The Who’s Pete Townshend admits performing live “doesn’t fill my soul”
The Who guitarist Pete Townshend has opened up about his issue with performing live and explained why it is part of his job that gives him little joy.
Last month, The Who made their first live appearance in a year when they took to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London for two shows in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. They are also set to play huge outdoor concerts in Italy this summer, but judging by his latest comments, Townshend isn’t particularly excited to return to the stage.
During a new interview with the Spanish radio station RockFM, Townshend explained there are “two things” that most musicians love, which he doesn’t, the first of which is performing live.
Townshend explained: “One is they love performing. I don’t love performing. I don’t like being on a stage. I don’t mind being on a stage, I don’t hate it, but it doesn’t fill my soul in the way that you see some performers, just their soul is filled through being on the stage. That’s not me.”
The English rock icon then opened up about his dislike of working with others and his reluctance to embrace the art of collaboration. While Townshend has collaborated with Roger Daltrey in The Who for over 60 years, the guitarist has always been the songwriter behind the band’s material and the person responsible for creative control.
He shared: “If I was in a studio, like with a really, really great musician, or with a group of really great musicians, I think I would find it very hard. I often do find it very hard. I find it difficult to collaborate. I find it very difficult looking in the eyes of another musician. I find myself looking to my own energy to express myself. So I’m very different to most musicians in that respect”
Meanwhile, Townshend issued a statement last week welcoming Zak Starkey back into The Who just days after he was dismissed following 29 years of service. He wrote on social media: “There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.