Pete Townshend admits he wanted to cut Steve Jobs's balls off

PETE Townshend says Apple bleeding musicians "like a digital vampire" and says tech giant must support artists.

PETE Townshend says Apple is bleeding musicians "like a digital vampire" and has called on the tech giant to do more to support artists.

The Who guitarist compared Apple to the banking industry, and admitted he had wanted to cut Steve Jobs's balls off, The Guardian reports.

In a speech to the radio industry, Townshend said: "Is there really any good reason why, just because iTunes exists in the wild west internet land of Facebook and Twitter, it can't provide some aspect of these services to the artists whose work it bleeds like a digital vampire for its enormous commission?"

He said iTunes was "fantastic piece of software" but was disappointed it offered only distribution and royalties to artists.

He thought Apple should have execs on staff who could spot talent and support new artists.

He also attacked the morality of those who download music illegally. "If someone pretends that something I have created should be available to them free … I wonder what has gone wrong with human morality and social justice," he said.

Townshend admitted he had once told an interviewer he had wanted to cut the balls off Jobs, who died last month.

He said said his "inner artist" now thought the former Apple guru was "one of the coolest guys on the planet". "If Apple do even one of the things on my wish-list, (my inner artist) will offer to cut off his own balls."