In a wide-ranging new interview, Pete Townshend has shared his thoughts on the future of the Who, whether or not they plan to schedule a final tour, and if there are any new albums on the way.
Speaking with NME, the founding member reflected on the group’s recent Albert Hall shows, and, when asked whether they’d be the band’s final shows, Townshend shared that he’s “pretty sure” they have more on the horizon.
He elaborated:
I can’t really see the point of making a big deal of [last Who shows], apart from the fact that it might help sell a few tickets. When we started the last US tour the year before last, some of the seats were not filled. An easy way to fill seats is to say “We’re not coming back” or “This could be the last set of shows.” What I would prefer was that the band adjusted itself to the audience that wants to see it, rather than just saying “We need to fill arenas in order to go home with enough money to make the whole thing worthwhile.” The story of the end of the Who is gonna be when either Roger or I drop dead or can’t function anymore on the stage.
A lot of the time when we’re on the stage together, it’s not all that comfortable and you can see that. And it’s sad to say that a lot of dedicated Who fans come to every show in order to see Roger hit me in the face again, for me to smash him over the head with a guitar or for one of us to drop dead.
Despite the apparent ongoing uncertainty, Townshend expressed interest in performing at the newly minted Las Vegas Sphere, sharing that he thinks it’s “interesting as a venue because it challenges you to beat the fabric of the theatre.” He also didn’t outright reject the idea of having Who holograms take up the mantle, however, “they’re not gonna get [him] in one of those grids.”
When probed about the possibility of new material, Townshend shut down the idea and passed the blame to Roger Daltrey:
If there was a need or a place for a Who album, could I write the songs for it within six weeks? Of course I fucking could, it’s a piece of cake. The problem is I don’t think Roger wants to do it again. For me it would be a joy because I love writing songs, I love writing to a brief, I love having a commission, I love having a deadline and I love the feedback.
I was so pleased that the critical response to the last Who album [2019’s Who] was so positive. I wasn’t expecting that and I was grateful for it and inspired by it. So where I am at the moment is I’m thinking, “Well, I might write the songs and then say to Roger, either you sing on them or I’m gonna put them out as a solo album and Who fans will love me for it.”
With everything very much up in the air on Townshend’s side, Daltrey has maintained that a North American run would be too much of a financial risk. Daltrey also recently bemoaned the culture of Setlist.com-style websites, telling Billboard that he is “fucking sick of it”: “Who wants to know what’s coming next? People forget about surprises. I can’t stand it.”
