
albums worldwide and amassing countless Top 10 chart placings worldwide.
Counting Crows have been a huge presence in the music world; from initial
hit single Mr Jones to 2005's Accidentally In Love featured on the Shrek 2
soundtrack. The soundtrack saw the band garner an Academy Award and Golden
Globe nomination and perform the song on the Academy Awards telecast that
year. Their newest album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, saw the band
split their musical personality with the rock Saturday Nights produced by
Gil Norton (of Pixies and Foo Fighters fame) whilst the more acoustic Sunday
Mornings portion had Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron and Wine) at the desk.

THE WHO
with special guests
COUNTING CROWS
Saturday 21st March 2009 @ North Harbour Stadium, North Shore City, Auckland
Tickets available from Monday 17 November
At Ticketmaster - www.ticketmaster.co.nz , 0800-111-999

For MEDIA Enquires: publicity-machine@clear.net.nz / 021-243-6899
www.ampresents.com www.thewho.com www.countingcrows.com
www.livecountingcrows.com