Roger Daltrey's acoustic adventure: Embracing freedom and surprises on tour

Earlier in 2024, the frontman of The Who reminded us of what can make a tour great: Keeping it casual and with some spontaneity. Roger Daltrey, connected to Billboard via Zoom, shared his enthusiasm about his then-upcoming tour, exclaiming, "I’m actually looking forward to a tour! I’m out there to have a good time this time."

Unlike his previous tours with The Who, such as the symphonic tours with Pete Townshend starting in 2019, this tour promised a unique experience. Kicking off on June 12 in Vienna, Virginia, Daltrey’s nine-date North American tour featured "a mostly acoustic set of Who gems, rarities, solo nuggets, and other surprises," along with Q&A sessions for audiences.

Reflecting on his past performances, Daltrey, who famously sang "Hope I die before I get old," had this to say: "I’ve done all those years with The Who, and I’ve done my solo stuff and charity gigs and all that. I just want to branch out and do something different, where I’ve got different instrumentation and I can stop using tape loops."

This time around, Daltrey was determined to explore new musical territories, allowing himself the freedom to incorporate songs he’s cherished over the years, in a decidely more folksy way. He emphasized, "I’m just determined to enjoy myself and explore the freedom I’ve got to do what I want to do on this tour, and let’s see where it ends up." However, Daltrey remained tight-lipped about the setlist, expressing frustration with the modern trend of setlist spoilers online. "I’m not gonna talk about songs," he said.

Roger Daltry doesn't like revealing his setlists

Daltry's reasoning: "Too many people reveal songs. There’s no surprises left with concerts these days. The Internet’s ruined the live shows for me. Who wants to know what’s coming next? People forget about surprises. I can’t stand it."

Daltrey’s tour band includes notable musicians such as Simon Townshend (Pete’s younger brother) on guitar, violinist Katie Jacoby, Billy Nicholls on mandolin and vocals, Jody Linscott on percussion, guitarist Doug Boyle, bassist John Hogg, harmonica player Steve Weston, Geraint Watkins on keyboards and accordion, and drummer Scott Devours.

Actual camaraderie on stage

"I like to put bands together where we’re a real band and everybody gets the spotlight and there’s camaraderie," he said. "To me, a band is more than choosing great musicians; you can sometimes have five great musicians on stage and there’s no chemistry whatsoever and it falls flat on its face. That’s not gonna happen here."

On not doing a famous scream

One song audiences could have anticipated is The Who's “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” but with a twist. "We don’t use a tape loop for the instrumentation. We do it on real instruments. It just takes it off the rails and gives me more room as a singer," Daltrey explained.

However, he adds with a laugh, "I’m not gonna do the scream. I’m gonna get the f–king audience to do the scream. I’ve done that scream for 55 years, and I’ve had enough of it. They can do the scream, and I’ll do everything else."

And why should he be expected to yell his lungs out at this point?

Q&A sessions

The Q&A sessions, promoted simply on social media, were inspired by a similar event Daltrey held in England in 2022. Fans could submit written questions at the venue before the show, which the band would review and select, similar to the spirit of meet and greets but probably less awkward. "It creates a great deal of fun, and you can get some good comedy out of it if you’re lucky," he says.

Beyond touring

Daltrey's current projects extend beyond the tour. He is working on a biopic about the late Keith Moon, The Who’s iconic drummer, with a script in place awaiting a director. "That’s taken up quite a lot of my time; I want to get this made while I’m still alive to promote it," Daltrey shared.

He also contemplates writing a follow-up to his 2018 memoir, Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story, delving deeper into the shyness and insecurities he experienced during The Who’s early days. "I didn’t really go deep enough in my first book," he admitted. "Quite a lot of it was terrifying, but I didn’t show it. I need to write about it."

Regarding The Who’s future, Daltrey remains uncertain. "I’ll do it if Pete wants to do it, really wants to do it and do it properly," he explained.“As far as I’m concerned, do we need another Who tour? We were a great group and two of our members died, and it’s been different since. But if Pete really, really wants to do it, I’m gonna turn up even with a broken leg, and I’ll deliver for you."

The legacy of The Who

Reflecting on The Who’s legacy, Daltrey expressed satisfaction with their accomplishments. In the past, Daltrey even noted how even some of their mistakes ended up being fortuitous, noting in 2018 about his famous stutter in "My Generation": "I remember the day in the studio, screwing up the first line. It was a mistake at first, because I do have a stutter and I fight it all the time...," but it wound up making the song more memorable, so they ran with the premise.

"We did as much as I could ever have wished for, and more. I thought it ended on the ultimate presentation of Pete Townshend’s music, which is out with the orchestra while maintaining the thunder of a rock band. That’s what the music deserved."

Factual details about The Who

Roger Daltrey co-founded The Who in 1964, with Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon. The band is known for pioneering rock operas, including Tommy and Quadrophenia, and hits like "My Generation," "Baba O'Riley," "I Can't Explain," "I Am the Sea," and "Pinball Wizard."

As one website notes: "The Who has sold over 100 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990." Daltrey, recognized for his powerful voice and energetic stage presence, has also had a successful solo career, releasing plenty of studio albums.
His contributions to music have earned him several awards and honors, including a CBE (Commander Of The British Empire) for services to music, the entertainment industry, and charity.