Benjamin Coombs on working with Pete

[Brian Cady]

>From the Galway Independent
http://www.galwayindependent.com/entertainment/8746.html

...Tell us about some of the people you've performed with?

I've worked with Bonnie Raitt and that was great experience. Working with Pete Townsend also had a big impact on me because there's a whole history there. I remember watching 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia' when I was about ten and the music did something powerful to me. I remember thinking, 'what on earth is this?' So to get to sing with him all these years later is great. 

How did it come about?

I was performing at Ronnie Scott's in London and he was in the audience because his girlfriend was the support act. He got up to do a song with me and then invited me to do this web cast gig. Then when I went to America I did a show with him and stayed with him in New York. It was quite surreal at times. Like your singing and you look over and there's Pete Townsend playing away and Martha Wainwright is singing in the other booth and you're like 'mmm...this isn't terribly normal!' (laughs)

Did he have any advice for you?

He's been very inspirational, like I've struggled at times with all the promotional stuff that goes along with music and he told me, 'You have to stand over your music; it's all part of it.' That helped me...
 
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com