Zak Starkey has opened up about his tumultuous relationship with the Who, detailing the bizarre circumstances of being fired, rehired, and fired again all within the span of a few weeks.
The son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Starkey had been the Who’s drummer for three decades before the band announced in April that they had “made a collective decision to part ways” with him. Just three days later, Pete Townshend announced Starkey was back in the fold, only to reverse course a month later, stating “the time has come for a change”.
In a candid interview with Rolling Stone, Starkey revealed he’s still uncertain about his status with the legendary rock outfit, who are set to kick off a world tour on 20th July in Italy.
“I spoke to Roger last week,” Starkey explained. “He said, ‘Don’t take your drums out of the warehouse, we might be calling you’. These guys are insane! I’ve been fired more times than Keith Moon in ten days.”
The drummer recounted the events surrounding his dismissal, which seemingly stemmed from a performance at Royal Albert Hall where Roger Daltrey stopped “The Song is Over” after coming in four bars early. According to Starkey, he was later told he was being fired for “dropping two beats,” though he maintains he’s reviewed the footage and can’t identify where this occurred.
In a peculiar turn of events, Starkey claims Townshend asked if he was “strong enough to fight for his job back,” and he was eventually reinstated—only to be fired again ten days later. Management reportedly asked him to release a statement saying he was leaving to pursue other projects, which he refused to do.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Despite the drama, Starkey harbours no ill will toward his former bandmates. “I don’t blame anyone. I don’t hold any grudges. It’s the Who. Weirder shit than this has gone down,” he said.
While his future with the Who remains uncertain, Starkey has been focusing on his new Britpop supergroup, Mantra of the Cosmos, featuring Shaun Ryder and Mark ‘Bez’ Berry of the Happy Mondays, and Andy Bell of Oasis. The group recently released a new track, “Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)”, featuring Noel Gallagher.
When asked if he’d return to the Who if invited, Starkey didn’t hesitate: “Oh, man, of course I would”. He praised Townshend’s musical standards, saying, “The guy demands 200 per cent every night, everything you’ve got.”
In the meantime, fans await news of whether Scott Devours will indeed be behind the kit for the Who’s upcoming tour, or if Starkey might make yet another unexpected return to the band he’s served for three decades.
The Who’s world tour begins on July 20th in Italy, with dates continuing throughout Europe and North America.
