ROGER DALTREY + LINKA MOJA – BRIGHTON DOME 20.4.25
Inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame with The Who in 1990, Roger Daltrey received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Grammy Foundation along with the band in 2001. Daltrey and The Who co-founder Pete Townshend also received Kennedy Center Honors in 2008. Daltrey is widely considered to have one of the most recognizable singing voices of all time, something which didn’t go amiss by Planet Rock listeners who voted Daltrey Rock’s fifth-greatest voice in music history. Daltrey also received stellar reviews for his unique 2018 autobiography, ‘Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite’, with one critic describing it as how “the punk became rock’s Godfather…”. Known for his magnetic presence and rebellious creative spirit, Daltrey has also been an actor and film producer, with multiple roles in films, theatre, and television.
He’s released ten solo studio albums: ‘Daltrey’ (1973), ‘Ride A Rock Horse’ (1975), ‘One Of The Boys’ (1977), ‘McVicar’ (1980), ‘Parting Should Be Painless’ (1984), ‘Under A Raging Moon’ (1985), ‘Can’t Wait To See The Movie’ (1987), ‘Rocks In The Head’ (1992), ‘As Long As I Have You’ (2018) and ‘The Who’s Tommy Orchestral’ (2019). He has had a number of hit singles as well including ‘I’m Free’, ‘Giving It All Away’, ‘Without Your Love’, ‘Free Me’ and ‘After The Fire’. His solo work has been compiled into two anthologies, ‘Martyrs And Madmen’ (1997) and ‘Moonlighting’ (2005). Queen Elizabeth awarded him a CBE for his service to music and charity in 2004.
Daltrey is certainly not resting on his laurels and a few months ago he announced a select 9-date UK tour which then expanded into 13 live performances. The tour banner totally sums it up “Roger Daltrey: Alive And Kicking…And Having Fun”. The opening night of the special solo tour not surprisingly was a local affair with a sold out performance at Brighton Dome Concert Hall with Daltrey and his incredible 9 piece band of acclaimed musicians packing the unmissable intimate show with acoustic and semi-acoustic takes on gems from The Who’s back catalogue that dates back nearly 50 years, as well as Daltrey’s solo hits and his now-famous Q&A sessions. Tomorrow night, (Monday 21st April), Daltrey and chums will perform another sold out concert at The London Palladium.
Back to tonight at Brighton Dome and Daltrey performs stripped-down, yet electrifying renditions of the anthems that defined a generation. ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, ‘Baba O’Riley’, and ‘Who Are You’ ring out in raw, semi-acoustic form, revealing new edges to familiar tunes. Deep cuts and solo gems like ‘Giving It All Away’ round out the 17 track setlist, offering longtime fans a rare look into the full breadth of Daltrey’s five-decade journey.
He’s backed by a 9-piece band that brings plenty of muscle to every song. Simon Townshend, Pete’s brother, is a gifted artist in his own right on guitar and vocals. The lineup is stacked with top-tier talent: John Hogg on bass, Doug Boyle on guitar, harmonica ace Steve Weston, the groove-perfect Jody Linscott on percussion, Billy Nicholls (backing vocals), Katie Jacoby (violin), Geraint Watkins (keys), and powerhouse drummer Scott Devours. Together, they don’t just play the songs; they reshape classic tunes!
Between songs, Daltrey opens up in his trademark no-nonsense style during Q&A segments that are now a highlight of his solo tours going above and beyond to answer the fans’ questions.
Roger Daltrey:
Roger Daltrey – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Simon Townshend – guitar, vocals
John Hogg – bass
Doug Boyle – guitar
Steve Weston – harmonica
Jody Linscott – percussion
Billy Nicholls – backing vocals
Katie Jacoby – violin
Geraint Watkins – keyboards
Scott Devours – drums
Roger Daltrey setlist:
‘Let My Love Open The Door’ (Pete Townshend cover from his 1980 ‘Empty Glass’ album)
‘Freedom Ride’ (Taj Mahal cover found on 1998 ‘Largo’ compilation album)
‘Who Are You’ (The Who song from their 1978 ‘Who Are You’ album)
‘Waiting For A Friend’ (from 1980 ‘McVicar (The Who Films Presentation Starring Roger Daltrey)’ album)
‘Giving It All Away’ (Leo Sayer cover from his 1974 ‘Just a Boy’ album & found on 1973 ‘Daltrey’ album)
‘After The Fire’ (from 1985 ‘Under A Raging Moon’ album)
‘So Sad About Us’ (The Who song from their 1966 ‘A Quick One’ album)
‘Days Of Light’ (from 1992 ‘Rocks In The Head’ album)
‘Squeeze Box’ (The Who song from their 1975 ‘The Who By Numbers’ album)
‘The Kids Are Alright’ (The Who song from their 1965 ‘My Generation’ album)
‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ (The Who song from their 1971 ‘Who’s Next’ album)
‘Going Mobile’ (The Who song from their 1971 ‘Who’s Next’ album)
‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain?’ (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover from their 1970 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Without Your Love’ (Billy Nicholls cover from 1980 ‘McVicar (The Who Films Presentation Starring Roger Daltrey)’ album)
‘The Boy In The Bubble’ (Paul Simon cover found on his 1986 ‘Graceland’ album)
‘Baba O’Riley’ (The Who song from their 1971 ‘Who’s Next’ album)
(encore)
‘Tribute To Hank Williams’ (Tim Hardin cover from his 1967 ‘Tim Hardin 2’ album)
Support came from Linka Moja who is a fearless musician determined to carve out her own space in the music industry. Born with a deep passion for storytelling through music, Linka crafts narratives that capture the essence of human experience and resonate deeply with listeners. Linka takes her classic rock inspiration and gives it a modern twist that makes it relevant in today’s world, seamlessly merging folk melodies, rock instrumentation, and soulful rhythms.
Thus far Linka has released a 5-track of live cuts titled ‘Cough Drops’ which came out in 2023 and in the same year Linka released a two tune single under the banner of ‘Told You So’ and followed this up in 2024 by dropping her ‘Where Is My Mind’ single and her ‘Serial Monogamist’ two track. This year has seen the release of her ‘Psycho’ single.
Linka’s performances are celebrated for their raw emotion and electrifying energy, making every live show an unforgettable experience. Linka continues to push musical boundaries and inspire listeners to find strength and beauty in life’s complexities.
Linka Moja might still be flying under the radar for some, but after tonight’s support set at Brighton Dome and tomorrow’s at The London Palladium, it’s clear she won’t stay that way for long. Opening for a partisan Roger Daltrey crowd, the fearless artist delivered a set that blended powerful originals with bold reinterpretations of classic tracks—leaving the sold-out audience utterly spellbound.
The band took to the stage as a two-piece comprising Andrew Maney on guitar and Evan Blaney on bass, before Linka herself made an entrance to remember, dancing out in a long fur coat and launching straight into The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’. The sound that followed was fresh yet familiar indie rock laced with country twang and soul-soaked vocals.
What followed was a 30-minute ride through Linka’s musical world—shaped by storytelling, emotional truth, and fearless genre-bending. Her current single, ‘Psycho’, stood tall alongside covers like ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind’, and a haunting rendition of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. But her own track, ‘Blood Orange’, truly lit up the room. With echoes of Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan, it felt like a rediscovered 60s gem—timeless, tender, and vocally spectacular.
The set ended with the powerful ‘Wendigo’, an original track that capped off an all-too-brief set from an artist clearly destined for bigger stages. If this support slot is anything to go by, Linka Moja won’t stay a hidden gem for much longer.
Linka Moja:
Emma Routhier – lead vocals, guitar
Andrew Maney – guitar
Evan Blaney – bass
Roger should have at least two female backup singers called the Daltrettes in his group. Just sayin’.
Superb concert, Roger continues to amaze me with the power of his voice his boundless energy, frequent statements regarding age and lack of hearing held no resemblance to the show I witnessed, my first who concert was in the 80s, here we are 40 yrs on , the bare chest and athletic displays may have gone, but this was unmistakably Roger Daltrey and he continues to mesmerise us , and we all know ” the hypnotised never lie”, do we ?