The Who’s Pete Townshend still takes the stage with his bandmate Roger Daltrey, most recently performing at the Teenage Cancer Trust shows in London earlier this month. But even though he’s onstage playing The Who’s music, it doesn’t sound like he’s necessarily loving it.
In an interview with The New York Times to promote the new reimagining of the musical Tommy, Townshend indicates that he might be ready to let go of touring as the band, noting that his wallet is the only reason he keeps doing it.
“It feels to me like there’s one thing the Who can do, and that’s a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die,” he says. “I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with The Who. If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money.”
Besides, Pete doesn’t really consider performing with Roger the same as performing with The Who.
“The Who isn’t Daltrey and Townshend onstage at 80, pretending to be young. It’s the four of us in 1964, when we were 18 or 19,” he says.
He does offer a hint about what might be in store for The Who in the future, sharing, “If you want to see the Who myth, wait for the avatar show. It would be good!”
The Who’s Tommy opens March 28 at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City. More information on tickets can be found at tommythemusical.com.
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