The Who’s ‘substitute drummer’ who stepped in for Keith Moon during gig shares how the band thanked him

A fan who stepped in for Keith Moon during a gig by The Who has shared how the band thanked him.

The Roger Daltrey-fronted group made headlines earlier this year after announcing the firing, re-hiring, and second firing, of long-time drummer Zak Starkey. The Who has confirmed their final run of shows will be played out in the United States later this year, without Starkey behind the drum kit. Scott Devours will fill in for Starkey, who is said to have been unaware the group were considering letting him go. The Who has gone through plenty of drummers, and at one time had the legendary Keith Moon behind the kit. But when the veteran rocker passed out during a gig, the group turned to the crowd to find a last-minute replacement.

Scott Halpin answered Pete Townshend’s call for a drummer in the crowd, with the at-the-time nineteen-year-old filling in for Moon at the last minute. Halpin recalled getting into the gig with a scalped ticket, watching from the side of the stage after it was far too tight at the front.

Though Halpin was brought up on stage to fill in for Moon, the band made sure to test out his capabilities as a drummer before they launched into the set. Halpin said: “What they started out with was a blues jam, which basically was Smoke Stacked Lighting that turned into Spoonful. I think it was to check me out to see if I could handle what they want.”

Halpin’s work with the band would take place at a 1973 show, with a Quadrophenia-heavy setlist played out to the California crowd. A setlist for the show can be found below.

• I Can’t Explain
• Summertime Blues
• My Generation
• I Am the Sea
• The Real Me
• The Punk and the Godfather
• I’m One
• Helpless Dancer
• 5:15
• Sea and Sand
• Drowned
• Bell Boy
• Doctor Jimmy
• Love, Reign O’er Me
• Won’t Get Fooled Again
• Magic Bus
• See Me, Feel Me
• Smokestack Lightning
• Spoonful
• Naked Eye

Halpin would perform three songs that night, with Moon first passing out during Won’t Get Fooled Again. He passed out a second time during Magic Bus, and The Who were left with no choice but to finish their first encore with no drums. Their performance of See Me, Feel Me, had no drumming.

But a second encore of three songs, a cover of Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, and an original, Naked Eye, had Halpin on drums. Though he stepped in at the last minute and saved the show’s second encore, Halpin did not receive an invitation to join the band. He recalled: “They did give me a tour jacket, which someone stole.”