Roger Daltrey says it's unlikely The Who will ever tour The US again

The Who at Wembley Stadium, shot from above — (Image credit: William Snyder)

Roger Daltrey says it's unlikely The Who will ever tour The US again, blaming the cost of touring and the risks associated with Covid.

In an interview with USA Today, Daltrey was asked if the band were likely to return to the US.

"I don’t know if we’ll ever come back to tour America," the singer responds. "There is only one tour we could do, an orchestrated Quadrophenia to round out the catalog. But that’s one tall order to sing that piece of music, as I’ll be 80 next year. I never say never, but at the moment it’s very doubtful."

Daltrey then went on to explain the economics of the situation.

"Touring has become very difficult since Covid," he says. "We cannot get insured and most of the big bands doing arena shows, by the time they do their first show and rehearsals and get the staging and crew together, all the buses and hotels, you’re upwards $600,000 to a million in the hole.

"To earn that back, if you’re doing a 12-show run, you don’t start to earn it back until the seventh or eighth show. That’s just how the business works. The trouble now is if you get Covid after the first show, you’ve (lost) that money."

Elsewhere in the interview, Daltrey discusses working with an orchestra, musicians as activists, and how some social media feels like the end of civilisation.

The Who Hits Back European tour will commence at Barcelona's Paulo Sant Jordi in Spain on June 14. Last month the band announced a show at the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, UK, with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, on August 28. Support at the show will come from Richard Ashcroft and the Lightning Seeds. Full dates below.

The Who Hits Back European Tour 2023

Jun 14: Barcelona Paulo Sant Jordi, Spain
Jun 17: Florence Visarno Arena, Italy
Jun 20: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany
Jun 23: Paris La Défense Arena, France
Jul 06: Hull Sewell Group Craven Park, UK
Jul 08: Edinburgh Castle, UK
Jul 09: Edinburgh Castle, UK
Jul 12: London The O2, UK
Jul 14: Derby The Incora County Ground, UK
Jul 16: Brisrol Badminton Estate, UK
Jul 19: Durham Seat Unique Riverside, UK
Jul 21: St Helens Totally Wicked Stadium, UK
Jul 23: Brighton The 1st Central County Ground, UK
Aug 28: Norfolk Royal Sandringham Estate, UK

Tickets are on sale now.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.