Pete Townshend has insisted The Who have one “final” thing left before they “crawl off and die”.
The 78-year-old guitarist has teased the prospect of a “final tour” all over the world to bring the group’s journey to an end, while he’s open to new music 31 years after his last solo album, given that the ‘Pinball Wizard’ group has also released two new records since 1983.
Asked if he wants to make new music, he told the New York Times newspaper: “I do and I think I will.
“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 admitted he has mainly been “touring for the money” in recent years, and while he’s been writing a lot in his spare time, he hasn’t felt a desire to release any of the material.
He added: “I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with the Who. If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.
“I’ve been immensely creative and productive throughout that period, but I haven’t felt the need to put it out.
“And if I can make it personal, I don’t care whether you like it or not. When ‘White City’ came out [in 1985] and the sales were so slow, I thought, ‘Screw this’. Nobody wanted me as I was — they wanted the old Pete.”
He even took a dig at rock legends AC/DC, insisting The Who has always had a difference approach to their music.
He said: “AC/DC made 50 albums, but all their albums were the same. It wasn’t the way the Who worked. We were an ideas band.”
Earlier this year, Pete’s bandmate Roger Daltrey reflected on The Who and insisted he is “happy” to be moving on.
He told The Times newspaper: “I can’t answer that. I don’t write the songs. I never did.
“We [he and Townshend] need to sit down and have a meeting, but at the moment I’m happy saying that part of my life is over.”