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San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Who's Roger Daltrey fears he won't make it through final tour
Roger Daltrey, the 81-year-old frontman of The Who, says he's not certain he'll make it to the end of the band's final U.S. tour — a run that includes a Bay Area stop this fall. 'This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour,' Daltrey told the Times of London in an interview published Friday, Aug. 1. 'It's gruelling. In the days when I was singing Who songs for three hours a night, six nights a week, I was working harder than most footballers. As to whether we'll play concerts again, I don't know. The Who to me is very perplexing.' The band, best known for its late 1960s/early '70s songs like 'My Generation' and 'Pinball Wizard,' is scheduled to perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on Sept. 21. 'I'm going to be 82 next year. Fortunately, my voice is still as good as ever. I'm still singing in the same keys and it's still bloody loud, but I can't tell you if it will still be there in October,' Daltrey said. 'There's a big part of me that's going: I just hope I make it through.' Health concerns cast a shadow over the tour. Daltrey continues to feel the effects of a meningitis infection he suffered nine years ago, which disrupted his internal temperature regulation and has left him vulnerable during performances. 'It's done a lot of damage. Every time I start singing in any climate over 75 degrees, I'm wringing with sweat, which drains my body salts,' he explained. 'The potential to get really ill is there and, I have to be honest, I'm nervous about making it to the end of the tour.' 'There's no point. Can't f—ing see it!' he said. 'I've got an incurable macular degeneration.' The Who has declared farewell before, most notably in 1982 with a U.K. and North American tour later commemorated in 'Who's Last.' But the band continued to return, including a 1989 reunion tour, a 70-date 'long goodbye' in 2015, and a 2019 to 2021 run supporting 'WHO,' its first new album in more than a decade. Now in their 80s, Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend vow this time is really the end. Still, Daltrey's committed to giving fans a show worthy of the band's legacy. 'I want to give the songs the same amount of passion as I did the first time round,' he said. The tour comes after a period of internal tension, including a public split with longtime drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr. Daltrey briefly acknowledged an incident during a show at London's Royal Albert Hall that led to what he called a 'character assassination' by Starkey. 'Pete and I retain the right to be The Who. Everyone else is a session player,' Daltrey said. 'You can't replace Keith Moon. We wanted to branch out, and that's all I want to say about it. But (Starkey's reaction) was crippling to me.'
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Legendary Brit rock band fire drummer for second time in a month as he issues savage statement
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE WHO drummer Zak Starkey has hit out at the band after being sacked for the second time in just four weeks. Starkey, 59 - son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr - denied it was his decision to leave the band ahead of their farewell tour across North America later this year. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 English drummer Zak Starkey has been fired from The Who Credit: AFP 5 Pete Townshend confirmed Starkey's axe for the second time in four weeks Credit: Getty 5 Roger Daltrey slammed Starkey on stage at the Royal Albert Hall Credit: Redferns His axe was confirmed by Pete Townshend, who posted a photo online with the caption: 'After many years of great work on drums from Starkey, the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' He also revealed Scott Devours, who plays with Roger Daltrey's solo band, will take over behind the kit, adding: 'Please welcome him.' But Starkey quickly shut down any suggestion he walked away - reposting Townshend's image with his own furious message scrawled across it. 'This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never have quit,' he wrote. READ MORE ON BANDS DRUMMER DUMPED Huge rock band fires drummer as devastated musician breaks silence on axe He thanked fans who backed him through the 'weeks of mayhem' after being previously axed, then briefly reinstated before getting the boot again this week. 'Quitting The Who would let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more),' he said. Hitting out at Townshend's claim he had other things going on, Zak said: "To clarify 'other projects'… yes I do have other projects and always have - Johnny Marr, The Lightning Seeds and more. 'None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them. 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who - I didn't. I love The Who and everyone in it.' Zak has played with the band since the mid-90s and was widely seen as their unofficial third member. The Who's Roger Daltrey performs Pinball Wizard during Tommy Live at The Royal Albert Hall He was fired from The Who in April following a clash over their Royal Albert Hall gig in March. The Sun exclusively revealed Daltrey, 81, complained live on stage he couldn't hear the key of their final track, The Song Is Over, over the sound of Starkey's drumming. He told the crowd: 'To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys.' Tensions erupted and Starkey publicly braded Roger "Toger Daktrey" and said the the singer was "bringing formal charges of over playing" against him. He was fired but three days later reinstated, with Townshend releasing a statement. He said: 'There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.' On Friday, another drummer spoke out about being axed from a world famous band. Foo Fighters sensationally sacked Josh Freese just two years after he stepped in to replace the late Taylor Hawkins. Who is Zak Starkey? Five key facts ZAK Starkey has been unceremoniously sacked as The Who's drummer - yet who is he? The Who's Roger Daltrey, 81, and bandmate Zak, 59, parted ways following a "huge fall out" at London's Royal Albert Hall. Zak had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 He is is the son of legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr Beatles Ringo Starr Aside from his drumming duties for The Who, Zak is also known for playing with Oasis Oasis He has been tipped to play at the Manchester band's UK reunion tour In January it was revealed Zak fell ill with a blood clot , hours before taking to the stage with Brit supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos Freese said he was devastated to be let go in an emotional statement. He wrote: 'The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they've decided 'to go in a different direction with their drummer.' No reason was given. :( 'Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. 'In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I've never been let go from a band, so while I'm not angry - just a bit shocked and disappointed. 'But as most of you know, I've always worked freelance and bounced between bands, so, I'm fine. 'Stay tuned for my 'Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters' list.' 5 Zak, 59, had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 prior to his sacking Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Legendary Brit rock band fire drummer for second time in a month as he issues savage statement
THE WHO drummer Zak Starkey has hit out at the band after being sacked for the second time in just four weeks. Starkey, 59 - son of Beatles legend 5 English drummer Zak Starkey has been fired from The Who Credit: AFP 5 Pete Townshend confirmed Starkey's axe for the second time in four weeks Credit: Getty 5 Roger Daltrey slammed Starkey on stage at the Royal Albert Hall Credit: Redferns His axe was confirmed by He also revealed Scott Devours, who plays with Roger Daltrey's solo band, will take over behind the kit, adding: 'Please welcome him.' But Starkey quickly shut down any suggestion he walked away - reposting Townshend's image with his own furious message scrawled across it. 'This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never have quit,' he wrote. READ MORE ON BANDS He thanked fans who backed him through the 'weeks of mayhem' after being previously axed, then briefly reinstated before getting the boot again this week. 'Quitting The Who would let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more),' he said. Hitting out at Townshend's claim he had other things going on, Zak said: "To clarify 'other projects'… yes I do have other projects and always have - Johnny Marr, The Lightning Seeds and more. 'None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them. Most read in Music 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who - I didn't. I love The Who and everyone in it.' Zak has played with the band since the mid-90s and was widely seen as their unofficial third member. The Who's Roger Daltrey performs Pinball Wizard during Tommy Live at The Royal Albert Hall He was fired from The Who in April following a clash over their The Sun exclusively revealed He told the crowd: 'To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys.' Tensions erupted and Starkey publicly braded Roger "Toger Daktrey" and said the the singer was "bringing formal charges of over playing" against him. He was fired but three days later reinstated, with Townshend releasing a statement. He said: 'There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.' On Friday, another drummer spoke out about being axed from a world famous band. Who is Zak Starkey? Five key facts ZAK Starkey has been unceremoniously sacked as The Who's drummer - yet who is he? The Who's Roger Daltrey, 81, and bandmate Zak, 59, at London 's Royal Albert Hall. Zak had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 He is is the son of legendary Beatles drummer Aside from his drumming duties for The Who, Zak is also known for playing with Oasis He has been tipped to play at the Manchester band's UK reunion tour In January it was revealed , hours before taking to the stage with Brit supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos Freese said he was devastated to be let go in an emotional statement. He wrote: 'The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they've decided 'to go in a different direction with their drummer.' No reason was given. :( 'Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. 'In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I've never been let go from a band, so while I'm not angry - just a bit shocked and disappointed. 'But as most of you know, I've always worked freelance and bounced between bands, so, I'm fine. 'Stay tuned for my 'Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters' list.' 5 Zak, 59, had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 prior to his sacking Credit: Getty 5 Roger complained abou him on stage Credit: Getty
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary band The Who brings farewell tour to Washington. What to know about final shows
This may be your last chance to hear "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Pinball Wizard" live in Washington when the trailblazing rockers The Who embark on their farewell tour later this month. The band fronted by singer Roger Daltrey, 81, and guitarist Pete Townshend, who turns 80 May 19, will kick off the aptly named The Song is Over North American Farewell Tour — billed as a "truly grand finale" — Aug. 16 just outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and wrap in Las Vegas Sept. 28. The 16-show run, named for a song on The Who's classic 1971 album "Who's Next," will visit cities including Atlantic City, Boston, Toronto, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, and showcase hits from the band's six-decade career. "Every musician's dream in the early '60s was to make it big in the US charts," Daltrey said. "For the Who, that dream came true in 1967, and our lives were changed forever. The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. "Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It's not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been." Here's how you can get tickets for their only scheduled show in September in Washington. Sept. 25: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle Presale tickets will be available for Citi cardmembers at 10 a.m. on May 13 through May 15 at 10 p.m., according to a news release. Early ticket access will also be available for those that join the Wholigan Fan Club. General tickets will go on sale starting May 16 at 10 a.m. at Sept. 2: Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario Sept. 4: Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario Sept. 23: Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia USA TODAY reporters Melissa Ruggieri and Nicole Fallert contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: The Who brings farewell tour to Washington: How to get tickets
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The Who announce 2025 farewell tour, MSG show. Get tickets today
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. The Who are selling out one last time. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend's legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group just announced their farewell 'The Song Is Over Tour' — it's for real this time unlike their infamous 1982 farewell 'It's Hard Tour' — that will send them to ballparks, arenas, theaters, bowls, boardwalk halls and amphitheaters all over North America from August through September. That includes four shows in New York and New Jersey. Advertisement Up first, the 'Magic Bus' group will make a stop at Newark, NJ's Prudential Center on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Soon after, the guitar-smashing hitmakers hit Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, Aug. 23, Long Island's Jones Beach Theater on Thursday, Aug. 28 and New York City's Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Aug. 30. 'It is a poignant time,' Townshend, 79, said. 'For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon (who died in 1978) and John Entwistle (who died in 2002) and of course, all of our longtime Who fans.' Prior to this tour, the most recent North American Who run was in 2022 on their 'Who Hits Back! Tour.' At concerts on that run, the group played 20ish classic songs like 'Pinball Wizard,' 'Who Are You,' 'Won't Get Fooled Again,' 'Behind Blue Eyes' and 'Baba O'Riley' with and without an orchestra (as well as recently fired and re-hired drummer Zak Starkey, who happens to be Ringo Starr's son). Advertisement Fans Wholigans can purchase tickets for all upcoming North American Who shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the farewell The Song Is Over Tour' is Friday, May 16. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. The Who tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all North American tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Advertisement The Who set list As noted above, The Who last performed in the U.S. three years ago. According to Set List FM, here's what they took to the stage at their final show in Last Vegas on Nov. 5, 2022: With Orchestra 01.) 'Overture' 02.) '1921' 03.) 'Amazing Journey' 04.) 'Sparks' 05.) 'Pinball Wizard' Advertisement 06.) 'We're Not Gonna Take It' 07.) 'Who Are You' 08.) 'Eminence Front' 09.) 'Ball and Chain' Band Only 10.) 'You Better You Bet' 11.) 'The Seeker' 12.) 'Naked Eye' 13.) 'Another Tricky Day' 14.) 'Won't Get Fooled Again' 15.) 'Behind Blue Eyes' With Orchestra 16.) 'The Real Me' 17.) 'I'm One' 18.) '5:15' 19.) 'The Rock' 20.) 'Love, Reign O'er Me' 21.) 'Baba O'Riley' The Who farewell press conference To make the news official, Townshend and Daltrey conducted a 35-minute press conference discussing their history and the upcoming jaunt. If you'd like to see for yourself, you can find the surprisingly sprawling chat here: The Who current band members Throughout their seven-decade history, there's been quite a bit of turnover within the band other than Daltrey and Townshend. Advertisement To give you a better idea of what the group looks like today, here is The Who's current lineup: Roger Daltrey lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, percussion, ukulele (1964–1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996–present) Pete Townshend lead and rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals, keyboards (1964–1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996–present) Billy Nicholls backing vocals (1989, 1996–1997, 2019–present) Zak Starkey drums, percussion (1996–present) Simon Townshend guitar, backing vocals (1996–1997, 2002–present) Loren Gold keyboards, backing vocals (2012–present) Jon Button bass guitar (2017–present) Katie Jacoby lead violinist (2019–present) Keith Levenson music coordinator, conductor (2019–present) Emily Marshall keyboards, associate conductor (2019–present) Audrey Q. Snyder lead cellist (2019–present) Classic rockers on tour in 2025 Although not many groups that have been active for 61 years (!) are still touring in the 2020s, here are five of our favorite acts you won't want to miss in the next few months. Advertisement • Ringo Starr with his All Starr Band • Paul Simon • Stevie Nicks • Todd Rundgren Advertisement • Eric Clapton Need more music from way back when in your life? Check out our list of all the biggest classic rockers on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. 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