Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey
Radio Interview NY
16th May 1969

Duration: 21:50

This is a radio interview that aired on a NY radio station a few hours before the historic Fillmore East show, where the lads ran into a bit of trouble with the law when a plainclothes policeman jumped on the stage to warn the audience of a fire next door and was promptly booted off the stage. It was also on this day that Tommy was released in the US, so they were promoting that and their shows at the Fillmore East.


Here is an excerpt from "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" by Andy Neill and Matt Kent

Friday, 16 May
Fillmore East, New York City

The first of a three-night stand, promoted by Bill Graham, with the Joshua Light Show, Sweetwater, and It's a Beautiful Day. Towards the end of the show, smoke started to filter into the auditorium. "Someone threw a Molotov cocktail into the grocery store next door," Fillmore manager Kip Cohen remembered, "because the owner refused to pay protection money." As Graham prepared to make a formal announcement, plainclothes officer Daniel Mulhearn of the Tactical Police Force ran onstage during "Shakin' All Over" and grabbed the microphone off Roger. Before Mulhearn could speak, roadie Tony Haslam acted instinctively by grabbing him in a bear hug from behind. Daltrey threw a punch, and Townshend aimed a kick to the man's groin, before the cop jumped six feet (2m) off the stage. The audience of 2000 were safely evacuated, and the late show cancelled.

While angry police searched Loew's Midtown Hotel, Graham harboured the band in his apartment at 71 East Seventh. The following day, Daltrey and Townshend voluntarily went to the Ninth Precinct, where they were formally charged with assaulting a plainclothes police officer and remanded on bail until 27 May. (The case was further adjourned to 20 June.)


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