The Who’s Roger Daltrey claims the “internet has ruined live shows”
The Who’s Roger Daltrey has professed his disdain for the internet, claiming it has had a detrimental effect on live performances.
The rock veteran is set to embark across North America on an upcoming solo tour, and while he’s excited to hit the road, Daltrey believes the internet has ruined the live experience. In a new interview, The Who frontman claimed it gets in the way of gigs feeling naturing, stating that audiences “forget about surprises.”
Daltrey’s main complaint was that he didn’t like the fact people looked up set lists before coming to gigs, as they already know what’s likely to be played. “Too many people reveal songs,” he said in a new chat with Billboard, “There’s no surprises left with concerts these days, cause everybody wants to see the setlist.”
The icon continued, “I’m fucking sick of it. The internet’s ruined the live shows for me. Who wants to know what’s coming next? People forget about surprises. I can’t stand it.”
One song that Daltrey was happy to reveal he would be singing on the tour was The Who’s classic anthem, ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’. While it is a solo tour he’s going on; many fans will be expecting to hear the songs that made him famous, but Daltrey won’t be delivering that track in the same way as the original recording. “I’m not gunna do the scream,” he said, “I’m gunna get the fucking audience to do the scream. I’ve done that scream for 55 years, and I’ve had enough of it.”
“I don’t even want to try it now,” admitted Daltrey, continuing to talk about the iconic scream in The Who hit. “It’s brutal on the vocal chords. They can do the scream, and I’ll do everything else. I’m more into singing these days. At the age of 80, I think I deserve to be.”
While Daltrey’s age might have changed his approach towards screaming, it hasn’t changed his approach towards touring.
Daltrey isn’t the only person who resents what the internet has done to gigs because people persistently need to share videos and photos. Artists like Jack White, Mitski, and Placebo have all implemented no-phone policies at their concerts to prevent fans from recording songs.
Meanwhile, Daltrey recently played down the possibility of The Who following in the footsteps of ABBA Voyage and creating an avatar show. “I’ve never thought about it. I wouldn’t want to go and see it,” the singer remarked.
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