This week, a performance in Florida saw Pete Townshend from The Who reportedly walk offstage.
During an encore of ‘You Better You Bet’ at the show in Sunrise, Florida yesterday, the guitarist, who has struggled with hearing loss, departed the stage.
Townshend allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with the onstage sound levels, exclaiming “too loud” at the sound engineer prior to his exit. When the rest of the band continued with ‘Baba O’ Riley’ to conclude the performance, he did not return.
This concert marked the beginning of the band’s first tour in four years, named ‘Quadrophenia and More’. Townshend’s brother Simon later tweeted, “Pete walked off tonight because it was too loud. Was a good show but had some technical problems.”
In a recent statement, Pete Townshend mentioned still feeling “the ghosts” of drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle while onstage. The guitarist, who released his much-anticipated memoir Who I Am on October 11, shared that he and singer Roger Daltrey sense the presence of their late bandmates.
Reflecting on the challenges of continuing the band after John Entwistle’s passing in 2002, he remarked: “We feel the ghosts of Keith and John. The second phase of The Who in a sense was really when we started to tour again around the year 2000, 2001. We were still able to evoke the sound, particularly with Zak Starkey. Now it’s much more difficult even though Zak’s there. John’s sound was very big and rich and organic.”
He further noted: “When John died, there was a hole in the sound onstage and I was able to grow into that and find space. And I have to say as a guitar player, I prefer working without John. But as a member of The Who creating the incredible, powerful, driving, visceral sound, he’s gone. I can’t really do that again.”
by Wallace McTavish
