The Who have performed their 1971 classic tune ‘Going Mobile’ live for the first time ever – check out footage of the performance below.
Last week (August 16), the band kicked off their ‘The Song Is Over’ North American farewell tour at the Amerant Bank Arena in Florida. Nine songs into their set, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and co. surprised the audience by performing the ‘Who’s Next’ gem – something fans have been waiting for since its release five decades ago.
For the performance, Simon Townshend – Pete’s younger brother – took over for vocal duties while Daltrey played the harmonica. Check out fan-shot footage of the moment below.
Explaining why they were heading stateside for the farewell shows, Daltrey said in May: “The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great.”
“The cultural differences had a huge impact on me; this was the land of the possible,” he added. “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.”
Visit here for tickets and find a list of remaining dates here.
Earlier this month, Daltrey voiced his concerns about making it to the end of the tour. He shared how “gruelling” the live shows can be, and said that he hopes no voice issues arise, nor that struggles from a previous battle with meningitis will get in the way of him completing the gigs.
“It’s done a lot of damage. It’s buggered up my internal thermometer, so every time I start singing in any climate over 75 degrees, I’m wringing with sweat, which drains my body salts,” he added. “The potential to get really ill is there and, I have to be honest, I’m nervous about making it to the end of the tour.”
The Who’s longtime drummer Zak Starkey – who is also the son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr – will not be joining the band for their farewell shows, it was confirmed after a confusing period of contradictory reports. Guitarist Pete Townshend then cleared up the confusion, saying that “the time has come for a change”.
Starkey would later go on to share some details about what unfolded when he was kicked out of the line-up during an NME interview this summer, and Daltrey would then speak out about the drummer’s comments, accusing him of “character assassination”.
Scott Devours has since taken over the role of drummer for The Who’s farewell tour. He previously worked with Daltrey as part of the singer’s solo band, and has described the weight of being their new sticksman “enormous”, adding that he understood if fans were “gutted” by Starkey’s loss.
