Back in October, The Who announced a 50th anniversary farewell tour for 2015. They later clarified that the tour would not mean the end of the band. Now, they've told Billboard that the tour will begin around Christmas in the UK before heading to North American in 2015.
"It will be a world tour," guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend told them. "I'm not crazy about going on the road, but I'm in good shape and once I start doing it -- and I'm still very good at it -- I'll take some pleasure from it."
The upcoming tour marks the band's first time on the road since the Quadrophenia and More tour of 2012 and 2013; however, the last time they toured in support of new material was a trek of 112 shows in 2006 and 2007 for Endless Wire.
Townshend also spoke about the band turning 50 this year, saying, "I was ready for the 50th, but it happens when everything else is changing. I'll be 69 in May and all my friends are getting ill or dying. I knew it would happen. I will be happy if I give people something that makes fans happy. It takes some great planning and I hope it opens up other things that we can avail ourselves of."
Earlier this year, Roger Daltrey announced that the band would be recording new material in 2014. "Pete's got hundreds of songs," he told NME. "So the only question is whether we get around to it, but he wants to make an album and I'm always ready and raring to go. We'll see. I never know what I'm doing next, it's about what comes through my letterbox tomorrow, but I don't see why we wouldn't. My voice is still in good shape. The hearing isn't so great, but the voice is fine."
Townshend told Billboard that he is looking through 20,000 hours of "complete and utter disorganized music" to find some possible songs.
"I'll be pulling some songs out of [his long-gestating project] 'Floss' to give to Roger [Daltrey] to see if we've got enough to make an album," Townshend said. "It might be a big waste of time, but I'm hoping there will be an album."
