Pete Townsend today rounded on journalists who criticised the band for failing to produce any new material over the last twenty-five years. The comments came as the world-renowned rock band announced its 38th ever tour of the rock opera ‘Tommy’.
Townsend stated ‘Who fans don’t want new material. They want to relive their youth and remember when they were wild and carefree, as opposed to being trapped with a mortgage and dead end job. Middle-aged men don’t understand new material and wouldn’t have an idea how to download from iTunes. Besides, two original Who members, Moon and Entwistle are dead now, not that that has anything to do with it I suppose.
The Who also plan to issue a 75th anniversary edition of the hit album Quadrophenia and to re-issue a triple CD Greatest Hits album.
Lead singer Roger Daltrey added ‘I did write a couple of new tracks last year, but me and Pete struggled to remember the chords and words and we kept reverting back into Won’t Get Fooled Again and Baba O’Riley. In the end, we gave it up as a bad job. I think new songs are best left to these new electronic beat groups like the Blue Eyed Peas and Lady Goo Goo.
The band plan to a short series of pre-tour warm-up dates, starting at New Pastures Old People’s Home and Townsend’s local branch of Milletts.