Friends of Setlist.fm, if you’re there, give it a shot
by Rolling Stone
Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images
Friends of Setlist.fm, if you’re there, give it a shot. In a new interview granted to Billboard.comRoger Daltrey of the Who spoke about the American solo tour that starts tomorrow and the annoyance caused by the fact that, thanks to the Internet, fans now know in advance the setlists of the concerts they go to see.
“I don’t talk about the songs I’m going to do,” Daltrey says at one point. «There are already too many people revealing song titles. These days there are no surprises at concerts anymore, everyone wants to see the setlist. I can’t fucking take it anymore. For me the internet has ruined live shows. Who wants to know what happens next? People have forgotten the taste of surprise. I can’t stand this.”
Perhaps, the interviewer suggests with a joke, they are people with weak bladders who want to choose the right moment to go to the bathroom. «Then why don’t they start listening to the damn concert directly from the bathroom?», replies Daltrey, laughing.
As for the upcoming tour, Daltrey will be accompanied by nine musicians including Simon Townshend, Pete’s younger brother on guitar. We will listen to “Who gems mostly acoustic, rarities, solo gems and various other surprises”, and even a part of questions and answers with the audience. After having sung the Who’s repertoire for a long time, with the band and in its charity shows, Daltrey now wants to «expand and do something different, with different instrumentation and without tape loops. This creates a new sound and allows me to perform songs by other artists I’m fond of.”
The Who classic will be on the set list Won’t Get Fooled Again, but the singer will leave the legendary scream to the audience. «I’ve been making that scream for 55 years, I’ve had enough of it. I don’t even want to try, it’s brutal on the vocal chords. They can do it, I’ll take care of everything else. These days I like singing more. And I think I deserve it at the age of 80.”
