Pete Townshend Calls the Who’s Tour Closer 'The End of an Era'

Pete Townshend has admitted he doesn’t know what’s next for his legendary band the Who.

The group enjoyed a brief run of performances over the summer, which saw Townshend and bandmate Roger Daltrey backed by a full orchestra. That tour, which was almost exclusively in the U.K., ended in August.

In a recent conversation with Record Collector magazine, Townshend pondered the next move.

“I think it’s time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next,” the guitarist noted. “Because [the final summer tour stop] shouldn’t feel like the end of anything, but it feels like the end of an era.”

Townshend’s tone seemed to suggest a new direction for the band, though he admitted he wasn’t sure what it could be.

“It’s a question of, really, what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun?” the rocker explained. “So, I wrote to Roger and said, ‘Come on, let’s have a chat and see what’s there.’”

Interestingly, Townshend – who has previously expressed his distaste for touring – admitted that he’s enjoyed the Who’s recent treks.

“I’ve never really enjoyed touring at all, but this last couple of bashes – the U.K. tour, the shows in Europe and the American tour (in 2022) – I admit I started to get a real feeling of fulfillment,” Townshend confessed. “I feel very lucky to still be doing this at my age, to still be able to perform.”

Pete Townshend Is Working on a New Rock Opera

Though he may not know what’s next for the Who, Townshend is remaining busy with his own projects. The guitarist has been working on a new rock opera based on his 2019 novel The Age of Anxiety.

In the Record Collector interview, Townshend described the project as “my really big magnum-opus piece,” adding that he hoped to have it finished “this year.”

The rocker has also revisited Lifehouse, a concept album that he abandoned in 1970, which has now been re-imagined as a graphic novel.