Pete Townshend would have been 'happier' without The Who
The 79-year-old musician - who co-founded the band in 1964 - has always felt the group were "beneath" him and he believes he'd have preferred to have followed his love of art instead.
He told The Daily Mail newspaper's Weekend magazine: "I always feel I wish I'd left before the band got famous and been an artist. I think I would have been happier...
"I was deeply into a college course about how art was going to have a revolutionary function. So I felt The Who were a bit silly, maybe a bit beneath me, I'm afraid."
Asked how he sees things now, he said: "I feel the same. I think they feel beneath me."
And Pete admitted bandmate Roger Daltrey is unimpressed by his stance.
He said: "Roger and I have conversations about this. Sometimes he thinks I should be more grateful...
"I should have left, I think. That's OK. I don't regret feeling that. It's just that there was a life I could have had that I missed."
The 'My Generation' hitmaker never expected The Who to be around for more than a year.
He said: "I expected The Who to self-destruct in six months. That's why I threw myself into performing in a bloody manner. I hurt myself on the stage. I smashed guitars I could only just afford. But my personal manifesto was absolute, 'This is a brief moment in music history. It won't turn into...' Well, what it turned into."
The 'Pinball Wizard' rocker has moments of feeling he is a "genius" when he's on stage, but admitted performing live "does nothing" for him.
He said: "I'll keep going as long as I feel it. We'll be on the stage and I'll be thinking, 'What the **** am I doing here?'
"Then the first few tricky bars of 'Baba O'Riley' will begin and I'll think, 'I'm a f****** genius. I should be here, because this is my music.'
"People say I get well paid for doing a job I like. I do get well paid but I don't like it. I don't like being on the road. I don't like being on stage. It does nothing for me. It makes me insincere."
The guitarist noted there are some perks to his job.
He said: "The money is great."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
What's on in Darwin this long weekend: Rides, music, scones and a new mango matcha option
WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND Happy long weekend, my friends. It is, of course, show weekend at the Darwin Showgrounds, so if you haven't checked that out, the last day is today, and it is open until 10pm. If you're looking for music and musical theatre, there are plenty of options across town this weekend. Kicking it off, it's the Triple J Hottest 100 Australian Songs of All Time today. You can tune in wherever you are – and they're playing it at One Mile Brewery all day. You can catch two musical performances at Darwin Entertainment Centre tonight: The Wedding Singer Musical, and Kate Ceberano is also in town with her Australian Made tour. If discovering some new music is on the agenda, the Railway Club have Emily Lubitz releasing her debut album, 'Two Black Horses' tonight, too. The Waterfront is home to another cultural festival this weekend. And get ready to experience the colours, flavours, music, and magic of Bangladesh on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, catch Za Za Zoo, a blend of Soul, RnB, Blues, Funk, and HipHop at Flora's Temper in Nightcliff – I'm told Happy hour starts at 11.30am. And there may still be tickets to OCEAN with David Attenborough at the Deckchair Cinema for Sunday night, these will sell out, so get in quick. SOMEWHERE YOU NEED TO EAT I have two hot tips for you today: one food, one drink. Lucky you. I've talked about the Matcha trend before, but there's a new kid on the block, and it's very Territory. Have you tried a MANGO Matcha? Botanicool in Stuart Park have gone full Tropical (they're also a plant shop, so it makes sense) and their signature Matcha flavour is mango. It's sweet and delicious, highly recommend stopping in for a try. My other tip is for the long weekenders heading out to Litchfield: did you know you could get fresh scones from the Litchfield Tourist Park? It's the first caravan park on your right if you're heading back towards Batchelor from the waterfalls, and if you ask me, sitting out on their little cafe deck with some scones is the perfect way to enjoy the drive back to reality after a lovely night of nature and no phone service. I highly recommend. LOCALS TIP It's well and truly visitor season, and I am sure one of the most asked questions from visitors is 'where can we see a croc?'. There are, of course, the usual culprits, Crocosaurus Cove, Crocodylus Park, Jumping Crocs – but just because it doesn't have Crocodile in the name, don't discount the Corroboree Wetland Cruises for a great place to see a crocodile. I've seen my fair share of them, and I don't think I've ever seen one as big as the one I saw on this cruise. It's a very relaxing, very easy way to see them in their natural habitats, so if you've got time to drive the 1.5 hours each way, it's definitely worth making a trip of it and stopping into the Bark Hut, Corroboree Tavern or Humpty Doo Hotel for lunch.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Billy Joel: I didn't enjoy Woodstock
Billy Joel "didn't enjoy" Woodstock. The 76-year-old star attended the legendary music festival in 1969, but he didn't actually have much fun at all. He told People: "I didn't enjoy it, to tell you the truth. "I wanted to see [Jimi] Hendrix. I wanted to see The Who, and I missed them. I just saw the first day. And it was so muddy and rainy and messy and no place to use the bathroom, and everybody was drugged out. I wasn't doing drugs or anything back then." Despite this, Billy can understand why so many people remember the festival so fondly. The singer also appreciates the "communal aspect" of the festival. He said: "I got that. And same thing with what I loved about the Beatles. I loved the Beatles, but I recognised, as I grew, it wasn't just about the Beatles. It was about us. "I had a lot in common with my fellow boomers who were listening to the Beatles. 'This is great. Everybody's on the same page. We're all growing up and listening to this stuff.' I really appreciate that about my own generation." Billy is the focus of a new HBO documentary series called Billy Joel: And So It Goes, but the veteran star recently admitted that he was hesitant about committing to the project. He told People: "I've resisted this kind of thing for so long. I'm sick of talking about myself. Some of the stupid stuff I did, that's painful to talk about. (But) they asked me for some thematic guidance. I said, 'Just tell the truth.'" The chart-topping star initially just wanted to get the documentary - which features contributions from his family and friends - "over with" because he doesn't enjoy talking about himself. The Uptown Girl hitmaker - who is one of the best-selling artists of all time - said: "My goal was to get it over with. "When I do interviews, people just ask you about yourself and you get a little self-conscious about it eventually. It's almost embarrassing. "When you're talking about your personal life detached from the material ... I suppose there's a little bit of wariness involved."
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Amy Winehouse's parents reunite to pay tribute to tragic singer 14 years after her death
Amy Winehouse's parents have reunited to pay tribute to the singer 14 years after her death. Mitch Winehouse, 74, and his ex-partner Janis, 70, were seen visiting Amy's grave at Edgwarebury Cemetery in north London on Wednesday (23,07.25) and were accompanied by family, friends, and fans who gathered to leave flowers and messages at the late singer's graveside. The Daily Mail also reported Janis used a mobility walker during the visit, while Mitch was supported by a walking stick. The couple, who divorced in 1993 when Amy was nine, have remained close since the singer's death in 2011. Amy died aged 27 on 23 July 2011. Following two inquests, her cause of death was ruled accidental, due to alcohol poisoning. The singer had struggled with addiction for years, undergoing multiple rehabilitation attempts and battling alcohol withdrawal and anxiety. Amy is buried alongside her grandmother Cynthia Levy. Mitch and Janis are known to have organised nine interventions in an effort to help Amy during her addiction. After her death, Mitch and his second wife Jane, together with Janis, founded the Amy Winehouse Foundation to support young people affected by substance misuse. Amy's 2006 album Back to Black earned her international acclaim and five Grammy Awards, including record and song of the year for Rehab. In 2023, a biopic about Amy's life was released, with Marisa Abela portraying the singer. The film received criticism from some friends of Amy, including musician Neon Hitch, who called it 'ridiculous' and 'tasteless'. Friends also criticised Mitch's decision to allow the Camden flat where Amy once lived to be used as a filming location for scenes depicting her overdose in 2008. Amy lived in the Camden property until 2010 before purchasing a nearby house. After her death, her father took control of the flat. Born on 14 September 1983 in London, Amy began her singing career as a teenager, joining the National Youth Jazz Orchestra by age 17 and signing with 19 Management in 2002 Her debut album Frank (2003), produced with Salaam Remi, earned critical praise and an Ivor Novello Award for Stronger Than Me. Her landmark 2006 album Back to Black brought international fame, five Grammy wins – including Record of the Year for Rehab. It made her the first British woman to win five Grammys in one night.
