
The Who set to 'come out of retirement and do an Elton John' after final gig
The Who won't retire and are set to follow in the footsteps of Elton John with one pal saying: 'It's not the end.' The rockers previously told how they are retiring from touring following 60 years together after a final set of dates in North America. The tour, which begins in August, will be a farewell to live shows for the legendary rock band, with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey performing hits from their six-decade career.
But Journalist Will Hodgkinson, a close pal of the band, regularly hosts press conferences for them after penning The Ballad of Britain about The Who and other bands' cultural significance in shaping British musical identity, said: 'I think they might do what Elton John has done. Elton has done the Palladium for a special.
'I can see them doing something like that. I think it's got too much for them being on tour. But I don't think it will be the end.'
Elton announced that he was quitting music with his final epic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour.
But he has since returned with a special date at The Palladium in London. The Who were recently left in turmoil after drummer Zak Starkey left the band. But Will says they will 'cope fine' without him.
He continued: 'The Zak Starkey thing was odd. I guess they fell out. I guess that's what happened. They had an argument. But Zak didn't talk about it at all when I saw him a few weeks ago. I think they will cope fine.'
He added: 'I don't know who it will be or if indeed they've already got someone.'
Will's latest book titled Street Level Superstar is about failed pop star Lawrence who he spent a year shadowing in a bid to uncover a true 'uncompromising' artist.
Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Pete Townsend and Noel Gallagher are all fans of the little known star who fronted 1990s band Denim.
The book won the prestigious Penderyn Music Book prize last year and has become a cult classic (MUST) while Denim's nearly famous record Summer Smash is being re-released.
Will said: 'I think it took off because failure is more interesting than success. I was very reticent. But I really enjoyed it. I thought creatively this could be really good. This is somebody who is at odds with the world. He looks like a superstar but there he is with no money whatsoever getting shouted at by kids at the bus stop, mistaken for an old lady by an old man outside the pub. I thought this was amazing. When he walks down the street he thinks he is Prince.'
The Who's Townsend even said he wants to be like Lawrence - a former heroin addict - because he's such an 'uncompromising' artist.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Mo Gilligan's life off-screen including soap star girlfriend amid 'deadbeat dad' claims
Mo Gilligan is known for his role on The Masked Singer but he's hit the headlines recently amid claims he has an 18-month-old son with a model Mo Gilligan will be known on screen for his comedy sketches and his role on The Masked Singer. The 37-year-old comedian serves as one of four panellists on ITV's guessing game show and its spin-off, The Masked Dancer. Mo became part of the line-up with Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross, and Davina McCall during the second series in 2020 after taking over from Ken Jeong and has remained on the show since. Away from his role on the show and stage, it has been reported that Mo has secretly fathered a child - and currently has another kid on the way. The Masked Singer star is currently getting ready to welcome his first child with current partner Taia Tulher, 28. It comes after Mo was slammed by the mother of his other child, Selina Christoforou. He grew up in Lambeth, South London, reports MyLondon, but unfortunately, Mo's parents divorced when he was five years old, which required him to divide his time between their homes. Mo expressed his appreciation for having both parents remain actively involved in his upbringing, as he said: "I think I've been very lucky. A lot of young black boys don't have a father in their lives. I love it, just me and my mum. Seal invited me to his show at the Palladium - that sounds so weird to say that - so I took my mum." The entertainer gained recognition and became a viral hit after posting comedic clips on his social media platforms whilst working in retail. Mo's breakthrough arrived in 2017 when rapper Drake discovered him. Before the allegations of a secret child, he was in a long term relationship with Sophie Wise. Many will recognise Sophie from her previous role as Carly Bradley in Hollyoaks. She has also appeared in various TV dramas and films - including brief stints in BBC medical dramas Holby City and Doctors. Until a few years back, Mo was living his mother before purchasing a five-bedroom property in North London. He said: "I looked at Surrey, a lot of people in TV move out there, but I work a lot in London so I bought in North London. "I bought a five-bedroom semi-detached house. I'm the first person in my family to buy a property so it's a big deal. A lot of my family and friends will be coming over." From beginning in a customer service role to becoming part of a huge TV show, there's no doubt his salary has increased dramatically. According to Entertainment Daily, Mo's net worth is estimated to be £18 million. Mo never announced he had become a father, but it was thought he met model Selina Christoforou, 35, online and went on to have a baby. A source said: "She found out she was pregnant in May 2023 and it was quite a shock for them both because they'd been fairly careful. She found out she was pregnant in May 2023 and it was quite a shock for them both because they'd been fairly careful. But she wanted to have the baby, despite the fact they weren't actually a couple. Selina went on to claim she knows how few times the star has met his son and insists she kept thinking things will get better for her "unbelievable" son. However, she said she understands you "can't make someone be a dad".


The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Jess Glynne slams Trump officials for using song in deportation video
"This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity - never about division or hate," the Grammy-winning artist wrote in a July 30 Instagram story. The message was written next to a screenshot of the White House's post, whose caption read "When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. ?? Nothing beats it!" In the Trump administration's video, people are escorted out of a van and marched onto a plane while their hands and ankles are handcuffed. Though federal agents' faces are blurred, the detainees' faces are not. USA TODAY has reached out to Jet2 for comment. The 2024 Jet2 TV commercial, which has blown up on TikTok with nearly 2 million videos using the audio, features British actress Zoe Lister heartily declaring, "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday. And right now, you can save ?50 per person! That's ?200 off for a family of four." Know your meme: The Jet2 holiday audio, explained In an interview with NBC News, Lister called the trend "really funny and joyful." Many users feature the upbeat sound in their videos juxtaposing it with a horrifying vacation incident or a funny, candid moment. One post depicts a traveler standing in a construction zone after allegedly being stranded in Croatia because their hotel "hasn't actually been built yet." Another shows a person spraying a fire extinguisher around an airport terminal after attempting to sneak on an airplane. President Donald Trump has vowed to carry out mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants, citing threats to public safety. However, there are reports of people, including schoolchildren, farm workers, and those who are married to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents without criminal records also being targeted by the Department of Homeland Security.


Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Massive Attack, Kneecap and more fight back on 'organised censorship' from music industry
Massive Attack, Kneecap, Fontaines D.C. and Brian Eno have formed an alliance to protect artists openly supportive of Palestine from censorship and intimidation from the music industry The British band Massive Attack have formed an alliance for artists who are facing intimidation from within the music industry over their support of Palestine and Gaza. The collective known as Ethical Syndicate Palestine (ESP) is supported by Kneecap, Fontaines D.C. and Brian Eno and cites 'organised censorship' of artists who have spoken out about Israel 's military action. The statement shared by Massive Attack and others on Instagram reads: 'The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description. We write as artists who've chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there and the role of the UK government in facilitating it.' In their statement, ESP alleges accounts of organised intimidation: 'We're aware of the scale of aggressive, vexatious campaigns operated by [UK Lawyers for Israel] UKLFI and of multiple individual incidences of intimidation within the music industry itself, designed solely to censor and silence artists from speaking their hearts and minds.' In a statement to The Mirror, Caroline Turner, Director of UKLFI, wrote: "The claims that we have bullied Massive Attack and operated aggressive vexations campaigns are false." She further describes Massive Attack's June 2025 performance at Lido Festival as "divisive and offensive political theatre." READ MORE: Massive Attack slam 'unethical' Barclays and demand removal of adverts at venue before gig ESP singled out UKLFI in their statement, accusing the association of intimidating artists. In their ESP Instagram posts, Brian Eno, Kneecap and Massive Attack all tagged the activist group Led By Donkeys, which released a film on July 17, 2025 calling for an investigation into UKLFI's charitable wing. Turner says UKLFI responded to Led by Donkeys before they screened their film and contends that their allegations mainly concerned UKLFI Ltd, which is not a charity, rather than UKLFI Charitable Trust. In recent months, UKLFI reported the band Bob Vylan to the police for leading a chant of 'death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]' during their Glastonbury set. It also reported the BBC for broadcasting the set and wrote to the Academy of Music Group advising them to cancel Vylan's Radar Festival performance. Mr Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (aka Mo Chara), a member of the music trio Kneecap, was charged with a terrorism offence in May 2025 after being reported to the police by UKLFI. Mr Ó hAnnaidh will appear at court for the next hearing on August 20, 2025. UKLFI wrote to all the UK venues where Kneecap was due to perform over the summer, to warn them of the risks of allowing them to perform. The musicians of ESP say their goal is to protect other artists, particularly those at early stages of their careers. 'Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we won't standby & allow other artists – particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability – to be threatened into silence or career cancellation. 'In this spirit, we encourage artists who've been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine, but are concerted about industrial or legal repercussions to contact us,' their statement reads. The syndicate also urges artists to make a stand on demands including immediate unfettered access to Gaza for recognised aid agencies, an end to UK arms sales and licences to Israel, and an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Artists including Paloma Faith, Bob Vylan, Aja Monet, Saul Williams, and AURORA all commented expressions of support on Instagram. Paloma Faith wrote: 'I've been shadow banned for some time!!! Keep going everyone, it's going to eventually change! Hang in there'. The Scottish rock band Garbage have also publicly joined the syndicate. The Mirror has reached out to the Ethical Syndicate Palestine for comment. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!