Legendary rock band The Who have announced a UK tour which will see the band performing with a full orchestra each night with shows from 6th-23rd July. They will be joined by UB40 featuring Ali Campbell across all regional shows except for London and Edinburgh dates. Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and the band will be performing music across the group’s entire catalogue throughout their nearly 60-year career. The set list will include sections devoted to classic albums Tommy and Quadrophenia as well as many other beloved tracks. On top of that, we will also hear songs from their 2019 WHO album, their first studio release in 13 years.
The 2023 UK shows will include Edinburgh Castle the band’s first show in the Scottish capital in over 40 years. They will also visit Derby for the first time since 1966. The band will then stop at the O2 in London followed by dates in Hull, Badminton, Durham, St Helens and Brighton Cricket grounds. The gigs follow last year’s highly acclaimed ‘The Who Hits Back’ tour of the US, where the band shared the with some of the finest orchestras in America.
The 2023 UK tour will feature The Who’s full live band comprised of guitarist/backup singer Simon Townshend, keyboardist Loren Gold, second keyboardist Emily Marshall, bassist Jon Button, drummer Zak Starkey and backing vocals by Billy Nicholls, along with orchestra conductor Keith Levenson, lead violinist Katie Jacoby and lead cellist Audrey Snyder.
The Who completed their US tour in November last year where they wowed audiences across thirty cities. Both fans and the media generally agreed that the band were better than ever. Additionally, the orchestral arrangements, mostly done by the legendary David Campbell, brought a new depth and excitement to Pete Townshend’s music. You can view a video of the rehearsals for the previous tour below.
Performing with an orchestra had been a long-held ambition for singer Roger Daltrey as he stated:
“Having not toured the UK for six years, it’s great that at this time of our careers we have the chance to go to places that are not on the usual touring map Edinburgh Castle and Derby, as well as the other cities across the country that we haven’t been to for decades, will make this very special for me. This opportunity will give our UK Who fans the chance to hear our current show, which, with the addition of an orchestra, takes our music to new heights.”
The Who are also asking fans to add an optional £1 donation in support of Teenage Cancer Trust. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have long supported the Trust with Roger being the main driving force behind Teenage Cancer Trust’s Royal Albert Hall concerts since they began in 2000. The donation can be included with the price of your ticket, more information is available at the Teenage Cancer Trust site.
In July 2019, The Who headlined Wembley Stadium in London for the first time in forty years. The show was the only UK date on their ‘Moving On’ Tour and featured the band similarly accompanied by an over 50-piece orchestra. The Who With Orchestra Live At Wembley will be released as a limited edition yellow, orange & red 3LP set, triple black vinyl, 2CD / Blu-Ray set which features the audio remixed in Dolby Atmos and 1CD edition.
Tickets are available to purchase here. You can also keep up to date with the band’s plans through their Twitter page.
The Who Tour Dates:
6th July – Sewell Group Craven Park, Hull
8th July – Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
9th July – Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
12th July – The O2, London
14th July – The Incora County Ground, Derby
16th July – Badminton Estate, Bristol
19th July – Seat Unique Riverside, Durham
21st July – Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
23rd July – The 1st Central County Ground, Brighton
