In November 2025, The Who’s Pete Townshend was a guest on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Townshend was promoting a new ballet based on The Who’s classic 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia, which was about to get its U.S. premiere in New York City.
Videos by American Songwriter
Apparently during his Late Show appearance, the rock legend recorded a 20-minute installment of the program’s “Colbert Questionert” segment. The Q&A feature has just been given its debut on The Late Show’s official YouTube channel.
During the segment, the 80-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revealed details about the first concert he ever attended.
The show featured a performance by Bill Haley & His Comets and took place in 1958.
“[W]e were right at the back of this old theater,” he recalled. “And the benches at the back were moving up and down as the crowd went nuts. And the week later they demolished the theater. It could have come down [during the show]. It was so rocking. They were so good.”
Townshend discussed the concert in a bit more detail in his 2012 memoir, Who I Am. He said he attended the show with his friend Jimpy at the Regal Cinema in London’s Marble Arch area.
“We had seats in the highest gallery, the very back row, where we were surrounded by rowdy, older teenagers,” Pete wrote. “The cinema had been structurally, weakened by bombs, so when the audience bounced enthusiastically to the beat, the gallery literally shook. (The building was demolished a few months later.)”
Some Other Highlights from the “Colbert Questionert” Segment
Also during his “Colbert Questionert” interview, Townshend was asked if he could only listen to one song for the rest of his life, which would it be? Pete chose the 1965 Motown classic “Tracks Of My Tears” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.
Colbert always ends these segments by asking the celebrity to “describe the rest of your life in five words.” Townshend’s response should be encouraging to fans hoping to hear new music from The Who legend.
“Make another record, lazy [expletive],” he said.
Other revelations Townshend shared were his favorite sandwich (pastrami on rye with pickle), scariest animal (octopus), favorite smell (raw garlic), least favorite smell (poo), he prefers apples to oranges, he prefers dogs to cats, and his favorite action film (director Ang Lee’s The Hulk).
Pete also told a story about the time he had a drug-induced out-of-body experience while taking a plane back to London after The Who played the famous Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
(Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/Courtesy of CBS)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.