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Reporter’s Notebook: The Who . . . not too old to rock
Who’s too old to play rock and roll? Apparently, not The Who if this past week’s concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall is anything to go by. It featured the two core members of the group, 81-year-old lead singer Roger Daltrey and soon-to-be-80-year-old songwriter and lead guitarist Pete Townshend.
Unlike other «senior» musicians and groups like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, who have well-oiled touring machines around them, this was more of a one-off (well, two-off, there had been another concert a few days before) for the respected UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust.
And so it had more than its share of «bumps,» which only made the moments of rock and roll heaven that much more enjoyable.
Guess what? These guys can still rock, sixty years after their first top-ten hit, if a bit tempered by age.
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Roger Daltrey of The Who performs during the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)
Daltrey had a few of his memorable hand-mic air throws. OK, instead of hurling the microphone in the air vertically for thirty feet, they were more sideways for ten.
And Townshend, yes, did his windmill guitar stroke movements. I did count eight in a row at one time, but for the most part it was more like one or two at a time.
Nothing was tempered about Daltrey’s voice, despite problems and surgery in the past. It still sailed over the rafters on a range of songs. The high notes of the tune «Love Reign O’er Me» were done with blockbuster bombast.
And Townshend’s guitar licks could stand up to Clapton’s any day. (The latter also just turned 80, by the way.) Unique, stylish, no flubs.
The Who (with a good backing band) played a few of their very early stand-outs. Especially ironic: «My Generation.» (Key line: «I hope I die before I get old.» Well . . . maybe not.)
The rock opera about the deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard, Tommy, got a bit of a gloss-over, perhaps because of Daltrey’s recent admission that his vision is beginning to go (along with his hearing).
Fox News Correspondent Greg Palkot at The Who’s concert in London. (Greg Palkot/Fox News)
The follow-up, urban rock opera Quadrophenia, was treated with a deeper dive, maybe plugging the ballet version running in London later this year. It never ends.
But what many consider their finest album, Who’s Next, got the full treatment. From «Bargain» to «Baba O’Reilly,» from «Behind Blue Eyes» to «Won’t Get Fooled Again.»
The synthesizer parts might have been pre-recorded . . . but the forceful Daltrey-Townshend duet on the key «Blue Eyes» line was utterly telling:
«And if I swallow anything evil, put your finger down my throat. And if I shiver, please give me a blanket. Keep me warm, let me wear your coat.»
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Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the rock band The Who perform on stage during the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)
So . . . the «bumps» noted earlier: Townshend acknowledged that he had had knee-replacement surgery a month ago. Aside from a few whinges («I’m in agony,’ «I can’t breathe»), he seemed to take it in his stride. Actually, he took it sitting down through half the songs. (No Woodstock-style jumping scissor kicks for him.) But he admitted that it helped him play better.
And Daltrey’s earpiece (which, despite that spotty hearing, helps him stay «in tune») was acting up throughout the night. At one point, he stopped the entire band. «I’m not hearing the Who,» he said good-naturedly, «it sounds like I’m hearing the Troggs,» referring to an old ’60s British pop band. Townshend said in an aside » . . . it was going so well.»
In fact, the two of them, known to have had their ups and downs over the years professionally, often resembled on stage an odd couple, snapping at each other from time to time but also warm to each other . . . and the audience.
Townshend (not necessarily known for his bedside manner) at one point thanking the 5,000-plus Royal Albert Hall crowd for sticking with them all these years, and calling The Who «geriatrics who pretend to be young.»
The demographics of the crowd, I must admit, were somewhat on the senior side. But enough sons and daughters were present and getting into it to give one hope, if not for the future, then at least for the present.
The Who pose for a press call, July 1971, Surrey, United Kingdom: John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey. (Michael Putland/Getty Images)
For we indeed are seeing, sad to say, the tail end performances of the second great generation of rock and rollers. After Chuck, Little Richard and Elvis, came The Beatles, The Stones, Dylan . . . and, yes, The Who.
That’s why it’s more than just fun; it’s an honor to catch these final farewells.
Along with their punchier later hits like You Better You Bet and Who are You, The Who played a song Townshend said they’d never played in concert before. Incredible, as it was recorded 54 years ago. Amid high critical acclaim.
Called «The Song is Over» (also from the Who’s Next album), it was nothing less than extraordinary. And appropriate.
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As Townshend worked through the riffs and lines. And Daltrey was literally completely slumped over and supported by the standing mic, as if he could go no further, it ended with them singing:
«The song is over, the song is over. Excepting one note, pure and easy, playing so free, like a breath rippling by.»
Except, I take exception. The song, hopefully, is not «over» . . . yet.
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Congressional Democrats are trying to get on the same page and display a unified front after threatening to derail the government funding process.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., met behind closed doors Tuesday night, along with the top Democrats in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, to plot a course forward in the forthcoming government funding fight.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., turns to an aide during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The meeting came after Democrats in the upper chamber overwhelmingly supported the first government funding bill to hit the Senate floor, one that would fund military construction and Veterans Affairs. Ahead of the vote, Senate Democrats had signaled they may vote against the bill and further obstruct the appropriations process because of highly partisan legislation rammed through the upper chamber by Senate Republicans.
«We all want to pursue a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process,» Schumer said. «That’s how it’s always been done, successfully, and we believe that, however, the Republicans are making it extremely difficult to do that.»
The meeting just off the Senate floor was meant to get congressional Democrats on board with a messaging plan over the next weeks and months ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is seen after the Senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on June 24, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
It was also likely designed to prevent a repeat of the Democratic debacle in March, when Schumer broke with Jeffries and threatened to shutter the government before ultimately caving and providing Republicans the votes necessary to advance yet another government funding extension, known as a continuing resolution.
Republicans are quick to point out that when Schumer led the upper chamber, none of the House GOP’s spending bills made it to the floor — in Congress, the spending process begins in the lower chamber.
Since taking over earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has committed to returning to regular order, or passing each of the dozen spending bills to fund the government, and trying to get the appropriations process back to normal.
However, it’s a feat that hasn’t been successfully done in Washington since the late 1990s.
«Frankly, I think a lot of us around here think [this] is long overdue,» Thune said.
However, Democrats contend that their trust in Republicans is wearing thin after two major partisan bills, one being President Donald Trump’s «big, beautiful bill,» and the other the president’s $9 billion clawback package, were pushed through the chamber without any Democratic input.
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Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Thune argued that Senate Democrats were using the rescissions package to shut down the appropriations process and effectively shut down the government.
In the Senate, most bills that come to the floor require at least 60 votes to smash through the filibuster, meaning that most legislation requires bipartisan support to some extent.
Earlier this year, the House GOP produced a partisan government funding extension that was a tough pill for Senate Democrats to swallow, but they still ultimately opted to vote for it. This time around, they’re demanding more involvement in the process.
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Jeffries said that congressional Democrats would play ball if the process was «bipartisan and bicameral in nature» and put the onus of a partial government shutdown at the feet of congressional Republicans.
«House Republicans are, in fact, marching us toward a possible government shutdown that will hurt the American people,» he said.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., threw the responsibility on Democrats over whether the government would shutter or stay open come the end of September.
«They’re gaming out how they can shut the government down,» Johnson told Bloomberg Government.
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Ucrania: el presidente Volodimir Zelenski enfrenta críticas y protestas por una nueva ley anticorrupción
Advertencia de funcionarios de la UE
El presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelenski, convocó a los jefes de todas las agencias de investigación y de lucha contra la corrupción del país. Foto EFENegociaciones en Estambul
Ucrania,Volodímir Zelenski,Rusia,Guerra Rusia-Ucrania
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Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday as the U.S. pushes for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Hamas and Israel are engaging in indirect negotiations to end the war that has raged on for nearly two years. However, Witkoff’s itinerary depends on the progress made in the talks. If the parties make enough progress in Rome, Witkoff will reportedly travel to Doha to finalize the deal, according to Axios.
The outlet also reported that sources indicated the meeting in Rome could suggest that a deal is near — possibly just days away.
Earlier this month, Israel agreed to a U.S.-backed, 60-day ceasefire proposal that would lead to the end of the war. This deal includes a phased release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza and talks on ending the conflict, according to Reuters.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday to secure a deal to end the war in Gaza. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
ISRAEL, HAMAS TALKS DRAG AS AID GROUP CHAIR TELLS UN TO STOP ACTING LIKE THE ‘MAFIA’
«My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the war. The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,» President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 1.
President Donald Trump holds a bilateral dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in attendance, at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 7, 2025. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
ISRAEL ACCEPTS TRUMP-LED CEASEFIRE PLAN THAT COULD END GAZA WAR WITHIN 60 DAYS
Trump appeared optimistic about the possibility of Israel and Hamas reaching a deal to end the war. On July 16, while signing the HALT Fentanyl Act, Trump thanked Witkoff, praising him for doing «a fantastic job» and said that there was «some good news on Gaza,» though he did not elaborate.
From left to right, Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 15, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
TRUMP PRESSURES ISRAEL TO END GAZA CONFLICT AS HE EYES ABRAHAM ACCORDS EXPANSION
If Trump can secure an end to the war, it could mean an expansion of the Abraham Accords, one of the signature efforts of Trump’s first administration, which saw Israel sign normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. However, Trump has yet to detail which countries would be added.
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar said on June 30 that Israel was «serious» about seeking an end to the conflict. He added that Jerusalem has an interest in «countries, such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization.»
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Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
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