LOOK WHO’S BACK
Performances at famed festivals such as Monterey and Woodstock helped them storm America, while movies were inspired by concept albums Quadrophenia and Tommy,
Songs such as The Seeker, Push Me Pull Me, Baba O’Riley, Pinball Wizard, Won’t Get Fooled Again, and I Can See For Miles, are some of the best-known rock tracks of all time, with new generations rediscovering them over and over again.
Daltrey says they are delighted to have such a loyal and ever-changing audience. He says: “We were in Mexico City recently, and in a crowd of 19,000, there was an average age of 22-23. They knew every word of every song, and at times sang louder than the band.
“The performing is more fun than ever, you don’t have to prove anything, and luckily, touch wood, we’re still performing as well as we ever did.
“The shows are fabulous, but schlepping around the world is a bit more difficult, the bones ache a bit. “We just love playing music, it’s our life.” As well as his new tour with The Who, of which Daltrey and Townshend are the only two surviving originals, Daltrey is also famous these days for his fundraising for the charity Teenage Cancer Trust.
It runs special teen-friendly wards and services to fill the gap between children’s wards and adult oncology.
He recently staged his 100th show and says touring will always be a labour of love.
He says: “We’re at 100 shows now and that’s a lot of shows and an awful lot of begging for people to do something. Sometimes you have to make them an offer they can’t refuse.”