Despite being in a band which set new standards on stage and is now recognised as one of the greatest live acts of all time, The Who‘s Pete Townshend has nevertheless always been at odds with rock and roll life.
And the recent celebration in California of an era he helped to define left him nonplussed yet again. “I would be a liar if I said, ‘It was really fun, man. It was great!’ It wasn’t great,” he’s told The Times of his Desert Trip experience.
“It was a gig. I did it and I got paid. The fact is, I don’t really like performing. But I’m good at it. I’m lucky to be good at something. I could have worked in an abattoir.”
“I don’t get high on stage. I might come off stage and look in the mirror and go, ‘Hee hee,’ but it’s mischievous. It’s, ‘What a load of crap. We pulled off another scam.’”
The Who release a deluxe edition of their My Generation album next month, and will be playing Tommy in full at Teenage Cancer Trust next year. Townshend can’t wait.