THE WHO have announced their farewell tour of America. The band’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend broke the news during a press conference at the Iconic Gallery in London.
The run of 16 shows will kick off at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL on August 16, and run through until September 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The general ticket sale will begin at 10am local on Friday, May 16. Fans can join the Whooligan Fan Club to access ticket presales.
“Every musician’s dream in the early 60’s was to make it big in the US charts,” says Daltrey. “For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever. The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom!
“Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”
“Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time,” adds Townshend. “For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal.
“Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans. I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy.
“Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
THE WHO have also launched a previously unreleased album, the newly mixed a mastered Live At The Oval 1971, recorded at the Oval cricket ground in Kennington, South London at the Goodbye Summer 1971 all-dayer, an event that also featured America, Atomic Rooster, The Faces, Mott The Hoople and more and raised funds to provide famine relief in Bangladesh.
The album will be released on August 22 on CD, double vinyl and limited edition splatter vinyl.