In a new interview with the Miami Herald, Roger Daltrey said he would tour with Pete Townshend if only one thing happened.
The singer said if Townshend doesn’t want to tour, he doesn’t want to be on the road with The Who at 81 and added:
“I won’t do it with someone who is halfhearted about it. The music is too important to me. The reason The Who was so powerful is because we meant it. We took your face off when we played; we didn’t swan about on stage.”
The Who Tour Is Still A Possibility
If the guitarist’s attitude changed, Daltrey might think about touring with The Who again:
“I’d be up for it if the reason Pete’s doing it isn’t just to make money. I’ll do it to make good music and to show people what we were before we leave the stage forever. You can’t just half turn up for a tour.”
What Did Pete Previously Say?
Townshend sat down with the New York Times last month and reflected on The Who’s possible future plans:
“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.”
The rocker further talked about his intention for a final tour:
“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.”
Pete And Roger Approach Differently To Music
Townshend also revealed during a recent appearance on the Sound Up! podcast that he and Roger tried to start another band after The Who, but it didn’t work out. The guitarist explained:
“I get asked that we wouldn’t tour, but that’s got nothing to do with the big decision about whether we should tour or not. Nothing to do with Roger turning 80 because he’s made some complaints, ‘I’m 80 years old, how can I imagine going on?’ I’m sure we would do a work together that might be a question about what kind of work we do. But we’re so different. To sit down and have a conversation about creating a new band with Roger and I, it’s impossible. Because we don’t think alike. We’re so different, you can’t imagine. So there won’t be a reinvention but certainly are not gonna turn away from a myth an ideology, a process, a brand like The Who.”
The Who performed their last concerts on March 18 and March 20 at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of the 2024 Teenage Cancer Trust Benefit Concert series.