W INTERVIEW
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AN INTERVIEW WITH THE WHO
Legendary rock band The Who, who have just released their first
album in 13 years, are back on tour visiting the North West this
year.
They have dates in Manchester at the Arena on the 16th March and
Liverpool at the M&S Bank Arena on the 6th April 2020.
The Who are considered one of the most influential rock bands of
the 20th century, selling over 100 million records worldwide. They
formed back in 1964 with their original line up consisting of lead
singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass
guitarist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon.
Just two of them remain with us and Wirral Life caught up with them
to find out what we can look forward to…
Tell us about the album:
Pete: This album is almost all new songs written last year, with just
two exceptions. There is no theme, no concept, no story, just a set of
songs that I (and my brother Simon) wrote to give Roger Daltrey some
inspiration, challenges and scope for his newly revived singing voice.
Roger and I are both old men now, by any measure, so I’ve tried to stay
away from romance, but also from nostalgia if I can. I didn’t want to
make anyone feel uncomfortable. Memories are ok, and some of the
songs refer to the explosive state of things today. We started recording
in March 2019 and finished in late August ahead of the November
release.
Roger: I think we’ve made our best album since Quadrophenia in
1973. Pete hasn’t lost it; he’s still a fabulous songwriter and he’s still
got that cutting edge.
Pete: Yeah, I am fairly certain I will never top Quadrophenia. In
the case of this new album I had to face the fact that touring and
performing for me is not the most important part of what I do, or who
I am. I am good at performing, and find touring easy these days, but
where I find myself pushing at the very edge of my creative ability is in
the recording studio. I wanted more than anything to prove that I can
still write songs for Roger’s voice the way I used to in the ‘60s and ‘70s,
but also that together we could break some new ground.
The Who has been recording and touring for over 50 years. How do
you approach new material? Is it as easy as it once was?
Pete: It is clearer today than ever before. Roger’s voice is better than
ever, but he has really battled to get it that way and had some serious
illness. One issue is that he can be wary about his own ability to get
inside a song and deliver it. I was very careful to make sure – in as
much as I could – that every song, every melody, every lyric, would
provide Roger with a way in.
It does seem to have worked out. I was worried for a while, at first
Roger didn’t really feel comfortable with what I delivered. But he did
work very hard to inhabit the songs, and his approaches in each case
are surprising and unique. Not always what I expected. He has done
really good work. There are some amazing vocal moments.
You are behind some of the most iconic songs explaining how
confusing youth can be. Does your understanding of feelings and
emotions still provide inspiration for you?
Pete: I am seventy-four. I really do not want to admit that stuff that
shaped and formed me when I was a kid is still there. But that is a
fact. The way we handle being a teenager is driven by our earlier
childhood. What has been different for me is that I am a writer. What
appears on the page in front of me is often unintentionally revealing.
It can take a long time, but eventually every word I write betrays
some aspect of where I was damaged, hurt, frightened or vengeful.
I’m often surprised by this, as I have been with "Tommy" where the
little boy in the story, and the man he becomes, turned out to be so
autobiographical. "Tommy" seemed to carry critical elements of a lot
of people’s stories. That must be why it works so well.
Speaking of Tommy, what was the worst thing you had to do when
filming Tommy with film director Ken Russell?
Roger: Hang on to a cliff face with a five-hundred-foot drop beneath
me for the end of the film. I was dressed in a pair of jeans, nothing on
my feet, no shirt, shivering, and I heard: “Hang on, Roger, we’re just
waiting for the light.”
What’s the secret of a successful rock and roll life?
Roger: That’s an easy one. My family and a good wife who understands
the business. She did, and we’re fifty years together. I never lied to
her. At the start I said I’m never going to be a normal husband, and
she accepted it. And because she accepted it, I was nowhere near as
bad as I had the potential to be. With the band it’s simple, they were
my mates and I recognised their talent. They were brilliant. The great
thing about them was that we used to fire each other up. That’s what
it was all about.
Pete: I wish I was younger and had more time to play. Even so, I feel
lucky to be alive and it’s an exciting time.
The Who tour gets underway on the 12th February 2020 with
dates in England (including Manchester on the 16th March and
Liverpool on the 6th April), Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They then
head to the USA finishing the tour in Las Vegas in May 2020.
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