Pete Townshend to discuss future of The Who with Roger Daltrey as they reach "end of an era"

11 December 2023, 12:21

They've been going for nearly sixty years now.

When The Who launched themselves into pop culture of the sixties, they might have not expected to be playing music well into their eighties.

Rebellious youth anthems like 'My Generation' would certainly point in that direction, given the iconic line: "I hope I die before I get old".

But after they exploded into the charts with their 1965 hit, The Who evolved into one of the most beloved bands of the era.

• The Who's 15 greatest songs, ranked
• 'My Generation' by The Who: The making of the ageless anthem for rebellious youth
• Keith Richards dismisses Led Zeppelin and The Who legends, calls them "an absolute disaster"
• The Who’s Pete Townshend reveals Roger Daltrey ‘hated’ his songs for new album

Renowned for their powerhouse live performances, they even took the US by storm, performing at the legendary Woodstock as well as its UK equivalent in the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.

Though they've lost two of the band's original founding members in wildcard drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend are still chugging away.

After a summer of concerts for The Who however, that might not be the case for much longer, as Townshend revealed he'll be discussing the band's future with Daltrey as they reach the "end of an era".

Performing with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for their summer shows, the rock legends capped off their tour with a special concert at Sandringham Estate in August.

But Townshend threw the band's future into doubt, saying he'll be discussing plans with Roger Daltrey soon, neither confirming or denying if the band still has a future.

Talking to Record Collector in a recent interview, Townshend revealed: "I think it’s time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next."

"Because Sandringham shouldn’t feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era."

The Who's windmilling guitarist then added: "It's a question of, really, what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun?"

"So, I wrote to Roger and said, come on, let's have a chat and see what's there," leaving things fairly open-ended.

The Who - Pinball Wizard (Live at the Isle of Wight, 1970)

2024 will mark the 60th anniversary of The Who's official formation, so fans are expecting Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend to announce something suitable to celebrate such a landmark.

But aside from The Who, the band's two remaining founding members have plenty of other irons in the fire.

Townshend recently revealed he's working on a new rock opera, based on his 2019 novel, The Age Of Anxiety, and bringing it to the stage.

It'll follow two former rock operas developed by Pete Townshend, which were based on The Who's 1969 album titled Tommy, and another in 1973 named Quadrophenia.

• The Who's Keith Moon biopic: Cast, release date, plot, songs and rumours about the upcoming film
• The Who's Roger Daltrey calls the Rolling Stones a 'mediocre pub band'
• Watch The Who’s stunning acoustic version of ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ from the Royal Albert Hall
• Pete Townshend says Woodstock changed Roger Daltrey from "short-haired singer" to a "rock god"

He told The Sun not long ago, "I am also working on a documentary about the project, from its inception in 2007 until today."

"I'm probably two years off completing it, at which time I hope to perform it with a full opera and a cast of guest singers."

Daltrey is also preoccupied with the biopic of Keith Moon, titled The Real Me, so we'll have to wait and see if there's still any life left in The Who.