Passing on the baton: Roger Daltrey says Robert Smith is doing a “fantastic job” as Teenage Cancer Trust gig curator
The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has commended The Cure’s Robert Smith for his work after taking over as curator for the annual Teenage Cancer Trust concerts.
Daltrey, who earned a knighthood for his work with the charity, served as the curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust shows since they began in 2000 until 2025.
This year, Smith has curated the set of concerts, which are currently ongoing, at the Royal Albert Hall in London with acts including Mogwai, Wolf Alice, My Bloody Valentine, Manic Street Preachers, Elbow, and an all-star comedy event.
Last night (March 25th) saw Mogwai take to the stage, as well as a guest appearance from Daltrey, who introduced a number of young people who have benefited from the charitable work carried out by the Teenage Cancer Trust.
He also used the opportunity to pay thanks for Smith for carrying on from where he left off, sharing with those in attendance, “Robert’s done a fantastic job – absolutely fantastic – and he’s played concerts before for us in the past.”
Daltrey then went on to note the sacrifice made by bands, too, explaining they are choosing to play the Teenage Cancer Trust shows rather than a headline show in the English capital, adding, “Bands give up an awful lot to do this. When we started this 26 years ago, touring was just a small part of their income. That has changed. We’re so grateful.”
Tonight (March 26th), Manic Street Preachers will perform at the world-famous venue, followed by My Bloody Valentine with Chvrches (acoustic set) tomorrow ahead of Garbage with Placebo (acoustic set) on Saturday.
Wolf Alice and Nilüfer Yanya will bring the week of gigs to a close on Sunday.
During Daltrey’s time helming the annual concerts, £32 million was raised, which helped the NHS set up 28 specialised units across the country.
Reflecting on his work with the charity and meeting young cancer patients, Daltrey said in 2024, “I’ve met so many over the years. There’s quite a few who will stay with me forever – I could never forget them and the letters and cards really mean a lot – I’ve kept them all. I’m some old fart of a rock singer and this has given me a purpose.”
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