EARLY incendiary performances by The Who will be recalled by music fans from East Lancashire in a new book on the legendary band.

Between the releases of My Generation and The Who Sell Out in the 1960s, the four-piece played locally five times.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The vivid recollections of a ‘windmilling’ Pete Townshend and an ear-popping Roger Daltrey have been captured in a ‘people’s history’ of The Who by Manchester-based author Richard Houghton.

For Ian Gaskell, who caught one of three appearances at the Nelson ‘Imp’, the “incredible volume” remains with him.

He said: “Their set got louder and louder and the climax of the show was My Generation, Townsend windmilling his arms with predictable gusto.”

Ian was even close enough to spot Townshend swapping his expensive six-string for a cheap copy, at the side of the stage, before they launched into their trademark instrument-destroying finale.

Away from The Imp, they also appeared at The Astoria at Rawtenstall, on May 22, 1966, and the following night at Blackburn Locarno, in St Peter’s Street.

David Almond, from Darwen, had a ringside seat for at least two of the band’s ‘Imp’ dates, as a founder member of support act The Beathovens.

He said: “‘I spent a bit of time in one of the dressing rooms with drummer Keith Moon. I went to the upstairs dressing room looking for my mates who I was playing with and he was sat the end of this room drinking vodka and lime juice.

“He poured me a drink and I was talking to him for about 20 minutes.”

The musician also observed the bitter rivalry between The Who and another up-and-coming act, The Rockin’ Vickers, featuring Lemmy, later the frontman of Motorhead.

David added: “The Rockin’ Vickers reckoned The Who nicked the song The Kids Are Alright off them. We were in the downstairs dressing room when The Who all came in.

“On the wall the Rockin’ Vickers had written ‘Who are The Who anyway?’.

“And Pete Townsend borrowed a pen and wrote underneath ‘If you don’t know now you never will’.”

Author Richard, 56, said: “Those gigs they played in the 60s and early 70s were in much more intimate venues than the arena shows that bands like The Who play now.”

His book, entitled The Who: I Was There, is set to be published by Red Planet this year.