Roger Daltrey “nervous about making it to end” of The Who’s farewell tour: “The potential to get really ill is there”

Roger Daltrey has shared that he is “nervous” about making it to the end of The Who’s farewell tour, as he has “the potential to get really ill”.

• READ MORE: Pete Townshend tells us about his new Quadrophenia ballet and the future of The Who

The iconic rock group are set to head out for their final run of US shows later this month. Dubbed ‘The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour’, the name comes as a nod to their classic 1971 track, and the dates were announced at a secret conference, which also showcased rare memorabilia that ties the band to the US.

Their 16 tour dates are set to kick off in Florida on August 16, and include follow-up shows in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Los Angeles, Illinois, Washington, Nevada and more across the next month.

Now, frontman Roger Daltrey has opened up about the upcoming shows and said that he fears he won’t make it to the end of the dates due to potential health concerns.

Speaking to The Times, he shared how “gruelling” the live shows can be, and said that he hopes no voice issues arise, nor that struggles from a previous battle with meningitis will get in the way of him completing the gigs.

“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,” he shared.

“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. There’s a big part of me that’s going: I just hope I make it through.”

He added that his battle with meningitis nine years ago left him with long-term effects, which still make it difficult for him to regulate his body temperature and perform in warmer conditions.

“It’s done a lot of damage. It’s buggered up my internal thermometer, so every time I start singing in any climate over 75 degrees, I’m wringing with sweat, which drains my body salts,” he added. “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.”

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Later in the interview, Daltrey spoke about whether these final tour dates mark the last ever live appearances from the rock veterans. “This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour, he said. “As to whether we’ll play [one-off] concerts again, I don’t know. The Who to me is very perplexing.”

Explaining why they were heading stateside for the farewell shows, Daltrey said in May: “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,” he added. “It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”

Visit here for tickets and find a list of new shows below.

The Who’s ‘The Song Is Over’ North American tour dates are:

AUGUST
16 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena
19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
21 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
26 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
28 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

SEPTEMBER
2 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
4 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
7 – Chicago, IL – United Center
17 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
21 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
23 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena

The Who’s longtime drummer Zak Starkey – who is also the son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr – will not be joining the band for their farewell shows, it was confirmed after a confusing period of contradictory reports. Guitarist Pete Townshend then cleared up the confusion, saying that “the time has come for a change”.

Starkey would later go on to share some details about what unfolded when he was kicked out of the line-up during an NME interview this summer, and Daltrey would then speak out about the drummer’s comments, accusing him of “character assassination”.

Scott Devours will be taking on the role of drummer for The Who’s farewell tour. He has previously worked with Daltrey as part of the singer’s solo band, and he described the weight of being their new sticksman “enormous”, adding that he understood if fans were “gutted” by Starkey’s loss.

The news of the farewell tour also came following the singer responding to comments from Pete Townshend, in which the latter remarked that the band had “gone on a bit too long” and that it “does sometimes feel like flogging a dead horse”.

Responding, Daltrey said: “If Pete doesn’t want to tour, I don’t want to be back with The Who on the road, at 81, with someone who doesn’t want [to] be there… if that’s what he’s saying.

“I won’t do it with someone who is half-hearted about it. But, you know, every dog has its day and it was a wonderful ride.”

The singer also spoke openly about his health issues while playing the first of two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust this spring. At the historic venue, he spoke briefly of vision impairments, saying: “The problem with this job is that you go deaf… And now I’ve been told that I am going blind.”

Last year, Townshend spoke to NME about the possibility of more new music from The Who, following on from 2019’s ‘Who’. “I don’t think there is. If there was a need or a place for a Who album, could I write the songs for it within six weeks? Of course I fucking could, it’s a piece of cake,” he said.

“The problem is, I don’t think Roger wants to do it again. For me, it would be a joy because I love writing songs, I love writing to a brief, I love having a commission, I love having a deadline and I love the feedback.

“I was so pleased that the critical response to the last Who album was so positive, I wasn’t expecting that and I was grateful for it and inspired by it. So where I am at the moment is I’m thinking ‘well, I might write the songs and then say to Roger, either you sing on them or I’m gonna put them out as a solo album and Who fans will love me for it.”

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