The Who's frontman Roger Daltrey has revealed his struggles with deteriorating vision during a captivating performance at London's Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, declaring to fans "he's going blind". The 81-year-old musician confided in the audience amidst the electric atmosphere. Donning purple-tinted glasses, he admitted that they served more than just a stylish purpose. "The joys of getting old," he remarked, before spilling his personal battles. "Not only am I going deaf, I'm also now going blind."
He then quipped: "Fortunately I still have my voice, because if I lose that I'll have the full Tommy!" Guitarist Pete Townshend, too, shared his physical trials with the audience, revealing he had a "complete knee replacement" a mere four and a half weeks earlier. "But because I'm Superman, I'm here!" he exclaimed jovially, hinting at possibly auctioning his removed knee by joking: "Maybe I should auction off the old one. Elton John had one done, and he wears his as a bracelet. Unfortunately, mine's in three bits.", reports the Mirror.
Pete was seen ingesting a painkiller on stage, confiding in the crowd about his hesitance to take many, for fear of affecting the music. "It's suddenly disconnected my brain from my fingers. We do four days of rehearsal, and most of it was a bit of a muddle for me," he disclosed.
"You know, tonight isn't perfect but it could have been f**king worse! You'll probably notice I'm a bit wobbly, just making sure they're playing the right notes," he jokingly chastised his band, hinting at a desire to bust a move despite his recent operation as Daltrey dashed over, chuckling, to prevent his mate from recklessly bouncing around. The gig was a sell-out in support of Teenage Cancer Trust, with 1980s jazz-funk group Level 42 kicking off the show.
Clad in easygoing jeans and t-shirts, original members Roger and Pete were complemented by their dynamic younger collaborators, including Zak Starkey, son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr, on drums. Delivering classics like I Can't Explain and Who Are You, they will hit the stage once more tomorrow night for another performance. The founding pair may be nursing injuries, but they still embody the spirit of rockstars, with Daltrey confidently strutting and twirling his microphone while Townshend energetically swung to his rapid guitar leads.
Their performance left the audience spellbound, one devotee exclaiming: "It was the best I've ever seen them." Long-time champions for the Teenage Cancer Trust cause, Daltrey and Townshend have amassed a fortune for the charity. Daltrey initiated the concert series in 2000 but declared last year that he was handing over the role of curator to Robert Smith of The Cure.
Reflecting on his privilege and experiences with The Who, Daltrey expressed that, despite ageing, what he faces is merely a "piece of p**s" compared to the struggles of young individuals battling cancer. In a candid interview last year, he admitted that he "has to be realistic" about his age and acknowledged that he is "on the way out".
