Starting at noon, the supporting acts were Lou Reed, Bad Company, Lindisfarne, Maggie Bell and Montrose. The Who took the stage at 8:45 for an hour and 45 minute set in front of 50,000 fans. Amid uncomfortable conditions, the band worked their way through a patchwork of old and more recent material. The PA sound was less than perfect and many fights erupted in the audience. The Who played well, but Pete later revealed that he was extremely drunk and the show never got into a 'classic Who' groove. Some songs sounded messy especially the Quadrophenia material and '5.15' was a near disaster. But towards the end of the set, the 'My Generation' medley really struck home with a brilliant 'Naked Eye' and 'Let's See Action', and the fans didn't leave disappointed. All the songs apart from 'I Can't Explain' and '5.15' were broadcast in FM stereo in the London region on Nicky Horne's Rockpile programme on Capital Radio later in the year.

The concert concluded with the first ever performance of the slower 12-bar blues arrangement of 'My Generation', known within the group initially as 'Slow Generation Blues'. Despite the shortcomings, Charles Shaar Murray found little to complain about in his review in New Musical Express (May 25): "They performed with a freshness and enthusiasm that they haven't had for quite some time, and generally acted like the epitome of what a rock and roll band should be...The Who are it; as good as it ever gets, and good as we can expect from anybody."

Pete Townshend said: " At Charlton I got completely pissed... I was so happy to get out of it. For Madison Square Garden we had to fight and snatch the time off from the film and consequently when we got there it wasn't really all that wonderful from our point of view... I felt really guilty I couldn't explode into the exuberant and happy energy our fans did. I screwed up every inch of energy doing it then would be brought down by a monitor whistling or something and I'd have to work myself up again..." (New Musical Express, 20 July 1974).

The show was taped by BBC2 Television and broadcast on the programme Second House on October 5 1974. Songs featured were 'My Generation' (part),'Young Man Blues', 'Baba O'Riley', 'Substitute', 'Drowned', 'Bell Boy', 'See Me, Feel Me', 'Naked Eye', 'Let's See Action' and 'My Generation Blues'.

Pete was also interviewed by Melvyn Bragg during the programme, part of which may be seen in The Kids Are Alright. Four songs from this show, 'Substitute', 'Drowned, 'Bell Boy' and the 'My Generation' jam can be seen in the video Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B Live. Tentative plans had been made for The Who to play at Shawfield Stadium in Glasgow on Saturday May 25 but the local authorities barred such a show following disruptions at a Glasgow concert by David Cassidy!