'The Who' set for first worldwide tour

Washington: British rockers 'The Who' will hit the road and launch their first world tour in over 20 years.


The surviving members of the band Pete Townshend (guitarist and songwriter) and frontman Roger Daltrey are scheduled to kick off the North American leg of the tour on September 12, at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center. While making the announcement from Berlin, Townshend and Daltrey also performed acoustic versions of the new song "Mike Post Theme" and the classic "Won't Get Fooled Again."

The legendary band is currently scheduled to make 17 stops across the U.S. and Canada before finishing up on December 4 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre, though more dates are expected to be announced. The band will also hit South America, Japan, Australia and Europe in 2007.

"For the first time in 25 years we are returning to the U.S.A. with great live music--the entire catalogue of our old stuff--and new music. We have a great new video show, a new mini-opera and plans to do some special shows with special themes," Eonline! quoted Townshend as saying.

Townshend and Daltrey will be backed by longtime session players Pino Palladino on bass, John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards, Zak Starkey on drums, and Townshend's younger brother, Simon, on guitar and vocals. The band just wrapped a series of lauded warm-up gigs in Europe.

"We will be in great form when we start the tour in September. Roger and I are both fit and well, ready to rock." Pete Townshend said.

"Pete and I are really excited to be returning to the U.S. with some brand new music to play," Daltrey, 62, chimed in. "We're looking forward to reconnecting with our American fans and hopefully seeing some new ones coming along too."

The tour will coincide with the release of the 'Who's' first new album since 1982's "It's Hard," which is tentatively titled "Who 2" and will be released on October 23 internationally.