Roger Daltrey on The Who, his Cork pal, and why Oasis should reform  

The Who have a new live album, and the band's singer, 79, is happy to keep singing for as long as he can 

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend on stage in Wembley, where their new live album was recorded. Picture: William Snyder

In the grand pantheon of rock heavyweights The Who carry a mythology almost as big as the band. One significant character who had an impact was ‘Irish Jack’ Lyons. The Cork-born mod arrived in London back in 1962 and would become a close associate of the group, reputedly even inspiring aspects of the iconic Jimmy character in the 1979 film Quadrophenia.

Frontman Roger Daltrey, who turned 79 last month, appears on Zoom from his home in East Sussex in sky blue tinted spectacles, neck scarf and jumper. When I enquire if he’s still in touch with the former postman now back living in Cork, he replies. “How can you stop keeping in touch with Irish Jack?”