The Who have no plans for UK farewell tour despite announcing final US gigs
The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend have revealed there are no plans at the moment for a farewell tour of the UK.
It comes after singer Daltrey, 81, and his bandmate Townshend, 79, announced news of a final tour of the US and Canada.
Asked if a farewell tour in their home country could follow suit, Daltrey told a press conference in London: 'Let's see if we survive this one.'
The Song Is Over… The Who's Final North American tour! Don't miss out on early ticket access through The Wholigans Fan Club at https://t.co/BBeIXswsjD before May 12th 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/bYschePNw0
— The Who (@TheWho) May 8, 2025
He added: 'Touring America is a damn sight easier than touring the UK, because, for some reason or the other, the UK has decided to make it as difficult as possible to go from A to B.
'In America, you seem to want to make it as easy as possible.'
He added: 'I don't want to say that there won't be (a UK farewell tour), but equally I'm not confident in saying there will be.'
Guitarist and vocalist Townshend, said: 'The door is open to us.
'We could do a week at the O2, a couple of weeks, maybe, at the Albert Hall, there are all of kind of things we could do.
'But you know, we don't do consecutive shows. We like to do a show and take a break.'
Daltrey, who had a growth removed from his vocal cords in 2009, said a throat specialist has told him he should have a 'day off' after every gig he performs.
He said: 'I can't do consecutive shows. At the end of the tour I might be able to do two back to back.
'I've been ordered by my throat specialist, (who would) say, 'You have to have a day off after every gig, and then after every three gigs you have to have two days off, because otherwise you will wreck your voice and you will not be able to sing'.'
The duo of Daltrey and Townshend will perform hits from across their six-decade career during The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour, named after the band's 1971 hit.
The band formed in the 1960s with a line-up that consisted of lead singer Daltrey; guitarist and vocalist Townshend; drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978; and bass guitarist John Entwistle, who died in 2002.
Last year, it was announced that Daltrey was stepping back from his role as curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust's Royal Albert Hall concerts, having launched the series in 2000, but he remains an honorary patron of the charity, with The Cure's Robert Smith taking over curation duties next year.
The tour starts in Florida on August 16 2025, with further dates in cities including New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver, before a final date in Las Vegas on September 28.
Pre-sales will run from May 13 ahead of the general sale beginning on Friday May 16 at 10am.
The Who, formed in 1964, are best known for the albums Who's Next, Tommy and Quadrophenia, with the latter two adapted into films in 1975 and 1979 respectively.
The band went from performing club shows to headlining the Woodstock festival in the US and becoming the biggest box-office draw in the world.
The band had 14 UK Top 10 singles and they were inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.
In 2019, they released the album Who, marking Daltrey and Townshend's first collection of new material since their 2006 album Endless Wire.
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The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Who's Roger Daltrey ‘very humbled' by ‘dream come true' knighthood
The Who frontman Sir Roger Daltrey has said he is 'very humbled' to be made a knight bachelor in the King's Birthday Honours for services to charity and music. Sir Roger, 81, who launched and curated the Teenage Cancer Trust's Royal Albert Hall concerts from 2000 to 2025, told the PA news agency he would be celebrating with 'a bottle of plonk'. He told PA: 'It's strange, it's an experience that I've never had before, I'm very humbled by it. 'But equally, pride isn't something you wear on the outside, you can't say you're proud of that, I'm not proud, it's something that you wear in your heart, and this sits very well in my heart, because it's for the charity, it is for the music and the music I've had the joy of giving it out there – how lucky was I?' Sir Roger said he was particularly pleased to be honoured for his charity work, which will see him remain an honorary patron of Teenage Cancer Trust, while The Cure frontman Robert Smith takes over the curation of his London concert series next year. He added: 'It's kind of weird, but I am deeply honoured to get this, especially for the charity for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and I accept it on their behalf really, because this honour is really for all unsung heroes.' Sir Roger continued: 'It's a dream come true for me, but it's especially a dream because the charity means so much.' The first Teenage Cancer Trust show by The Who And Friends at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000 raised more than £12 million in ticket sales and revenue from a concert film and CD, and as a result Sir Roger was given a humanitarian award in 2003 from Time magazine. Sir Roger and The Who have also thrown their support behind a number of other cancer charities, and the frontman was one of the original supporters of music therapy charity Nordoff And Robbins. The singer first rose to fame with the 1960s mod rock band when their early Shel Talmy-produced singles I Can't Explain, Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, and My Generation stormed into the UK charts, with the latter reaching number two. With The Who, Sir Roger became known for his energetic performances, which saw him lasso his microphone around his head with its cable, while bandmates Pete Townshend, Keith Moon and John Entwistle smashed their equipment at the end of shows in a proto punk display of destruction. Asked whether he could have foreseen his knighthood during the band's early days, Sir Roger said: 'No, no, I mean, you've got to remember, we came from post-war England, I was born in an air raid. 'But what we didn't have that could say we kind of feel we need in today's world, we had barely enough, we had hardly anything at all, but that was a blank canvas to paint our own, whatever we wanted to do in our lives. 'We could paint ourselves on to that canvas and make it count, and we got into music, we got lucky, it's as simple as that, it was luck. 'We were born with talent, that's for sure, you can't have the success we've had and not have some kind of talent, even if it's for cock-ups. 'So we got lucky, we were right place, right time, we had the right chemistry with the four band members, and it's been a dream life, I can't thank everybody enough.' The band are widely acknowledged as the first mod band, and went on to further success with their fourth album Tommy (1968), a rock opera about a 'deaf, dumb and blind' boy who becomes an expert pinball player, before becoming a god-like figure. Tommy spawned a number of theatrical adaptions, and in 1975, a film directed by Ken Russell starred Sir Roger in the lead role. This marked the start of an acting career which went on to see him play composer Franz Liszt in Lisztomania (1975), as well as appear in The Legacy (1978) and TV's The Bill. Having become known as one of the heaviest groups of the 1960s, and one of the first mainstream groups to utilise guitar feedback, The Who became one of the first British hard rock bands with the release of Who's Next (1971), which also saw them among the first such acts to use synthesisers. Who's Next included some of the band's best known tracks such as Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again. In 1973, the band released a second rock opera in Quadrophenia, which was also adapted into a film in 1979, which starred Phil Daniels as main character Jimmy Cooper in an all-star cast that also included Sting as Ace Face, Ray Winstone as Kevin Herriot and Toyah Willcox as Monkey. The Who's original drummer Keith Moon died in 1978, while bass player John Entwistle died in 2002. While The Who were still active and during their time apart, Sir Roger has released a series of solo albums, beginning with Daltrey (1973), which peaked at number six in the UK albums chart. In 2018, Sir Roger published his autobiography Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite. Kate Collins, chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: 'We're all delighted that Roger Daltrey has been awarded a much-deserved knighthood. Sir Roger is a tireless and passionate supporter of, and advocate for, young people with cancer in the UK and internationally. 'The powerhouse behind Teenage Cancer Trust's flagship Royal Albert Hall fundraising gigs for more than 25 years, Sir Roger has had – and continues to have – a remarkable impact on our work and on the lives of young people with cancer. 'Sir Roger has made a unique and exceptional contribution to both music and charity, and we all wholeheartedly congratulate him on this honour. It is so deserved.'
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
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Beckham humbled by knighthood as King's Birthday Honours list released
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North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Beckham humbled by knighthood as King's Birthday Honours list released
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He had been on the verge of receiving a knighthood in the 2014 New Year's Honours list but HM Revenue and Customs placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports. In 2021 it was reported that his finances had been cleared and he was eligible for a knighthood. The day before Sir David was given the honour, he was seen chatting with the King at a St James's Palace ceremony for the monarch's foundation, of which the retired footballer is an ambassador. He has been made a knight for his services to sport and to charity, having partnered with Unicef and campaigned with Malaria No More, a charity working to eradicate the disease. Sir David, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, said: 'Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation. 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She is recognised for services to tackling online privacy after she waived her right to anonymity to campaign following the conviction of her former partner Celebrity Big Brother winner Stephen Bear, who shared a private film of them having sex. The TV presenter told PA: 'It means the world to have this kind of recognition, not just for me, but for all the survivors who've been through what I have.' Tracy-Ann Oberman, who has also been in EastEnders, and played Auntie Val in Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner, has been made an MBE for services to Holocaust education and combating antisemitism. Obermann, 58, said: 'This recognition is deeply meaningful and I'm grateful to all who have supported this journey'. The oldest person on the list is 106-year-old William Irwin. A veteran and the founder of Coleraine Winemakers Club, Mr Irwin was recognised for his services to the community with a BEM. 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