THE WHO 'Will Definitely Do Something Next Year', Says PETE TOWNSHEND

THE WHO guitarist Pete Townshend has confirmed that the band will be reactivated in 2025. In a new interview with The Standard, he said: "I met with Roger [Daltrey, THE WHO singer] for lunch a couple of weeks ago. We're in good form. We love each other. We're both getting a bit creaky, but we will definitely do something next year."

Asked if that involve a tour or an album, Pete said: "The album side of it… Roger's not keen. But I would love to do another album and I may try to bully him on that."

According to Townshend, any future THE WHO live performances would likely take on a more stripped-down format.

"The last big tours that we've done have been with a full orchestra, which was glorious, but we're now eager to make a noise and make a mess and make mistakes," he said.

This past June, Pete was asked by NME if he thinks there will be a new THE WHO album to follow up 2019's "Who" effort. The 79-year-old THE WHO guitarist said: "I don't think there [will be]. 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 was so positive," he continued. "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."

Asked if it makes financial sense anymore for major established acts to make new albums, Pete said: "[Laughs] It's never been about the money. THE WHO never made any money from fucking records anyway. Our managers were criminals. I'd never seen a WHO royalty statement prior to our first audit, which we did while we were making 'Quadrophenia'. It emerged that [our former manager] had stolen all of my Italian publishing royalties to buy himself a palace in Venice. There are black swans in our business, and they're the ones that always mop up all the money.

"Look at the legendary Jimi Hendrix," he added. "I saw him in L.A. in the last two weeks of his life. He was happy, he was really nice to me, and he hadn't been always in the past. I said, 'How you doing?' and he said, 'Pete, I'm broke'. He was huge, and he was broke. [But] we didn't give a fuck about the money. I lived in a little house in Twickenham by the Thames. I was happy to be by the water. I had one car. I had a tiny little studio, I was really happy. I had a beautiful wife, lovely kids, great friends and never wanted for anything really, except some time to myself and some time to have with my family. So today I've got a sense that I'm lucky to be here and be fit enough to walk around the block and to work with younger musicians, to do some producing and mentoring."

This past January, Daltrey was asked by The Times if there will be more from THE WHO. The 80-year-old singer, who most recently played with Townshend in the summer of 2023, responded: "I can't answer that. I don't write the songs. I never did. We [Pete and I] need to sit down and have a meeting, but at the moment I'm happy saying that part of my life is over."

Regarding the fact that THE WHO sold its back catalog for a reported £100 million more than a decade ago, Roger said: "I found it hard to do. It was like selling the family silver, but then they made such a good offer. I'm a wealthy man, but I'm no good to society because I don't want anything. Still to this day I have that wartime mentality. I find it hard to throw anything away. My Merc is 20 years old and my jeans have holes in them."

Daltrey also discussed how the music business has changed over the last five decades, particularly as it relates to how artists are being compensated for their songs.

"Money doesn't make you happy," he said. "But I do think the industry has been stolen from young artists. There's no money in streaming, even if you write a great song. You can write a hit for Taylor Swift and, even if it gets a billion streams, you'll receive a check for about £3,000."

In October 2022, THE WHO released a new version of the "Who" album featuring an updated version of "Beads On One String" newly remixed by Pete Townshend and acoustic tracks from the band's only live shows of 2020.

The songs on the deluxe version of "Who" were recorded in Kingston on Valentine's Day this year exactly 50 years to the day since THE WHO's seminal show at Leeds which became the infamous live album "Live At Leeds".