The Time Pete Townshend Had An Angry Outburst To A 7yr Old

Pete Townshend left a lasting impact on 7-year-old Jenny Costello during a concert when he had an angry outburst directed at her and her father, who had brought a self-made sign that read “Smash Your Guitar, Pete!”

During the show, Townshend noticed the sign and reacted sharply. “Don’t wave that sign,” he said from the stage. “Just don’t wave it at me. Don’t bring your children or use them. I want to tell you two words, but I can’t because you have a child on you.” This outburst upset Mr. Costello, who promptly left the show early with his daughter.

Expressing his frustration later, Mr. Costello told the Toronto Sun:

“I expect a 70-something-year-old man to respect the fact there’s a seven-year-old girl standing in front of him. Whether it was directed at just me or both of us, you can’t tell — she was on my shoulders, and he was looking directly at us. But nobody talks to my seven-year-old daughter like that. Nobody tells my kid to f— off.”

Wearing a white blazer with a red handkerchief, Townshend then mouthed the words “F*** off!” at Mr. Costello. Costello explained:

“It all happened so quickly.
“Some people have said that Townshend thought I was using her to get up to the front, but that is not what happened at all. I support my daughter in what she wants to do.”

After the heated moment, Mr. Costello and his daughter returned to their seats, but the damage was done. Jenny began to cry, realizing her rock hero was angry at her. Costello said:

“I’d like him to know in some small way he broke a little girl’s heart.
“Both she and I were huge fans of the band, and now I’m left trying to explain to her that heroes are not infallible. Instead of being a joyous, momentous occasion, it turned into a sad, regrettable incident.”

What should have been a memorable night of music turned into a disappointing experience for Mr. Costello and his daughter.