The Who release powerful Beads On One String video to show solidarity with Ukraine

(Image credit: Rick Guest)

The Who have released a new video for the Yaggerdang remix of 2019's Beads On One String. The video features visuals that show support for the people of Ukraine, including images of anti-war protesters as well as photographs shot in the war zone itself.

The video arrives a week after Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend issued a brief statement on Facebook regarding the Russian invasion, saying, "We stand by the people of Ukraine at this particularly harrowing time as we will stand for all whose freedoms are violated."

The pair's statement was posted beneath a quote from American historian, playwright and philosopher Howard Zinn, which simply read, "There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."

Beads On One String originally featured on the band's 2019 album The Who, and the Yaggerdang remix appeared on the deluxe edition of the album that came out the following year.

"This is a gentler version of this song, less demanding perhaps, less bullying about our need to cut each other space, each on our own path,” said Townshend at the time. “Why does it need to be more gentle than the album version? Because it must stand alone in a period when each of us is tempted to blame someone else for our troubles, maybe even God whoever we take her/him/both to be. I’m hoping it sounds less rock and more modern indie-pop to new listeners."

Later this month The Who will play an acoustic show for the Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall, before embarking on The Who Hits Back! tour in April. The run of dates will begin on April 22 at the Hard Rock in Fort Lauderdale, and finish on May 28 at Bethel Woods Center of the Arts in Bethel, New York.

After breaking for the summer, the tour will resume in Toronto on October 2 and run through to a November 4/5 climax in Las Vegas. The band will be joined by local orchestras at every show. Full dates below.

The Who Hits Back! 2022 Tour

Apr 22: Hard Rock Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Apr 24: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena Jacksonville, FL
Apr 27: Amalie Arena Tampa, FL
Apr 30: New Orleans Jazz Festival, LA
May 03: Moody Center ATX Austin, TX
May 05: American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
May 08: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Woodlands, TX
May 10: Paycom Center Oklahoma City, TX
May 13: FedEx Forum Memphis, TN
May 15: TQL Stadium Cincinnati, OH
May 18: TD Garden Boston, MA
May 20: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
May 23: Capital One Arena Washington, D.C.
May 26: Madison Square Garden New York City, NY
May 28: Bethel Woods Center of the Arts Bethel, NY
Oct 02: Scotiabank Arena Toronto, ON
Oct 04: Little Caesars Arena Detroit, MI
Oct 07: UBS Arena Elmont, NY
Oct 09: Schottenstein Center Columbus, OH
Oct 12: United Center Chicago, IL
Oct 14: Enterprise Center St. Louis, MO
Oct 17: Ball Arena Denver, CO
Oct 20: Moda Center Portland, OR
Oct 22: Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, WA
Oct 26: Golden 1 Center Sacramento, CA
Oct 28: Honda Center Anaheim, CA
Nov 01: Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
Nov 04: Dolby Live Las Vegas, NV
Nov 05: Dolby Live Las Vegas, NV

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.