The Who’s Roger Daltrey on touring with Pete Townshend: “I won’t do it with someone who is half-hearted about it”

The Who‘s Roger Daltrey has responded to alleged comments made by his bandmate, Pete Townshend, about the group’s upcoming farewell US tour.

• READ MORE: Pete Townshend tells us about his new Quadrophenia ballet and the future of The Who

During an interview with Sunday People, Townshend remarked that the band had “gone on a bit too long”, highlighting that two members had died and adding that it “does sometimes feel like flogging a dead horse”.

Now, Daltry has responded, telling the Daily Mail: “If Pete doesn’t want to tour, I don’t want to be back with The Who on the road, at 81, with someone who doesn’t want (to) be there – if that’s what he’s saying.

“I won’t do it with someone who is half-hearted about it. But, you know, every dog has its day and it was a wonderful ride.”

It echoes past claims from Townshend that he “doesn’t love performing” as it “doesn’t fill my soul”. He then doubled down on these comments during a press conference in London this month, saying, “Everybody in this room knows the truth, so it would be pointless for me to lie.

“I’m not crazy about touring. I’ve never really been crazy about touring – but performing, once I’m on stage, [that’s different]. I was hypnotised once as a little boy by my dentist, who was very much into hypnotism, so whenever I walked on stage, I would do my best.”

Earlier this month, the rock icons announced details of their ‘The Song Is Over’ farewell tour hitting the US and Canada this summer – while also casting doubt over the chances of ever playing in the UK and Europe again.

It also currently seems unlikely that there will be a final album from The Who, with Townshend last year sharing his desire to do so but seeing “a bit of a river to cross” in convincing Daltrey.

When NME asked the frontman about the possibility of a new LP in 2023, he laughed: “What’s the point? What’s the point of records? We released an album four years ago [2019’s ‘WHO’], and it did nothing. It’s a great album too, but there isn’t the interest out there for new music these days. People want to hear the old music. I don’t know why, but that’s the fact.”

The band’s last appearances in the UK were at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust shows back in March, where Daltrey revealed that he was “going blind” and they played ‘The Song Is Over’ live for the first time with Bill Murray in the crowd.

The gigs also led to the brief apparent sacking of drummer Zak Starkey after something of an on-stage row, before Townshend revealed that he hadn’t been asked to leave and was still very much part of the band.

Earlier this week, it was then confirmed that Starkey was fired, claiming the band asked him to “lie” about his reasons for quitting after “weeks of mayhem”.

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