United Kingdom, March 24 -- 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 ...