Night 4:
THE WHO
plus special guests Level 42
Thursday 27th March 2025: The fourth night of a brilliant week of Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall saw the original (mod)fathers of the whole event, The Who, take to the stage.
In 2000, the charity’s Honorary Patron, and lead singer of The Who, Roger Daltrey CBE, started these shows and, until this year, had curated every series since, raising £34 million for the charity.
The 2025 series runs from March 24-30, including The Who; The Corrs; James Arthur; a night of comedy hosted by Micky Flanagan; a special night by Erased Tapes featuring Penguin Cafe; and Frank Carter and Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols.
The Who were watched by Sam Fender, Caroline and Jim from fellow headliners The Corrs,who perform on Friday night, comedian Micky Flanagan, who was Tuesday’s host, and author and comedian David Baddiel, plus the likes of Queen’s Roger Taylor and Paul Weller. Roger and Pete Townshend were back to support in the best way possible, reconvening their legendary band on this famous stage. They played the first of two special nights this week. They were in incredible form as ever, opening with one of their early 1960s classics, ‘I Can’t Explain’, before flying into ‘Who Are You’ and then ‘The Kids Are Alright’.
Roger talked of meeting an inspiring 19-year-old woman at a Teenage Cancer Trust ward, who had been diagnosed late with stage 4 Ewing sarcoma, before dedicating ‘I Can See For Miles’ to her.
“To meet that woman, and the energy in her, knowing what she had, knowing she was having chemo over Christmas – what a wonderful way to spend it – but she was fantastic. She didn’t feel sorry for herself, she was determined that this charity has got to exist and the GPs that see teenagers all the time have got to recognise that early diagnosis in that age group is everything to them. It’s nothing to do with money – just do your job and recognise it.”
The show quickly became a run through their peerless catalogue with ‘Pinball Wizard’, a soaring ‘The Seeker’ and a touching ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ (“keep me warm, let me wear your coat”).
Pete said: “Great to be back at the Royal Albert Hall doing this Teenage Cancer Trust thing again. We couldn’t do this without you. We could try but it wouldn’t raise much money. As Roger was saying, it’s a really tough time for charities so it’s really great that you have come out.”
Pete took lead vocals on the delicate stomper ‘I’m One’, while the sheer power of Love Reign was on full display, along with the undimmed power of Roger’s voice.
Pete said as much: “From the first band rehearsal, Roger came in and his voice was fantastic.” And then they launched into a huge ‘My Generation’.
‘Eminence Front’ is a funky joy, with drummer Zack Starkey, surfing its tape loop (“If you want to join the party, you know you got to dress to kill”).
And then some of the big guns came out: ‘You Better You Bet’ followed by possibly the greatest intro in rock in ‘Baba O’Riley’. It’s hard to overstate the scale of the song and the words ‘teenage wasteland’ take on an extra weight in the context of the cause.
‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ was equally epic (“I’ll get on my guitar and play, just like yesterday”),
Pete’s guitar driving the song through until THAT scream from Roger.
Roger told the audience he gets asked how he can sing these songs at the age of 81. His answer: “I look at those youngsters every night and I think: if they can deal with their lot, this is a piece of p*ss.”
The night ended with a surprise, as the friends worked through an unrehearsed but tender ‘Tea & Theatre’, a poignant number about losing a loved one, from their 2006 album, Endless Wire.
It put in mind a moment earlier in the evening when the Royal Albert Hall audience was given an emotional reminder of why everyone is here this week. Emma and Neil Hawksey, who lost their daughter Kirsten in 2017, just four weeks after her initial diagnosis, spoke to the audience. A video was shown of her story and her father spoke about how both Kirsten and themselves had received incredible support from the charity.
“When Kirsten was in hospital, she was supported both emotionally and practically by her Youth Co-ordinator, Franki, as well as having access to a teenage and young adult room and other Teenage Cancer Trust sponsored facilities on the ward. Franki was a constant source of support throughout Kirsten’s diagnosis and treatment and we will always be thankful for her time, patience and dedication to supporting our family. After Kirsten passed away, my wife Emma received years of emotional support from Kate, a psychologist we were put in touch with via Teenage Cancer Trust, who helped her navigate those first few years of grief and loss.
“The support that Teenage Cancer Trust provides to Teenagers, Young Adults and families like ours is absolutely crucial. Nobody expects to need the services that they provide, that would be too difficult for anyone to comprehend. But in reality, it could be your family, it could be your loved one that needs help and you would be as grateful as we are.
“This is why our family have tried our best to support Teenage Cancer Trust in as many ways as possible. We will forever be grateful to Teenage Cancer Trust, and will continue to sing their praises whilst raising much needed donations and we encourage you all to do the same.”
Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to providing specialised nursing care and support for young people with cancer.
The Who return on Sunday for another historic show.
Earlier in the evening, Level 42, led by their founding frontman and bassist Mark King treated the audience to a storming set. Formed as a jazz-funk band in 1979 they went on to have massive hits including ‘Lessons In Love’ and ‘Something About You’. Those were crowd favourites and the likes of the funky ‘Starchild’ and ‘The Chinese Way’ showed off the master musicianship of one of rock’s most famous bass players.
Emphasising the poignancy of the evening, the headline act was preceded by a VT and an on-stage appearance from a number of young people who have survived cancer and received support from Teenage Cancer Trust – part of the Ultimate Backstage Experience, which runs all this week for young people from across the country, who are being supported by Teenage Cancer Trust. Every day, these groups visit the Royal Albert Hall to enjoy an unforgettable experience. From the moment they arrive, they enjoy access and opportunities that money can’t buy, before taking their place in some of the best seats in the house to watch the shows in style.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, the British artist and Gorillaz co-creator, Jamie Hewlett – a long-time supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust – has re-designed his iconic Teenage Cancer Trust logo for 2025. Inspired by Teenage Cancer Trust’s theme ‘TEEN SPIRIT’, Hewlett’s original design for the Teenage Cancer Trust live shows has been reimagined as a brand new, full colour artwork which celebrates the many young people who are supported by the important work of Teenage Cancer Trust, as well as the joyful energy of youth and music.
Kate Collins, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We are delighted that some of the biggest names from across the music, and entertainment industry are performing at this year’s Teenage Cancer Trust gigs at the Royal Albert Hall. We couldn’t be more grateful for their commitment to raising vital funds for young people with cancer.
“These concerts, brainchild of – and driven by – the legendary Roger Daltrey since 2000, have raised a phenomenal £34 million to fund Teenage Cancer Trust’s work across the UK – making our specialist support possible across the UK so that young people with cancer get the expert, individual care and support they need at this unique and critical stage of their lives.
“These gigs would not exist without Roger, who remains a tireless Honorary Patron for the charity and is unstoppable in his support for young people with cancer.
“Teenage Cancer Trust exists because cancer care wasn’t made for young people. Without us, a young person diagnosed with cancer today would find themselves lumped together with small children or much older adults. It’s only thanks to our supporters that we can continue to be there for every young person who needs us.
“We’re deeply thankful to everyone who is involved in making these concerts possible—from the artists and the teams to the people who buy tickets to the shows.”
Jamie Johnson, Head of Music and Entertainment at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “I see firsthand the incredible impact the music and entertainment industry can make when it rallies behind a cause. The Royal Albert Hall shows are a cornerstone of our charity’s work, and their success is only possible thanks to the unwavering support of artists, managers, agents, promoters, crew, and our generous audiences.
„To date, these concerts have raised millions to funding specialist care and transform the experience of cancer for young people at a critical time in their lives. But the need has never been greater. The support of the music and entertainment industry remains vital to ensuring we can continue this life-changing work.
The shows are also proudly supported by American Airlines, Metro, Absolute Radio, S.J.M. Concerts, Twickets, and the Royal Albert Hall.
Aldi, which has partnered with Teenage Cancer Trust since 2017, and raised over £11 million for the charity to date is the headline sponsor for this year’s Royal Albert Hall series. Domino’s,which has partnered with Teenage Cancer Trust for ten years and has raised £8 million for the charity, is the official sponsor of the Ultimate Backstage Experience.
Royal Albert Hall 2025 Show Dates:
Monday, March 24: Frank Carter and Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols plus special guests Kid Kapichi and The Molotovs
Tuesday, March 25: A night of comedy hosted by Micky Flanagan with Scott Bennett,
Finlay Christie, Romesh Ranganathan, Katherine Ryan, Jack Skipper + Josh Widdicombe
Wednesday, March 26: James Arthur plus special guests Venus Grrrls
Thursday, March 27: The Who plus special guests Level 42
Friday, March 28: The Corrs plus special guests Dea Matrona
Saturday, March 29: Erased Tapes featuring Penguin Cafe, Daniel Brandt, Douglas Dare and Hatis Noit
Sunday, March 30: The Who plus special guests Level 42
Tickets:
For line-up and ticketing information please visit:
Bilder © John Stead
