The life cycle of a rock star typically goes something like this: Angry young man or woman channels their angst into their music, then gets rich — and soft — and coasts to retirement.
Pete Townshend, the mastermind of legendary British rockers The Who, apparently didn’t get the memo.
Townshend, 74, is as engaged with his craft — and brutally honest and opinionated — as ever, with a new Who album completed and his debut novel, “The Age of Anxiety,” coming Nov. 5.
The Who, whose remaining original members are Townshend on guitar and vocals and the swaggering, microphone-swinging Roger Daltrey on lead vocals, following the deaths of Keith Moon (1978) and John Entwistle (2002), will kick off the fall leg of their Moving On! tour Sept. 1 at Madison Square Garden. They’ll also play at Jones Beach on Sept. 15.
Townshend recently chatted with The Post about his memories of New York, his trademark “windmill” and the future of the band — which turned 55 this year.
What do you remember about playing MSG for the first time in 1974?
Nothing, I’m afraid.
What makes MSG a special place for you to play?
I just love it, and I’m not sure why. I sense a welcome always from the people that work there, and from the audiences. Our very first complete “Quadrophenia” shows there in 1996 were like a bawdy Shakespearean play at the original Globe. It had a narrator in Phil Daniels. There were people shouting, interrupting, throwing things, screaming for “Magic Bus” and “Boris The Spider.” But even so it seemed to work.
How would you describe The Who’s relationship with New York audiences?
It was the first city we played in the USA. It was the first city I ever visited there. It feels like home.
You’ve said you didn’t enjoy Woodstock. Do you have any feelings of nostalgia for the event now that it’s the 50th anniversary, or was it just an overall bad situation and gig for The Who?
It turned out to be hugely valuable to us. I am grateful we were there, but I feel like an old grouch when I say I couldn’t rise to it, nor could I see the halcyon positive changes that many people felt were happening.
Why did you decide to tour with an orchestra this time around?
This was Roger’s proposal. I have done solo shows with orchestra, and using computers can now orchestrate, so I had no fear, but I knew it would be a challenge. It has turned out to be an invigorating experience.
What type of extra work went into preparing for this tour with the orchestra on board? What type of changes did you make to the songs?
We rehearsed in Florida for a week – longer than we would usually – and made most changes to the orchestrations, but some of our songs were restored to their recorded form.
There are 10-year old kids on YouTube who can shred better than me. But no one can windmill like me.
What is the status of the new Who album?
It’s finished. I am listening to masters today in fact (Aug. 17).
What inspired you to write the songs on this album?
No inspiration, just a powerful desire to be seen to be a working songwriter. I suppose it’s a need to be measured by my peers and other younger musicians.
You and Roger have famously had your ups and downs. What keeps you coming back together?
In my case, often it is the desire to make money so I can pursue ambitious solo projects, or musical or theatrical experiments, or just so I can go sailing. Roger needs to sing to keep his voice alive, but unlike me he is also a much more normal performing artist in that he enjoys being on stage.
Did the deaths of Keith and then John bring you and Roger closer together?
In each case it set up a kind of oscillation. One day thinking we should stop, the next that we should go on. Their absence changed everything. I can’t speak for Roger, but in my case both Keith and John filled a lot of musical space when we played live, and it has been a challenge for me – a very positive one – for me to find new ways to fill it.
You were barely out of your teens when you wrote “I hope I die before I get old” in “My Generation.” What would 1965 Pete say if he was told you’d still be doing this in your 70s?
1965 Pete was a bit of a c–t, to be honest. I don’t really care what he would say to me.
Do you feel any sort of kinship with a band like the Rolling Stones who are still out there playing stadium shows in their 70s?
Of course. They are friends. They are my favorite band.
Did you ever get sick of doing your signature guitar move, “the windmill”?
Of course not. It’s the one thing I can do that makes people cheer. Even playing the occasional blinding guitar solo doesn’t do that anymore. There are 10-year old kids on YouTube who can shred better than me. But no one can windmill like me. Is that sad? Do I look silly? Do I give a f–k?
Did you consider retiring the move after you hurt your hand doing it in 1989 in Tacoma?
Nah. I feel no pain.
Roger recently said, “Obviously within the next five years I think my voice will go.” Do you see an end in sight for The Who?’
No. If Roger’s voice goes I believe I could still write for him: words, stories, plays, narratives, that he would excel at.
When it gets close to that point, do you see The Who doing a farewell tour?
It feels like we’ve been saying farewell all our lives. That is life isn’t it?
What other albums besides “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia” would you like to perform live in their entirety?
I’m not keen on performing any albums in their entirety. I think Roger likes doing that, and I am ready to support any ideas he might have.
You’ve used parts of your “Lifehouse” project over the years and the graphic novel comes out this year. Will we see a “Lifehouse” album?
I’m thinking about it. “Lifehouse” is an idea that evolves, I can always find something in it to interest me.
Did your approach to writing your novel, “The Age Of Anxiety,” differ from when you write music?
I write all the time, it’s a need, a necessity. I have no strong feelings about it. It feels as though writing – prose, poetry, letters, essays, diaries, therapeutic pages, lyrics, plans, experiments, Instagram posts, emails and even shopping lists – is who I am 90% of the time. Music is huge for me too, but that either flows or it doesn’t. The novel now exists, and it is indeed like a shopping list: What happens now?
What other projects do you hope to work on in the near future?
I have one project in my Scrivener app which is called “Aimlessness.” That is developing nicely. I have some vague ideas for a sequel to “The Age of Anxiety.” I will keep myself busy.
What are you most proud of in The Who’s career?
I’m proud of the audacity I had to present radical ideas to my bandmates, and their ability to see that some of those ideas were good ones.