Pete Townshend recently indicated that he wasn’t too keen on touring with The Who anymore, and Roger Daltrey doesn’t seem willing to convince him otherwise.
In a March interview with The New York Times, Townshend shared, “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.” He also suggested doing one more tour for the fans before they “crawl off to die,” although he later said he was being “sarcastic.”
Well, now Daltrey has responded to the comments.
“If Pete doesn’t want to tour, I don’t want to be back with the Who on the road, at 81, with someone who doesn’t want be there – if that’s what he’s saying,” Daltrey told the Miami Herald. “But you know, every dog has its day and it was a wonderful ride.”
“I won’t do it with someone who is halfhearted about it. The music is too important to me,” he added. “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.”
But that doesn’t mean there still isn’t hope. Asked if he would tour should Townshend change his mind, Daltrey shared, “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.”
He noted, “I have never toured only for the money. Yes, the money is very useful. But I couldn’t do it just for that; you can’t. You need to be passionate about what you do and you really need to connect with the audiences. If you don’t, you’re failing.”
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