Our reporter speaks to Pete Townshend, but is interrupted by a singing and dancing Keith Moon after the beat-opera at Det Kunglige Teater. It is not only on stage that the English beat group The Who is aggressive. To undertake an interview with one of the band members is somewhat of a challenge, especially when considering the recent accident where Keith Moon accidentally killed his chauffeur. Moon is shouting and screaming in the dressing room. Only Pete Townshend was available for an interview, which was made during very unusual circumstances after the group's performance at Det Kunglige Teater last week.
Townshend, though, tried very hard to make himself heard above Keith Moon and the following conversation took place:
- There are rumours that you want to break up after this tour.
- I haven't heard anything about that. It's not true. We've got contracts reaching far into next year. We're going on a new tour in the USA in April-May and we should have a new album ready before that.
- Can you tell us something about the new album?
-It won't be an opera in any case. It will be like our older albums.
-The LP "Happy Jack" was a bigger success in the USA than in Europe.
- I think it's because they appreciate talent more over there, than they do in Europe, says Pete with a smile.
- You call "Tommy" an opera. Couldn't it be called an oratorium?
- Or a cantata...a rock-cantata. It sounds beautiful, doesn't it?...a rock-cantata! I prefer rock-opera. I don't really speculate on what it is.
- There were 1100 people in the audience tonight. A lot of people missed the opportunity of seeing you. Are you coming back?
- We don't really care about playing for a big audience. I prefer playing for a smaller one, where there is greater contact, but if there is an interest, maybe we can play a week sometime in the future. But the problem is that we are not really happy about playing for a European audience. They haven't seen much rock and are not really good at listening. As a musician you don't feel appreciated.
- There is much talk about hidden meanings in "Tommy".
- Hidden meanings don't communicate. If there are hidden meanings in what you're doing they don't come out.
Keith Moon interrupts us performing a war dance with the words: "Hidden meanings!" and Townshend claims that Keith is the hidden meaning of The Who.
- Do you mind that people try to find out more than what is written?
- No!
- How dare they? says Keith. Someone told me not long ago: Trust art, not the artist.
Townshend:- That means, trust "Tommy", not The Who.
- You write the music and the lyrics yourself. Have you ever considered putting music to others' lyrics?
- I am glad you mention that, because I have tried to put others' lyrics to my music, but it doesn't work. When you're a musician, only you yourself can put lyrics to your music. Nothing else works.
