The Who: The Song Is Over

Time Is Passing for us all, and now it's The Who's time

‘The Song Is Over’: The Who North American Farewell Tour logo designed by Richard Evans

This is hardly an unexpected announcement, but nevertheless, it is an emotional one. Pete Townshend, very nearly 80, and Roger Daltrey, who is 81, have announced their North American Farewell tour. No doubt there will be a UK Farewell to follow. (Perhaps the final, final, gig will be back at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2026?)

Pete Townshend put it like this at the press conference on 8th May 2025:

“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.”
https://www.thewho.com/the-who-announce-their-north-american-farewell-tour/ accessed 08/05/2025

Of course, there have been final Who tours before. most notably in 1982 when Townshend announced he was bored with the band (post Keith Moon, of course) because they had become “just a power chord”. There was even a poorly received live album which didn’t hedge its bets by having the title Who’s Last.

There was a widespread view they should have split when Moon passed. Clearly, Townshend/Daltrey/Entwistle/Moon were more than the sum of the parts; if you’re ever looking for an example of the power of the group, this was it.

Gradually, Who-adjacent and then actual Who projects arose. The band expanded, embracing keyboards, brass, backing singers and touring with an orchestra. This expanded version of the band, in different combinations, has continued to be what Who music live is. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Townshend, especially, has always wanted to push the boundaries of what rock music can be. Listen to Tommy

and then Live at Leeds.

Listen to Townshend’s synthesiser experiments for Lifehouse, and remember how revolutionary and different the synths on ‘Baba O’Riley’

and ‘Won't Get Fooled Again’ sounded in 1971.

The contrast between The Who on record and their heavy metal blues sound live was extreme.

Pete, Roger, and John played Quadrophenia in Hyde Park with special guests but were not billed as The Who. Touring as The Who once again was inevitable, even if Townshend continues to say he doesn’t get much fulfilment from playing live. If the live shows were/are sometimes more restrained than Live at Leeds or the many other examples of earlier Who, that’s not surprising. Loudness leads to damaged hearing.

This time, though, the announcement of a final set of gigs – however many it turns out to be in the end – isn’t an overreaction to the need for a break or to answer the calling of other projects, other music. This isn’t Pete’s decision alone, with Roger trying everything to get him back on the road, as he comments:

“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.”
https://www.thewho.com/the-who-announce-their-north-american-farewell-tour/ accessed 08/05/2025

Tony Fletcher

wrote a great piece after this gig: The Song Is Over: Not Yet, But Close. And now it’s closer.

The Who have played a major part in my musical life – hell, in my life. Thank you. But music must change.

The timing is interesting for me. When not writing ‘LP’, I’m deep into research for a book due later this year on ‘Pete Townshend and Lifehouse’ for Sonicbond Publishing. The book should appear during peak farewell, Who, assuming there are further gigs after North America.

Expect to find much more Who content here over the next few months, because that’s where my head is, and there will be plenty to say.

For now, the Phil Collins series continues in a few days with Hello, I Must Be Going (oddly appropriate title today). I’ve mentioned previously a Pete Townshend series, and that will follow early next year, because in September I plan to begin working my way through The Who’s albums, incorporating a few of my stories of The Who I’ve accumulated since I first saw them live in 1974 (I know, late to the party). I’ll probably also write a few ad hoc Who posts, similar to this one.

I’ll still be writing about other artists, too, so stick around if you’re not yet sure The Who are your thing. And the LP>Play list continues, with a new one at least a couple of times each month.