The Who sack Zak Starkey

[TimR]

Could be a number of factors. It's rarely just one factor.

 

Daltry's ears are probably screwed and even with in ears he's struggling.

 

Maybe Daltry has had enough now and this will be a good excuse not to play gigs for a long while. 

 

Regards Pino, wasn't it Townsend's choice to find someone who wasn't a lead bassplayer in the band so that he could step up from being rhythm guitarist? 

[PaulWarning]

3 minutes ago, TimR said:

C

 

Regards Pino, wasn't it Townsend's choice to find someone who wasn't a lead bassplayer in the band so that he could step up from being rhythm guitarist? 

I also remember him saying it was nice to play with a 'normal' drummer when Moon had died, most band members think they'd sound better if some things were changed, till they are 😄

[acidbass]

Looks like Townshend has announced a U turn now, and Zak is back in the band!

[ezbass]

Zak should tell them to stick it up their old, wrinkly arses.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

PT'S statement:

 

"News Flash! Who Backs Zak!

 

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 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 TCT shows 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 centre 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 apologised. 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 rumoured might replace Zak in The Who and has always been supportive of the band.

I owe Scott an apology for not crushing that rumour before it spread. He has been hurt by this. I promise to buy him a very long drink and give him a hug.

 

Pete Townshend
19 April 2025"

 

 

[shoulderpet]

44 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

PT'S statement:

 

"News Flash! Who Backs Zak!

 

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 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 TCT shows 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 centre 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 apologised. 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 rumoured might replace Zak in The Who and has always been supportive of the band.

I owe Scott an apology for not crushing that rumour before it spread. He has been hurt by this. I promise to buy him a very long drink and give him a hug.

 

Pete Townshend
19 April 2025"

 

 

"Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised" 🤣 I know they are a professional band but the guy is human like the rest of them, I'm sure the others aren't flawless 100% of the time especially as Roger Daltrey himself has admitted that his hearing has seen better days.

 

Sounds like maybe they have realised that they were being twats and are now looking to do a u turn in the least embarrassing way possible.

Edited Saturday at 15:40 by shoulderpet

[TimR]

I've been in bands for 45 years and just when you reach an age when you think finally everyone is acting as grownups.

 

Something happens to remind you musicians are mainly big kids. 

[Wolverinebass]

3 hours ago, TimR said:

Regards Pino, wasn't it Townsend's choice to find someone who wasn't a lead bassplayer in the band so that he could step up from being rhythm guitarist? 

Townshend has changed his tune on the reasons for this at least twice.

 

In 2002, he said that they got Pino as someone who could learn the set almost overnight.

 

In 2004, he seemed quite uncomfortable with all the sonic space he had to fill because of Entwistle's death and said so.

 

It wasn't until about 2008 he said that he got Pino to facilitate his self upgrade. Debate for yourself which one you believe.

 

Jon Button is just an extension of this. He can be paid less than Pino and will no doubt be happy to be shouted at by Roger to turn down and play next to nothing to facilitate the skewing of the band towards the guitar. Nobody hears him live because he's just picking up a paycheck and isn't doing anything interesting at all. The interview he did with Scott Devine a while back was hilarious in how much stuff he actually got wrong both playing and factually. If Kenney Jones was the wrong choice in 1978 then there has never been a right bass choice post 2002.

 

The Who (with Zak) were 4 equal musical parts until 2002. They've been finished since then and should have quit.

[Pseudonym]

I think this is all utterly charming. The Who always struck me as honest-to-god grumpy, sarcastic, insolent English blokiness personified. They were like that when they were petulant youngsters, they were like that when they went overboard in the 1970s, and they are like that every time they have a barney in public and then pull the jaunty one after they realise they look like berks.

 

None of this fashionable phony professionalism for these chaps. None of the "run a band like it's Accenture" nonsense where everything goes through a PR firm. No, it's proper mickey-taking, storm-in-a-teacup sitcom misunderstandings, all to be settled over a pint. If Ronnie Barker were still with us, he would absolutely play Roger.

[StingRayBoy42]

22 minutes ago, Pseudonym said:

 If Ronnie Barker were still with us, he would absolutely play Roger.

 

I'd watch that!

[Pseudonym]

25 minutes ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

 

I'd watch that!

 

It would have worked in the early 1980s, I think:

 

"...that's after the news with Jan Leeming. Over on BBC2, continuing coverage of snooker from Sheffield and updates from the continuing embassy siege. But now on BBC1, Rog and Pete get ahead of themselves and agree to a charity gig that isn't quite what it seems. It's Ronnie Barker and Graham Chapman in Who's Out Of Tune?"

[Steve Browning]

1 hour ago, Pseudonym said:

I think this is all utterly charming. The Who always struck me as honest-to-god grumpy, sarcastic, insolent English blokiness personified. They were like that when they were petulant youngsters, they were like that when they went overboard in the 1970s, and they are like that every time they have a barney in public and then pull the jaunty one after they realise they look like berks.

 

None of this fashionable phony professionalism for these chaps. None of the "run a band like it's Accenture" nonsense where everything goes through a PR firm. No, it's proper mickey-taking, storm-in-a-teacup sitcom misunderstandings, all to be settled over a pint. If Ronnie Barker were still with us, he would absolutely play Roger.

I can assure you there's no 

Mickey taking, storm in a tea cup stuff here. 

[Pseudonym]

1 minute ago, Steve Browning said:

I can assure you there's no 

Mickey taking, storm in a tea cup stuff here. 

 

No, I imagine not. Still, that's fiction for you.

[mcnach]

21 hours ago, ezbass said:

Zak should tell them to stick it up their old, wrinkly arses.

 

I've put up with more annoying bandmates for a lot less money...

[Stub Mandrel]

Apparently, Pete told Zak he was only researching alternative drummers for a book.

[lemmywinks]

18 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

 If Ronnie Barker were still with us, he would absolutely play Roger.

 

 

Too tall, Ronnie Corbett would be more accurate.

[PaulWarning]

we did a gig last night and during the Kids Are Alright our singer came in too early at one point, our drummer was not amused when I told he was sacked 🤣

[Bassassin]

20 hours ago, TimR said:

I've been in bands for 45 years and just when you reach an age when you think finally everyone is acting as grownups.

 

Something happens to remind you musicians are mainly big kids. 

 

It's almost like they forget:

 

"What do you want to do when you grow up?"

 

"I wanna play in a rock band!"

 

"You can't do both."

[Geek99]

23 hours ago, acidbass said:

Looks like Townshend has announced a U turn now, and Zak is back in the band!

Did they even need a substitute in Scott? 
 

 

I’ll get me coat…

Edited Sunday at 12:30 by Geek99

[Mudpup]

22 hours ago, shoulderpet said:

"Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised" 🤣 I know they are a professional band but the guy is human like the rest of them, I'm sure the others aren't flawless 100% of the time especially as Roger Daltrey himself has admitted that his hearing has seen better days.

 

Sounds like maybe they have realised that they were being twats and are now looking to do a u turn in the least embarrassing way possible.

Or maybe

"Hi Kenny, doing much for the next few weeks?"

"Sorry Pete, I'm a bit busy watching Strictly and Eastenders"

Hmnn - maybe we'll give Zak a shout and see if he picks up.....