Pete Townshend says Keith Moon and John Entwistle were "f***ing difficult to play with".
The Who guitarist has taken aim at the legendary rock band’s late rhythm section – drummer Keith died in 1978 while John passed away in 2002 – and suggested he’s happier performing without them because he doesn’t have to hold them "together".
Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, he said: "It’s not going to make Who fans very happy, but thank God they’re gone. Because they were f***ing difficult to play with.
"They never, ever managed to create bands for themselves. I think my musical discipline, my musical efficiency as a rhythm player, held the band together."
The 74-year-old star – who still works with frontman Roger Daltrey – didn’t hold back as he criticised his late bandmates, and claimed playing live with new musicians made him more relaxed on stage.
He explained: "John’s bass sound was like a Messiaen organ. Every note, every harmonic in the sky. When he passed away and I did the first few shows without him, with Pino [Palladino] on bass, he was playing without all that stuff… I said, ‘Wow, I have a job’.
"With Keith, my job was keeping time, because he didn’t do that. So when he passed away, it was like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to keep time anymore.’ "
Pete also had some strong words for Keith’s conduct in the studio, as he claimed he used to think the sessions were a "f***ing waste of time".
He added: "We’re not a band anymore. There’s a lot of people who don’t like it when I say it, but we’re just not a f***ing band. Even when we were, I used to sit there thinking, ‘This is a f***ing waste of time. Take 26 because Keith Moon has had one glass of brandy too many.’ "
The Who’s Pete Townshend blasts Keith Moon and John Entwistle
