Never Say Never Again is the title of a Bond movie. It featured Sean Connery returning to the iconic role for the seventh and final time. Now I’m not trying to say Roger Daltrey or Pete Townshend are like Connery or even James Bond. But they aren’t saying never again when it comes to playing live, solo or with the Who.
When the band announced a farewell tour in the USA last summer, many fans reflected on having seen what was reportedly their final tour in 1982. That’s some 44 years ago, and raised some questions about the latest farewell.
It was always accepted that the band would continue that last hurrah into the UK and Europe. That's still to be finalised. Daltrey has recently added a rough timeline for that, and also indicates that the Who aren’t necessarily done even then.
A Rolling Stone interview with Daltrey reveals quite a lot. The Who tour timing has been pushed into 2027. Daltrey spoke of Townshend having another knee operation and referred to some health issues of his own. That’s no great surprise given their ages of 82 and 81.
The Who will continue to rock on live
While that takes care of the Who's final tour, it’s not the end of the band or their live music by any means. Daltrey made that clear in terms of live gigs. “Well, if we get invited to do a charity gig or something, if it’s a good charity that we support, we’ll be there.
What I’m trying to say is we are not retired.” His favored Teenage Cancer Trust would seem a likely future opportunity. In the meantime, Daltrey will play some solo dates in the US later this summer.
There is also a new Who live album just released, Live at Eden Project. The band played a series of summer concerts in recent years and transformed some of their music with orchestral backing. This captures them at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK in 2023 backed on stage by the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Who’s music is ideally suited in many places for this additional wall of sound. It adds texture and even more depth to their sound and is by no means a gimmick. The new album has 24 tracks, many of them Who hits and standards. It’s a blast from start to end.
Some bands don't know when to stop. The Who seem to recognise that it’s time to slow down. But they are doing so in a planned way and still aiming to deliver live when they can. While the ability to perform is still there, and the quality remains high, you can see and hear why Daltrey and Townshend aren't yet ready to say never again.
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