The Who singer Roger Daltrey doesn’t approve of song nerds’ setlist.fm activities, stating that he’s “fucking sick” of fans looking at setlists ahead of time.
“I’m not gonna talk about songs,” Daltrey said in a recent Billboard interview. “Too many people reveal songs. There’s no surprises left with concerts these days ’cause everybody wants to see the setlist.”
He 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.”
When interviewer Gary Graff suggested that fans might find it useful to know the setlist so they can time their bathroom breaks, Daltrey quipped, “Why not just start to listen to the bloody show in the toilet, then?”
In the interview discussing his forthcoming North American tour, the vocalist revealed that a beloved The Who song, Won’t Get Fooled Again, will enter the setlist, but minus that scream.
“I’ve done that scream for 55 years, and I’ve had enough of it,” Daltrey said. “I don’t even want to try it now; it’s brutal on the vocal cords.”
In other Roger Daltrey news, this March marked the 24th Teenage Cancer Trust concert, an annual special musical event curated by Daltrey. This year’s event was the last with the Who Are You singer at the helm.
While 2025 onwards will see the event work with numerous guest curators, this year’s festival was packed with an all-star line-up, including The Who performing with an orchestra, special guests Squeeze, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Young Fathers, The Chemical Brothers, Kelly Jones, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Eddie Vedder, Paul Weller, Roger Daltrey, and Pete Townshend.
Last year, You Am I’s Tim Rogers caught up with The Music and discussed the impact of The Who’s 1969 epic Tommy on his life ahead of a tour commemorating the album with special guests Hayley Mary (of The Jezabels fame) and Sarah McLeod (of The Superjesus). You can check out those revelations here.
