The Who’s Roger Daltrey has spotted a trend among most major artists, and he doesn’t like it one bit.
During a recent conversation with Billboard, the legendary rocker condemned acts who publicly share their set lists.
“Too many people reveal songs,” Daltrey declared. “There’s no surprises left with concerts these days, ’cause everybody wants to see the set list.”
Daltrey’s reasoning is simple: If fans go online and lookup an artist’s typical set list, they’ll go into a concert with preconceived expectations on what they’ll hear.
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“I’m fucking sick of it,” the Who rocker reaffirmed. “The Internet’s ruined the live shows for me. Who wants to know what’s coming next? People forget about surprises. I can’t stand it.”
When it was suggested that fans may want to look up a set list to plan their bathroom breaks in advance, Daltrey offered up some wry wit. “Why not just start to listen to the bloody show in the toilet, then?” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer remarked.
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Daltrey kicks off a brief U.S. tour on June 10 in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The trek will feature intimate acoustic performances as Daltrey reimagines many Who classics, as well as his solo material.
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“I just want to branch out and do something different, where I’ve got different instrumentation and I can stop using tape loops,” the rocker explained. “It just creates a whole new sound and allows me the freedom as a singer to put some other people’s songs in I’ve been fond of over the years. It’s gonna be quite interesting. I’m just determined to enjoy myself and explore the freedom I’ve got to do what I want to do on this tour, and let’s see where it ends up.”
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Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
