Roger Daltrey has been honoured at the Royal Albert Hall nearly 50 years after he and The Who were banned from the venue.
The veteran frontman has received a plaque honouring his career from the venue that exiled The Who after an alleged clash over Chuck Berry in 1969.
Ahead of the venue’s 150th anniversary, singer Daltrey, now 74, looked back on his riotous youth and said he and The Who are no longer “yobs”.
He said: “We got banned from here in 1969 and to receive an apology 30 years later, to now get this: we can’t pretend to be that kind of rock star.
“We would be pretending now. We were yobs, we were doing all the things you do at that age. I’m 74 now.”
The Who reunited and returned to the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in 1988 after receiving an apology for their ban, according to Daltrey.
The band were back again in 1989, and charity concerts have been performed since 2000, with the latest one in 2017.
Eric Clapton was also among the people to have their name immortalised in stone outside the venue – with Clapton claiming the record for performances there.
Kneeling to unveil a plaque in his honour and holding a star marking his contribution to the history of the Royal Albert Hall, Daltrey joked that he could still “get down”, and recalled a gig decades ago where he wielded a microphone during a riot started over Berry.
Both The Who and Berry wanted to be top of the bill at the venue.
Daltrey said: “He was meant to be supporting us. He had a huge row with us.
“We tossed a coin. We said whoever wins can decide. We won the toss.
“His crowd didn’t like it. A riot broke out. It ended quickly with a well swung microphone.
“It was the wrong crowd that started it. We got banned.”
A ban on rock events came into force in 1972 after a slew of infamous shows from the likes of Frank Zappa, Deep Purple and Pink Floyd.
Daltrey has been honoured for his work as a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, which raises money through live music at the Royal Albert Hall.
We’re here at the @RoyalAlbertHall for the unveiling of the #RAH150 ⭐️s, including one commemorating our fantastic honorary patron, Roger Daltrey! pic.twitter.com/Eb72xEQpcb
— Teenage Cancer Trust (@TeenageCancer) September 4, 2018
The veteran rocker added: “I have got this because of the work I have done for that charity.”
Other people being honoured include Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Winston Churchill and the suffragettes.
The plaques have been installed on the outside of the venue, with the names of those who have shaped its history etched into the pavement circling the Royal Albert Hall.