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The Who have officially launched “The Song Is Over” farewell tour, which the legendary band has promised will indeed be its very last outing. The tour kicked off on Sunday night (July 20th) at the Anfiteatro Camerini in Piazzola Sul Brenta, Italy.

The concert was one of five shows that The Who are playing in Italy and the UK leading up to the farewell tour’s North American leg, which begins August 16th in Sunrise, Florida, and runs through September 28th in Las Vegas (pick up tickets here).

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The show also marked The Who’s first gig since firing drummer Zak Starkey and naming Scott Devours as his replacement. The band’s lineup includes original members Pete Townshend (guitar) and Roger Daltrey (lead vocals) alongside Devours, Simon Townshend, Loren Gold, Jon Button (bass), and John Hogg (backing vocals).

At the kickoff show, The Who played...

The Who kicked off their Song Is Over farewell tour Sunday night at the Anfiteatro Camerini in Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy. It was their first gig since firing longtime drummer Zak Starkey and replacing him with Scott Devours, their first regular tour show without an orchestra since 2017, and the official unveiling of new background singer John Hogg after giving him a test run earlier this year at the Royal Albert Hall.

The setlist stuck largely to the standards, but they did break out the Who’s Next deep cut “Love...

The Who released their landmark LP Who’s Next in 1971, and before the year was out they’d played seven of the nine songs live in concert. The two exceptions were “The Song Is Over” and “Goin’ Mobile.” It took 54 years and more than 1,000 concerts, but they finally broke out “The Song Is Over” Sunday evening at London’s Royal Albert Hall on the second of their two charity shows for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“We dedicate this to all the fans that heard the 2016 setlist a 100 times,” Pete Townshend told the audience.

The Who played their first show of 2025 Thursday night at London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert series. It was their live performance of any sort since they played the same event a year ago, and the rollout of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend’s new, stripped-down band that now features only drummer Zak Starkey, guitarist Simon Townshend, bassist Jon Button, background vocalist John Hogg, and keyboardist/backing vocalist Loren Gold. (In recent years, they toured with a lager group of musicians,...

Roger Daltrey wrapped up his 24-year stint as the curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust Sunday night with a grand ‘Ovation’ concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The bill featured longtime Teenage Cancer Trust supporters Eddie Vedder, Robert Plant, Paul Weller, and Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics. The Who played two Teenage Cancer Trust shows earlier in the week, and Pete Townshend was originally on the bill for the ‘Ovation’ event, but he had to travel to New York for the opening of the new Tommy on Broadway.

The...

Roger Daltrey is coming to America in June for a rare solo tour that will feature an onstage Q&a with audience members, Who hits and deep cuts, and selections from his solo career. It opens on June 12 in Vienna, Virginia, and closes June 29 in Highland Park, Illinois. Midway through, Daltrey will return to the site of the original Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York. KT Tunstall is opening up seven shows, and Dan Bern is on the bill at two.

Daltrey’s backing band for the tour will feature guitarist Simon Townshend,...

The Who’s Roger Daltrey has announced a 2024 North American solo tour, during which the legendary singer will play “semi-acoustic” shows at intimate venues across nine dates in June.

The tour kicks off June 12th in Vienna, Virginia, and wraps up June 29th in Highland Park, Illinois. The itinerary also includes a recently announced one-off show in San Diego on May 6th.

A Live Nation pre-sale starts Thursday (March 21st) at 10 a.m. local time using the code Key, while general sales begin Friday at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

Per a press release, the rock icon will be “presenting a mostly acoustic set of Who gems, rarities, solo nuggets and other surprises with an intimate rock-based band and setting as well as answering questions from the audience.

Los Angeles, Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On July 6, 2019, The Who headlined Wembley Stadium in London for the first time in forty years. The show was the only U.K. date on their ‘Moving On’ Tour and featured the band accompanied by an over 50-piece orchestra performing classic tracks from Quadrophenia, Tommy, Who’s Next, Who Are You and more as well tracks from their Who album, their first studio release in thirteen years.

The Who With Orchestra Live At Wembley will be released on March 31st as a limited edition yellow, orange & red 3Lp set, triple black vinyl and a 2Cd / Blu-Ray set which features the audio remixed in Dolby Atmos. In addition, all formats feature a booklet with unseen photos from the show.

Performing with The Who and an orchestra had been a long-held ambition for singer Roger Daltrey “Just because it is The Who with an orchestra, in no way...

Pearl Jam brought out Johnny Marr to join them on a pair of classic rock covers during the band’s Saturday night at London’s Hyde Park.

The Smiths guitarist, who opened for the band Saturday, first came out mid-set for a rendition of Neil Young’s “Throw Your Hatred Down” (off the Young/Pearl Jam collaborative album Mirror Ball), with Marr laying down an extended guitar solo (despite Eddie Vedder encroaching on his personal space).

Marr later reappeared to assist in Pearl Jam’s concert-closing performance of the Who...

The Who played their first concert since the pandemic began at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday evening. It was an all-acoustic charity gig to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust that featured a unique lineup of backing musicians, an oddball setlist, more than few stops and starts, and minimal preparation. “We’ve only had two hours rehearsal,” Pete Townshend told the crowd early on, “so it’s going to be shit.”

Backed by guitarist Simon Townshend, percussionist Jody Linscott, bassist Phil Spalding, and backing vocalist Billy Nicholls, they opened...

The Who are heading back to North America in late April for an extensive tour that will keep them on the road through early November. They will once again be joined by local orchestras at every stop for an evening of music heavy on classics from Tommy, Quadrophenia, Who’s Next, and their 2019 LP Who in addition to selections from their other albums.

Some of the shows were originally booked for 2019 and delayed because Roger Daltrey was suffering from a vocal ailment, while others were scheduled for 2020 and postponed due to the pandemic.

Roger Daltrey is coming to America in late August for a rare solo tour. Initial dates have been announced for the Live and Kicking Tour in Nevada and Washington, and more are coming.

“[Daltrey] and members of the Who touring band will be on the road late summer 2021,” reads an announcement on the Who’s official website, “performing some Who hits, a few rarities and some solo hits. So far, three dates have been announced with several more to follow.”

The Who were supposed to spend 2020 on the road in support of their new LP Who,...

The Who marked the 50th anniversary of their landmark concert at Leeds University by playing a special acoustic gig at the tiny Pryzm club in London on Friday evening. The set was similar to the one they played at the hall earlier in the week, but it did contain the first performance of The Who Sell Out‘s “Tattoo” since 2008. The song was also part of their set at Leeds back in 1970.

“My wife has tattoos of dogs and fairies and various things,” Pete Townshend told the crowd before playing the song.

The Who will release a new album, Who, on November 22nd via Polydor Records, their first in 13 years. The rock band has previewed the release with rollicking, politically-tinged single “Ball and Chain,” which the band has previously played live.

The eleven-track album was primarily recorded in London and Los Angeles during the spring and summer of 2019, and was co-produced by Pete Townshend and D. Sardy, with vocal production by Dave Eringa. Simon Townshend, Benmont Tench, Carla Azar, Joey Waronker and Gordon Giltrap contributed to the songs as well.

“I think...

The Who have announced dates for their Moving On! tour, which will kick off May 7th at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan and wrap up October 23rd at the Rogers Arena in Edmonton, Alberta. As Rolling Stone previously reported, a local orchestra will join the band every night of the tour for an evening of music from their entire career.

“Be aware, Who fans!” Roger Daltrey said in a statement. “Just because it’s The Who with an orchestra, in no way will it compromise the way...

Kanye is on Late Night tonight, Sept. 9. Kanye West Drops by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" Tonight For a Surprise Performance of “Bound 2” Featuring Charlie Wilson and The Roots. Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC **Monday, September 9: Guests include Steve Harvey, The Duck Dynasty Cast and musical guest Kanye West. Show 0887 Tuesday, September 10: Guests include Michelle Pfeiffer, David Cross and musical guest Volcano Choir. Show 0888 Wednesday, September 11: Guests include Ricky Gervais, Michael Shannon and musical guest Mgmt. Simon Townshend sits-in with The Roots. Show 0889 Thursday, September 12: Guests include Robert De Niro, Amy Sedaris and musical guest Alt-j. Peter Hook sits-in with The Roots. Show 0890 Friday, September 13: Guests include Scarlett...

And then there was one. Roger Daltrey is hitting the road to perform the Who’s classic rock opera “Tommy” in its entirety, as well as other Who classics. Guess who’s not performing with him? Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who wrote the bulk of “Tommy.” Instead, his baby brother Simon Townshend will be on guitar, in a band rounded out by guitarist Frank Simes, drummer Scott Deavours, bassist Jon Button and keyboardist Loren Gold. The Who never toured the musical in its entirety in sequence, so this is your chance. Daltrey premiered this iteration at Royal Albert Hall in London in...

The son of another famous drummer, Starkey has actually been working with the band since 1996.

By Gil Kaufman

Zak Starkey performs during the Super Bowl Xliv halftime show

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

Every classic-rock fan knows the titanic twosome that fronts the Who: singer Roger Daltrey and windmilling guitarist Pete Townshend. But as the only two original members left of the iconic British rock band, the duo front a group of backup players who are decidedly more anonymous than late madman drummer Keith Moon and steady-on bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002 on the eve of one of the band's seemingly endless final tours.

One of the sidemen that stood out for many football fans watching the Super Bowl halftime extravaganza on Sunday was splashy drummer Zak Starkey, who kept the beat on a medley of the band's most beloved hits: "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Riley," "Who Are You?," "See Me,...

NEW YORK -- Donovan, Terence Blanchard, Ron Sexsmith, Jill Sobule and Simon Townshend are some of the artists bringing music to next month's Sundance Film Festival, where organizers will hold a series of concerts and related panels.

Film directors Justin Theroux (Dedication), Tom DiCillo (Delirious), Andrew Wagner (Starting Out in the Evening) and Mike Chaill (King of California) will participate in a round-table discussion Jan. 24 with such composers as Blanchard, Peter Golub, Adam Hollander, Dave Robbins and Anton Sanko on the creative process of film scoring.

Later that day, Victor Krauss, Keb Mo, Michael Penn and Blanchard will perform in a special music showcase.

The special music events, sponsored by Sundance Institute's Film Music Program and music publisher BMI, also will include the "Sundance Celebrates Music and Film" and Film2Music, exploring the cinematic and music mediums.

In what has become a Sundance tradition, the fest's Music Cafe will host afternoon performances programmed by ASCAP, featuring such artists as Sobule with Julia Sweeney, A Fine Frenzy, Sexsmith, Donovan and Townshend throughout the festival.

NEW YORK -- Donovan, Terence Blanchard, Ron Sexsmith, Jill Sobule and Simon Townshend are some of the artists bringing music to next month's Sundance Film Festival, where organizers will hold a series of concerts and related panels.

Film directors Justin Theroux (Dedication), Tom DiCillo (Delirious), Andrew Wagner (Starting Out in the Evening) and Mike Chaill (King of California) will participate in a round-table discussion Jan. 24 with such composers as Blanchard, Peter Golub, Adam Hollander, Dave Robbins and Anton Sanko on the creative process of film scoring.

Later that day, Victor Krauss, Keb Mo, Michael Penn and Blanchard will perform in a special music showcase.

The special music events, sponsored by Sundance Institute's Film Music Program and music publisher BMI, also will include the "Sundance Celebrates Music and Film" and Film2Music, exploring the cinematic and music mediums.

In what has become a Sundance tradition, the fest's Music Cafe will host afternoon performances by such artists as Sobule with Julia Sweeney, A Fine Frenzy, Sexsmith, Donovan and Townshend throughout the festival.