Roger Daltrey performing in 2023. (Press Association via AP Images) Jonathan Brady/PA/AP
Dear internet, The Who’s Roger Daltrey has a bone to pick with you.
In a recent interview with Billboard, the singer declined to share the set list for his upcoming nine-date North American concert tour which kicks off Wednesday in Vienna, Virginia.
“I’m not gonna talk about songs,” Daltrey told the publication. “Too many people reveal songs. There’s no surprises left with concerts these days, ’cause everybody wants to see the setlist. I’m f***ing sick of it.”
Daltrey had some strong feelings about current culture around live concerts.
“The Internet’s ruined the live shows for me,” he said. “Who wants to know what’s coming next? People forget about surprises. I can’t stand it.”
When it was suggested that concertgoers, perhaps, want to know the set list ahead of time to schedule bathroom breaks, Daltrey had a cheeky response.
“Why not just start to listen to the bloody show in the toilet, then?” he said, laughing.
There has been debate and discussion over the past year about behavior by concertgoers at shows. Some artists have instituted measures like collecting cell phones at entrances and returning them after the show.
The Who was formed in London in 1964 and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
