The Who have postponed their UK tour, which was set to launch on March 16th in Manchester, England and run through April 8th in London. This marks the second time the band has been forced to push back the UK dates due to the ongoing pandemic.
A message was posted on TheWho.com which reads:
After serious consideration, it is with much regret that The Who have postponed their UK tour, due to start next Monday March 16th in Manchester at the Manchester Arena and finishing at Wembley SSE Arena on April 8th. The fans' safety is paramount and given the developing Coronavirus situation, the band felt that they had no option but to postpone the shows.
The dates will be rescheduled for later in the year. All tickets will be honoured.
Singer Roger Daltrey assures fans that the shows will “definitely happen and it may be the last time we do a tour of this type, so keep those tickets, as the shows will be fantastic.”
Pete Townshend said the band, “haven't reached this decision easily, but given the concerns about public gatherings, we couldn’t go ahead.” He added that “if one fan caught Coronavirus at a Who concert it would be one too many.”
Unfortunately, The Who will also be unable to appear at the Royal Albert Hall on March 28th as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust shows, but intend to reschedule that show also, with more news to follow.
POSTPONED: The Who's UK tour dates:
March 16 – Manchester, England – Manchester Arena
March 18 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
March 21 – Newcastle, England – Utilita Arena
March 23 – Glasgow, Scotland – SSE Hydro Arena
March 25 – Leeds, England – First Direct Arena
March 30 – Cardiff, Wales – Motorpoint Arena
April 1 – Birmingham, England – Resorts World Arena
April 3 – Nottingham, England – Motorpoint Arena
April 6 – Liverpool, England – M&S Bank Arena
April 8 – London, England – SSE Wembley Arena
Last summer on The Who.com, Roger Daltrey answered fan questions posed by his old friend, and the band's webmaster, famed artist Richard Evans. Daltrey admitted that being forced off the road indefinitely has left him a bit shaken: “This not being able to do it all of a sudden — not being allowed to do it in public — has made me realize how much a part of my life live singing is, and how much a part of me it is. I've never really had to consider it before 'cause it's always been there. But, God, I really miss it, gettin' that part of me that goes into that zone on the stage with those songs and bring them to life — that's a huge, enormous bit of my personality that's not been there for the last six months. It's weird.”
