Pete Townshend, in New York this week for the premiere of a revised Tommy on Broadway Thursday, has some thoughts about bringing the curtain down on The Who.
He tells the New York Times, "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.”
But in the same breath, he always has something negative to say about touring with the band. "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. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”
It's that type of negative talk that Roger Daltrey tells us drives him crazy.
The Who finished their first farewell tour in 1982 and then came back in 1989 with Daltrey saying, "Pete changed his mind. It’s our 25th anniversary. We’re going to celebrate the fact that we’re still here.”
The Who did two shows last week as part of the annual run of week-long shows in support of Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Townshend had to miss the final concert of the week, Sunday night, because of his commitments in New York for Tommy the Musical. He will discuss it Tuesday on The Tonight Show.
Ovation - A Celebration of 24 Years of Gigs For Teenage Cancer Trust featured Daltrey, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Eddie Vedder, Paul Weller and others.
Vedder, who joined The Who on stage at Wednesday's show, joined Daltrey, along with Plant, for Sunday's finale of "Baba O'Riley."
The night also included video messages from Paul McCartney and Nile Rodgers congratulating Daltrey for all his work on behalf of Teenage Cancer Trust.