Pete Townshend confirms The Who will return despite retirement speculation

Pete Townshend has revealed The Who plan to tour again despite recent speculation surrounding the band’s retirement.

Earlier this year, The Who took to the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall for two shows in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, which appeared to potentially be their final shows. Both Townshend and Roger Daltrey have spoke numerous times this year about the band’s uncertain future which thankfully no longer seems to be up in the air.

Daltrey told The Times in January of The Who’s future: “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.”

Furthermore, the legendary vocalist also discussed his own mortality, admitting, “I have to be realistic. I’m on my way out. The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that, but we need someone else to drive things.”

Despite Daltrey’s reluctance to reunite The Who, Townshend has remained adamant that he wanted the band to continue. However, the guitarist consistently caveated his desire by admitting that the matter was out of his hands.

In August, he told The Daily Beast: “I’m not gonna try to bully Roger to do anything. I don’t want to have the job that I used to have around the time of Quadrophenia, which is bullying everybody in The Who to do exactly what I want to do.”

Additionally, Townshend admitted that he and Daltrey had work to do before they could contemplate a comeback by The Who, stating they “do have a bit of a river to cross”. He added: “And once we cross that river, we’ll see what happens.”

Now, the duo have now crossed that river, according to Townshend. “I met with Roger 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,” Townshend revealed in a new conversation with The Standard.

What are The Who’s plans for the future?

Daltrey previously claimed that he has no wish to make another album due to the lack of money involved in the process. The Who’s last album, WHO, was released in 2019, and looks set to be their final album, unless Townshend can convince Daltrey to change his mind.

“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,” the legendary guitarist confirmed in the new interview.

The Who last hit the road in 2023 for a number of outdoor dates in the United Kingdom which saw them supported by an orchestra, adding a new dimension to their sound. Although this was a pleasurable experience for Townshend, he plans to return to their rock ‘n’ roll roots for the next tour.

He explained: “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.”

At this stage, no tour dates have been announced by The Who but Townshend’s comments suggest it is currently in the pipeline for 2025.

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