The Who’s Pete Townshend shares how Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle ‘held him back’

Veteran guitarist and member of The Who, Pete Townshend, believes the other band members “held him back”.

Townshend would suggest the “so-called democracy” of the band, led by Roger Daltrey, had hindered him as a guitarist. The Who are currently embarking on yet another farewell tour, with the band seemingly finished with touring, but not performing. The group played a show at the Royal Albert Hall for Teenage Cancer Trust, and are now touring in the United States. Townshend would suggest, in an interview with Playboy’s David Sheff, that he was held back by the group. Speaking to Sheff in 1980, Townshend would say that, while he missed aspects of touring with the band, there were some limitations to both Daltrey and John Entwistle’s work with him. Townshend would release seven albums as a solo artist, with his most recent release, Psychoderelict, in 1993.

Though Townshend would get back together with The Who several times over his career, he believes the band did not aid him as well as it could have. Asked if looking back at his time in The Who was a reminiscent, “good old days” feeling, Townshend says he felt “fettered” by frontman Daltrey.

He said: “Under the so-called democracy of The Who I felt very fettered by Roger, but at the same time it was wonderful to share the weight of a concert with him. I was somewhat held back by John Entwistle’s tendency to play too loud, but equally I miss his backstage wit and the fact that we have been friends since we were 11 years old. So it’s mixed.”

Townshend would garner a reputation for smashing guitars during his time with The Who, something he says is an “embarrassing” part of his performance. He said: “Well you have to remember I’m not angry all the time.

“Even now I occasionally get frustrated on the stage with guitars and want to smash them. I tend not to do it, but the opportunity’s always there. I smashed a guitar on the Psycho Derelict tour and it was great fun.”

“It’s also embarrassing, is what it is. It’s like comedians’ being forced to use their catchphrase after they’ve become serious actors.” Townshend would also confirm he is sometimes asked to smash the guitars, rather than letting it be a natural part of the performance. An appearance on the David Letterman talk show would be one such moment.

Townshend explained: “Yeah. I smashed the one on the Letterman show even though I didn’t really want to. They asked me to do it, and I told them I would if they sold the guitar for charity. They gave me a fabulous guitar–a Gibson J-200 blond, an Elvis Presley-type guitar.”