The Who Clashes and Conquers at Hollywood Bowl, Future of Rockโ Iconsโค Remainsโฃ Uncertain
HOLLYWOOD BOWL, โคCA – Theโค who delivered a performance at the Hollywood Bowl this year, but beneath the iconic sounds โขof rock history, a familiarโข tension simmers between โฃbandmates โฃRoger Daltrey and Pete โTownshend, casting doubt on the legendary โฃgroup’s future. Despite Daltrey’s insistence โค”We’re not stopping being aโข band,” the two members โขholdโข diverging visionsโฃ for The Who’s path forward.
Townshend,โฃ who โขunderwent a knee operationโฃ this year, openly acknowledged the discord, predicting, “Roger willโ refute โeverything I say.” Daltrey didn’t disappoint, quipping that Townshend “needs to be โขkept โคon his toes. Otherwise he’ll justโข sleep on his yacht.”
Recent lineupโฃ changes have further highlighted the friction. The โคdeparture of long-time drummer Zak Starkey sparked conflicting accounts.Townshend stated, “Rogerโฃ didn’t want him in the band-they’re still โgood friends, so I don’t know โขwhat’s going on.”โค daltreyโ countered, claiming both heโ and Townshendโ jointly decided to “freshen up our sound” and thatโ Starkey “didn’t quiteโค fit into โthat,” later adding, “Zak didn’t help mattersโฆ.He can be a โbit of โขa loose cannon, you know,” despite initially calling โStarkey “like โคa sonโ to me.”
The dynamic between Daltrey and Townshend โhas always been complex. โTownshend โdescribed them as too dissimilar to socialize much, despiteโค onstage banter that โoften pokes โฃfun at journalists attempting to decipher โฃtheir connection.He reflected on their history, saying,โ “He was my protectorโฃ and he wasโค my firstโค boss. I’ve tried to serve him wiht grate โsongsโค and support though I may have been a bit of a bully sometimes.”
Townshend now wonders if aโค (mostly) retired Who could alter their relationship.”Maybe it’sโ time to โคlet โคgo of the Who โbrand,” โคhe said. “It hasn’t belonged to us for many years-it belongs to the industry, the press, the fans. I wonder whether Roger and I will find somethingโ new โwith the Who legacy being liftedโค from us.” He even โoffered to wriet songs for โDaltrey as a solo artist, acknowledging the difficulty of craftingโค material under The Who โขbanner that lives up to classics like “Won’t โคGet Fooled Again,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Baba” and “O’Riley.”
Daltrey,however,rejected theโค idea ofโฃ songwriting outside the band context. “Listen, I started The โbloody Who. I’m entitled to keep it going as long as I want.” He believes another Who album โขis possible if Townshend would collaborate with โคhim, suggesting โtheir combined songwriting could be “something special.” Daltrey has even โtaken the liberty of revising โคsome of Townshend’s lyrics,including those for “The Song isโ Over,” which he also shortened โขfor โขthe currentโ tour,stating,”It never worked โon stage as a complete song,and the lyrics had to โmove on.”
Townshend alsoโฃ revealed aโข personal โstruggle, admitting, “like every f-ing rock star in theโ world, I gotโค addicted to oxytocin,” โfollowing his operation, and subsequently sought help โคfor depression, nowโค “feeling quite chipper.”
Despite the internal โconflicts,one thing remains clear: the story of the Who,both musically โand personally,is far from over.