TCT: Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust

Considering the nature of the event here—a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall to raise funds for teenage cancer units to be placed in hospitals throughout the United Kingdom—any grumbling about artistic content could rightly be considered churlish. Fortunately, there's not much to complain about. Of the dozen or so acts who participated in the 2007 version (the charity concerts began in 2000, spearheaded in part by the Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey), everyone is at least passable, and several shine in this 15-song potpourri. The current version of the Who, including Zak Starkey on drums and Pete Townshend's brother Simon on rhythm guitar, are the headliners: after opening with “The Seeker,” one of the lesser tunes from Townshend's catalogue, they close the show with “Baba O'Riley,” an anthem that remains uplifting no matter how many times you've heard it, and “Tea and Theatre” (from Endless Wire), an elliptical history of the Who performed by Pete and Roger alone. In between, viewers see and hear Oasis' Noel Gallagher, first singing his own “Don't Look Back in Anger” and then joined by Paul Weller for “The Butterfly Collector,” a powerful relic from Weller's days with the Jam; the Kaiser Chiefs, who rock hard, as do the ebullient young Bloc Party; the Coral, who mix Motown and Mersey on the excellent “Dreaming of You”; the Cure and Judas Priest (who've been around forever) and A Band of Bees (who haven't); and Welshman Gruff Rhys (of the group Super Furry Animals), whose “Gwn Mi Wn” uses tape delays, loops, and other devices in a fascinating solo performance. DVD extras include a 40-minute interview with Pete Townshend. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)