Pete Townshend 'wanted people to think' he was gay because it would make him more 'cool'

Pete Townshend wanted people to think he was gay because it would make him more "cool".

The 79-year-old rocker admitted he was happy for people to think he was attracted to other men in the 1960s, at a time when same-sex relationships were illegal, because it made him seem more edgy.

He told The Sunday Times' Culture magazine: “I wanted people to think I was gay because it was illegal, it was cool.

"The vice squad in Soho would beat young kids, so to act camp in the music scene was audacious. One of [the original manager of the Who] Pete Meaden’s friends was a guy called Phil the Greek, who looked incredibly gay.

"I was with him when someone called him a poofter and he smashed them to pieces. I was pulling them apart, saying, ‘Phil, stop! You’ve done enough.’”

The Who guitarist "got a kick" out of changing fashions as trends peaked during his mod days.

He said: “Mod fashion was all about details. I remember going to a ballroom in Forest Hill and seeing one face [top mod] in a polka-dot tie when everyone else had striped ones, so I wore a polka-dot tie for a Who concert the following week.

"The week after that, everyone in the crowd had polka-dot ties — by which point I went back to striped ties.

"I got such a kick out of that kind of thing.”

Pete's 1973 rock opera 'Quadrophenia' has been adapted for the ballet by Sadlers Wells, with orchestration from his wife Rachel Fuller, and while he will be inviting bandmate Roger Daltrey to see the production, he isn't sure the singer will be impressed because he doesn't like the musician focusing on projects outside of The Who.

He said: “I’ll certainly invite Roger to come and see it, but he might feel awkward about it because I think he feels I have an extramural life that is in competition with his. His devotion to the Who is absolute, whereas mine isn’t.”

Even if 'Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet' proves to be a success, it will only cover its costs but Pete doesn't care.

He said:" The great thing is that when you’re nearly 80 you don’t give a f*** about success any more."