The Who project Roger Daltrey refuses to see: “There’s no point”
Trashing hotel rooms, touring the globe, and, on one occasion, doing an advertisement for American Express; it is fair to say that Roger Daltrey has lived a fuller life than most during his many years at the forefront of mod rock rebels The Who. Within that endless plethora of projects, though, some are viewed more favourably than others.
The Who were never going to be another run-of-the-mill rock and roll outfit, that much was evident right from the release of ‘I Can’t Explain’ back in 1965. Having already forged one of the most spectacular performance styles in rock history, complete with colossal stacks of amplifiers and the amphetamine-fueled energy of Keith Moon hammering out the rhythm section with all the tenacity of Animal from The Muppets, the band quickly summited the landscape of British rock, maintaining a position firmly on the upper echelon of musical greatness.
With that position, however, came greater expectations. Their youth was fleeting, and short, sharp anthems like ‘My Generation’ weren’t going to cut it any longer. Luckily, The Who had the artistic vision of Pete Townshend as a guide, and that took them deep into the throes of rock operas and concept albums. In turn, albums like Tommy and Quadrophenia would see The Who expand into the world of cinema, producing two cult films and adding another string to the ever-expanding bow of the band.
While Daltrey himself was keen to get involved in those cinematic projects, starring as the titular figure in Tommy, and providing a wealth of insight into the mod scene of the mid-1960s for Quadrophenia, the frontman didn’t view The Who’s other appearances on the silver screen with much favour. Namely, Daltrey has never even bothered to watch 1979’s beloved rockumentary The Kids Are Alright.
Chronicling the story of The Who, from their early origins in the mid-1960s to the rock royalty of the 1970s, through various interviews and live performances, the film arguably set the standard for the rockumentary genre, and its lineage can certainly be found in later spoofs like This Is Spinal Tap. However, Daltrey wouldn’t know any of this, as he has never quite seen the point in seeing that particular chapter in The Who’s history.
Speaking to Dean Goodman back in 2007, Daltrey immediately shut down a question about the film, boldly declaring, “That’s not really a documentary. It’s a filmic fanzine. The Kids Are Alright has got nothing to do with the story of the Who.” The singer lamented Jeff Stein’s take on the band, denouncing it as “someone’s subjective opinion, on one section of the story of The Who. You can’t ever get 43 years into two hours of film.”
Although Daltrey did note, “It seems by people’s reaction to what they’re looking at, it seems to be quite a favourable reaction. So they must have done a good job,” he didn’t seem keen to watch it anytime soon. “There’s no point in me seeing it, I lived it,” he proclaimed.
“I’ll watch me, I won’t see the film. I’ll watch me in the film, and I find that very uncomfortable. I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done in my career,” the singer shared, seemingly fairly contented with his choices. “I’ve done my ups and downs, like everybody else. And it is what it is.”
He added, “I gave it my blessing, and I still give it my blessing.”
Seemingly, though, his bandmates did watch the film – and, by all accounts, enjoyed it – so why exactly did Daltrey seem to have such animosity towards it? Potential reasons are myriad, but it is worth noting that the film features the last-ever performance by Daltrey’s fallen comrade, Keith Moon, which might play into his decision somewhat. Then again, the documentary flopped at the box office, losing around half a million pounds, which probably didn’t help, either.
