The Who frontman Roger Daltrey “loathes” the internet
Frontman of The Who, Roger Daltrey, has never been one to mince his words. Whether it be talking about his generation, his peers, or political issues, whilst you may not always agree with what he has to say, the Londoner’s fearlessness is something to be admired amid a contemporary propensity for conflict avoidance.
Keeping his finger on the pulse, even at the age of 79, at the tail end of 2022, Townshend demonstrated his eye for talent when he joined young rockstar Yungblud for a Rolling Stone feature in which he professed his love for Liam Gallagher and expressed his desire for him to reconnect with his brother Noel and reunite Britpop legends, Oasis.
“[Noel has] just got an edge, and I wish [Oasis] would just get back together,” Daltrey said. “Liam, though, has really carved out a niche for himself now, and I love him. I think he’s fabulous. He’s totally honest. He’s not frightened of saying how he feels. Very similar to you [Yungblud]. You remind me of him a bit.”
Whilst Daltrey’s hot takes often encompass a range of topics, one that most people can understand is his account of the online world. When speaking to the Coda Collection in 2021, Daltrey revealed that he is the “number one hater” of the internet and “loathes” it because of how he believes it is “destroying” humanity. His comments came after being asked how his band would attempt success if they were starting in contemporary times.
Daltrey said: “I’ve got no idea. You’re talking to the number one hater of the internet. I loathe it. At the time it really started to come forward as this platform it’s become, I never ever thought any good would come of it, and I really still don’t think any good’s come of it. I think if we’re not careful, it’s probably the end of our civilisation. Yes, it’s very convenient. It’s destroying our planet in more ways than one.”
Turning to how he feels the internet is “destroying our brains”, Daltrey continued: “And it’s destroying our brains in more ways than one. It’s destroying our society in more ways than one. So all in all, the sooner it fucking collapses, the better, and we get back to talking to people face-to-face, making real music. Making things and putting out products because this streaming shit with musicians where they can’t earn a living making music.”
The frontman concluded: “Songwriters can’t earn a living writing songs. Composers can’t earn a living composing music. That can’t go on. That’s got to stop. It’s the biggest fraud or robbery, whatever you want to call it, in history- what’s happened to the music business.”
Watch the clip below.
