The Who in 2011?

[Radiohead]

According to an interview that Pete Towsend gave they were going to play Coachella in 2010, but decided to pass it up to work on writing new stuff. Maybe that means they'll be ready for it in 2011.

[Phantasma Del Mar]

The real reason they passed on it is because of Townshend's tinnitus. Don't think they're really fit to play anywhere anymore.

[kneuller]

Ill pass on them...love their music but they were pretty disappointing at the super bowl. there are a lot of great oldies bands id rather see.

[YouinReverse]

I thought the Super Bowl was their last show?

[boarderwoozel3]

Who?

I know, I know. Someone had to do it. Probably would be in the Sahara anyway.

[Gribbz]

The Who's lasers blew The Who out of the water during the Super Bowl. Pass.

[fancy restaurant]

The Who's lasers blew The Who out of the water during the Super Bowl. Pass.

Wait. Whose lasers?

[darksideofkaos.]

Judging a band by a Super Bowl performance

While it's obvious that they aren't everything that they used to be, The Who can still put on a great show. I don't think they could put on a headliner worthy show anymore but I think The Who would be amazing playing a closing spot on the Outdoor.

If they did play though they would almost certainly headline and I can already hear the complaints.

Also they played a show at the Royal Albert Hall not too long ago (Quadraphenia in its entirety) and I don't know how Pete's ears held up. He was supposed to be testing out something that Neil Young had suggested he used, but after the gig there was no word on how it worked. So it is possible that they might not be playing ever again.

[tigermilkboy]

I read an article from Roger Daltrey where he suggested that time had caught up with the band.

I am a huge The Who fan, but I have to say I have seen a decline in their performances since John Entwistle died. I saw them in 2007 headline Glastonbury and I thought it was very average. Roger Daltrey's vocals seem all over the place these days.
I think it is time to put them to bed as Coachella headliners. I just don't want them to be an embarrassment.

[TeamCoachellaHellYeah]

it took me awhile to get on board with the thought of the who before we got the line up in 2010. SO I am happy we avoided this.

[FoxeyLady]

Jay-Z was infinitely better than The Who would have been.

[rage patton]

The Who were amazing when I saw them in 06. I would love to see them at Coachella.

[wscmx13]

their Superbowl performance was terrible

[choice cat]

i too would rather keep my memory of the who as a good one, and not risk it from a possibly very embarrassing performance.

[jazzz]

Who are hoping to hit the road again in 2011, with "a new show," according to singer Roger Daltrey, or possibly a retooled stage presentation of the group's 1973 rock opera "Quadrophenia."

"We're just working out what to do next," Daltrey tells Billboard.com. "We've got ideas...We're looking on probably being out there, hopefully if all goes well, in the spring of next year...We definitely don't want to stop. We feel it's the role of the artist to go all the way through life 'til you can't do it anymore."

Daltrey does acknowledge, however, that "there's a few things to get around -- primarily guitarist and composer Pete Townshend's continuing battle with severe Tinnitus. Daltrey says that "it's nothing that can't be sorted out -- just different monitor systems, different on-stage volume, which is where the issue is. Pete being the addictive character he is, if he gets carried away he tends to turn his volume up to the old levels, and that's when it causes the trouble. That's one of the problems with rock 'n' roll, once the old adrenaline kicks in."

Daltrey, who's been doing solo dates as a headliner and opening for Eric Clapton while the Who is off the road, says he's not sure about the progress of Townshend's new musical "Floss" -- "That's not my bag, that's Pete." -- but is always hopeful for new material to sing. "He writes, and then we decide what to do," Daltrey explains. "One of the reasons I'm doing this (touring) is so if he ever does write anything significant or anything he needs me to sing, I've got a voice to do it. I've dedicated my life to being the voice of his music. I'm happy with that position. I feel I've done a good job for him."

As for taking "Quadrophenia" -- which the Who performed as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust benefits on March 30 in London -- back out on the road, Daltrey says that "there are issues with it to make it work at our age. I'm 16 years older than when we last did it, and I always had a bit of a problem, as far as the crowd was concerned, with the way we were presenting that show, the way our position within the piece was explained. For the newcomers it was narratively a bit of a puzzle, what Pete and I were to this guy on the screen. It needs a revamp. It would be dated to put it out as it is now. We need to fix that area, but I know how to do it."

While he's waiting for the Who's next move, Daltrey is also supporting the launch of a Teenage Cancer Trust in the U.S. He reports that UCLA has recently signed on to be one of the organization's medical center, and he predicts that "the way America is with philanthropy, I think you'll get it done a lot quicker than (the U.K.) did, once people are aware of the issue."

[Miroir Noir]

Pass. I love the Who. Fucking love them. But pass, in a major way, on the Who circa 2011 playing Quadrophenia in its entirety at Coachella. Half of the audience will be gone by the time they get to 5:15.

[Coachella Bound]

will my acid still work as if it were 1973....?

[TomAz]

I love the Who but have found their live sets uneven.

1982: first tour with Kenny Jones on drums. Saw them at the Astrodome but I was on the floor and the floor was GA so it didn't feel like a stadium show. They were pretty good but didn't leave me gaga or anything.

1989: Fabulous Thunderbirds -> Steve Ray Vaughan -> the Who. Again in the Astrodome. mediocre seats. it was fun. SRV was better though.

2000: an outdoor show in Houston in August. Pete takes the stage and says "It's fuckin freezin up here". Zak Starkey on drums. By far the best of the 3 who shows I've seen. If they played this gig at Coachella it would be worthwhile.

[Deacon Blues]

pass on this for sure.

David Gilmour could handle a pink floyd greatest hits set half asleep. now that is coachella headliner worthy. i'd cream myself for that. black sabbath with ozzy and tony - that would be another heritage act that is coachella worthy. daltrey and co look like a weekend warrior who cover band these days

fleetwood mac would be another great one.

[Grant]

fleetwood mac would be another great one.

YES. I just don't know how it'd fly at Coachella, but I'd be all for it