The Who announce final tour and retirement: “All good things must come to an end”
After over 60 years as a band, The Who have announced their plans to retire, capping their legendary run with one final North American tour later this year.
The 16-date trek, dubbed The Song Is Over, will take place across August and September, with stops at iconic venues including New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
At a press conference in London, guitarist Pete Townshend speaks candidly of the decision [via Mirror]: “Everyone needs to know the truth… I can’t lie… I am not crazy about touring.”
READ MORE: “Most musicians are not like me… I don’t like being on a stage”: The Who’s Pete Townshend explains why he doesn’t like performing
The guitarist also calls this a “poignant time” for the band as he looks back on The Who’s legacy over the years.
“Well, all good things must come to an end,” Townshend says in a statement. “For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and, of course, all of our longtime Who fans.”
“I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had,” he adds. “I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
Frontman Robert Daltrey also credits the band’s success in America to the fans: “Every musician’s dream in the early ‘60s was to make it big in the US charts. For The Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever,” says the musician. “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. 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.”
Tickets to The Song Is Over will be available starting with a Citi presale and through the Who Fan Club beginning on Tuesday, 13 May. Additional pre-sales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on Friday, 16 May at 10AM local time at the band’s website.
In other news, The Who made headlines recently when drummer Zak Starkey was let go, only to be rehired days later. He was apparently re-recruited on the condition that he “tighten up”.
View the full list of dates at The Who’s website.
The post The Who announce final tour and retirement: “All good things must come to an end” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
