The Who has released the first dates of its final formal tour, which will celebrate the group's 50th anniversary as a group. The gigs announced will stick to the UK and the group is planning a North American leg for 2015, but if we had to guess, it will also do a European leg next year and finish with another set of British dates. Have to finish at home, after all.
"The band will play all the classic anthems as well as tackling deeper cuts from their catalogue," reads the statement released by the band. That runs somewhat in the opposite direction as what vocalist Roger Daltrey told Rolling Stone during 2013. He believed the band would stick primarily to its hits, arguing that Americans wouldn't show en masse to hear B-sides. But then again, if you want to have the chance to see The Who one last time, you'll take what you can get. Plus, we've always seen Pete Townshend as the more back catalogue member of the band anyhow.
It should be noted that the tour isn't being called a "farewell" tour, it was strongly hinted by Daltrey that the band would be winding down soon. He, like Eric Clapton, commented that the travel associated with big tours takes too much of a toll (the vocalist is 70 years old, the age Clapton will be turning next year).
"The touring is incredibly grinding on the body and we have to draw a line in the sand somewhere," he told Rolling Stone. "This will be the last old-fashioned, big tour."
For those Music Times readers in the United Kingdom, you can check out the band near the end of the year at the dates listed below.
11/30: Glasgow @ SSE Hyrdo
12/02: Leeds @ First Direct Arena
12/05 Nottingham @ Capital FM Arena
12/07: Birmingham @ NIA
12/09: Newcastle @ Metro
12/11: Liverpool @ Echo Arena
12/13: Manchester @ Phones 4U Arena
12/15: Cardiff @ Motorpoint
12/17: London @ The O2
