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Two weeks ago, during Super Bowl XLIV’s halftime show, the Who rocked out in front of the largest audience of their 46-year career. With 150 million viewers tuning in to the band’s 12-minute medley, the performance was supposed to springboard Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend into a busy 2010. Instead, the Who’s future is uncertain because of Townshend’s returning tinnitus. As the guitarist tells Rolling Stone in our new issue, “If my hearing is going to be a problem, we’re not delaying shows. We’re finished. I can’t really see any way around the issue.”
The band tells RS a planned spring 2010 tour and appearances at the Coachella and New Orleans Jazz Festivals were ditched when Townshend’s tinnitus returned while he was working on his musical Floss. Neil Young put Townshend in touch with an audiologist who recommended an in-ear monitor that may prevent any further damage. Townshend will give the device a test drive when the Who perform at their only scheduled gig of 2010, a March 30th charity show in London where they’ll play Quadrophenia in its entirety. “It’s a good test of Pete’s hearing,” Daltrey tells Rolling Stone. “We won’t know until we try.”
For more on Townshend’s plans for Floss and their big Super Bowl gig, grab the new issue, on newsstands now.
Related Stories:
• The Who Rock Super Bowl XLIV With Explosive Medley of Big Hits
• The Who’s Townshend Reveals the Story Behind Big Super Bowl Set
• Fans React to the Who’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily