The Who may be a legendarily loud rock and roll band, but the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” mantra might not be as fitting as it once was.
Footage has emerged of the band’s frontman Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend threatening to cancel a recent show on New York’s Long Island after marijuana smoke from fans made its way to the stage.
In the footage (below) shot at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, 20th May, Daltrey can be seen threatening to prematurely end the band’s concert if the smoke continued to reach him.
According to a review of the concert by Newsday, Daltrey called out the pot smokers after his voice began to be affected by the smoke. Reviewer Glenn Gamboa noted that Daltrey’s voice “went from crystal clear and potent for the opening I Can’t Explain to something rougher and more limited during I Can See for Miles“.
According to TMZ, fans in attendance were also made to listen to an anti-smoking announcement before the concert.
In footage of the incident, Daltrey, who had a cancer scare in 2011 which resulted in an operation to remove a growth on his vocal chords, can be seen saying, “It’s your choice. I can’t do anything about it, I’m doing my best.”
Townshend can be heard joining in with some more potent words, screaming at the smokers to “eat it up your fucking arse”.
Thankfully, the show continued on as planned, and the incident has made for some great online viewing.
Watch: The Who Threaten To Leave Over Marijuana Smoke (Nassau Coliseum, NY 20/05/15)
https://youtu.be/ddOpMwQ7h00
Watch: The Who Threaten To Leave Over Marijuana Smoke (Nassau Coliseum, NY 20/05/15)
