Pete Townshend recently told the New York Times that the Who might do a farewell tour to increase revenue.
The guitarist opened up about their strategy, “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.”
Pete Townshend Wants To Tour For Financial Reasons
He also stated that their final tour would be more about money than their history, “I don’t get much of a rush from performing with the Who. If I’m being honest, I’ve been touring for money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”
Previous Discussions On The Who’s Future
Townshend expressed similar sentiments to the Record Collector in December 2023. He mentioned that he wanted to discuss what’s next for the band with his bandmate, Roger Daltrey. Townshend said, “I think it’s time for Roger and me to go to lunch and talk about what happens next. Because Sandringham should not feel like the end of anything, but rather like the end of an era.
The Who’s 2023 orchestra tour concluded with a final concert at Sandringham Estate last summer. In an interview with The Times in January 2024, Roger Daltrey discussed the Who’s uncertain future. Daltrey said, “I don’t write the songs.” I never did. We need to sit down and have a meeting, but at the moment, I’m happy saying that part of my life is over.”
Even with rumors of a farewell, Townshend keeps working on personal projects. In October 2023, he told the Sun about creating a rock opera based on his first book, ‘The Age Of Anxiety,’ from 2019. Right now, he’s making the music and recording songs for the opera.
