After being fired and rehired, Zak Starkey is out again as The Who's drummer.
Pete Townshend posted a statement yesterday saying, "After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change. A poignant change. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.
"Scott Devours, who has worked with Roger's [Daltrey] solo band, will join The Who for our Final shows. Please welcome him."
And Zak has issued a statement saying, "I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavors. This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never had quit. So I didn’t make the statement. Quitting The Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going ‘in and out, and in and out, and in and out like a bleedin' squeezebox."
And then Townshend and Daltrey followed with another statement: "The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20 years younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects. He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world. Scott Devours – Who fans will know him from Roger’s solo shows – will be replacing Zak. We hope all our fans will welcome him."
The Who start The Song Is Over -- The North American Farewell Tour on August 16th in Sunrise, Florida with 14 shows through September 28th in Las Vegas.
In case you haven't been following this story of the imploding drummer, it began on April 16th when a spokesperson for Townshend and Daltrey said, "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of [Teenage Cancer Trust] shows at the Royal Albert Hall [in March\. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future."
There were reports that Daltrey felt overpowered by Starkey's drums at the second and final Albert Hall show, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. While trying to sing 1971's "The Song Is Over" for the first time in concert, Daltrey complained, saying, “To sing that song, I do need to hear the key, and I can’t. All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry, guys.”
Townshend made a suggestion to the sound crew and Daltrey was able to get through it.
Starkey, who first posted a snarky comment on his dismissal, followed it up with, "I’m very proud of my near 30 years with The Who. Filling the shoes of my Godfather, ‘uncle Keith [Moon]’ has been the biggest honor and I remain their biggest fan. They’ve been like family to me...
“After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I’m surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do? I plan to take some much needed time off with my family, and focus on the release of Domino Bones by [my band] Mantra of The Cosmos with Noel Gallagher in May and finishing my autobiography written solely by me. Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best.”
Then three days later, on April 19th, Pete Townshend announced that Zak was back, saying, "He’s not being asked to step down from The Who.
"There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.
"Roger [Daltrey] and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed. I take responsibility for some of the confusion. Our Teenage Cancer Trust shows [last month] at the Royal Albert Hall were a little tricky for me. I thought that four and a half weeks would be enough time to recover completely from having a complete knee replacement. (Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?) Wrong!
"Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage. The sound in the center of the stage is always the most difficult to work with. Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologized. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer.
"We are a family, this blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.
"As for Roger, fans can enjoy his forthcoming solo shows with his fabulous drummer, Scott Devours, who it was rumored might replace Zak in The Who and has always been supportive of the band.
"I owe Scott an apology for not crushing that rumor before it spread. He has been hurt by this. I promise to buy him a very long drink and give him a hug."
And Zak has issued a statement saying, "I'm very grateful to be a part of the Who family. Thanks Roger and Pete."
He also acknowledged his playing at the Albert Hall shows, saying, "Sorry Rog, I dropped a few beats … I’ll pick em up next time if I can. Apologies…"
Starkey, the oldest son and child or Ringo Starr, was given a drum kit by the late Who drummer Keith Moon for his 13th birthday. He started playing with The Who in 1996 after first backing Daltrey in his solo band two years earlier.
Check out the original posts about from Pete and Zak's official Instagram pages here and also here.
Speaking of Pete Townshend, he turns 80 years old today.