The legendary rock band The Who separated from their drummer Zak Starkey for the second time in a month, both parts on Instagram announced on Sunday (18).
While Pete Townshend, guitarist and main composer of the band, suggested in his statement that the separation was mutual, Starkey claimed that he was “fired” and “asked to make a statement saying he had left The Who to follow other musical projects.”
There were “weeks of chaos with me coming in and out like a accordion,” added Starkey.
Starkey, son of Beatles Ringo Starr drummer, who had played with The Who since 1996, was first fired from the band last month, after not being satisfied with his performance during a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Days later, however, Townshend and Starkey announced that he would return to the band after “some personal and private communication problems on all sides were satisfactorily resolved.”
Townshend also approached the Royal Albert Hall show, saying, “We may not have dedicated enough time to sound tests, which caused us problems on stage.”
“The sound at the center of the stage is always the hardest to work. Roger did nothing wrong but mess with his in-ear monitors. Zak made some mistakes and apologized. Although with a drummer rubber duck,” he said.
It is unclear why the decision to reintegrate Starkey was reversed. THE CNN contacted The Who representatives to comment.
Townshend said on Sunday that “the time has come for a change,” adding “Zak has many new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”
Starkey has replaced that he has “other projects and always had,” explaining that “The Who has been sporadic or minimalist tours most of the years except for two extensive tours in 2000 and 2006/7.”
“None of this (other work) never interfered with The Who and has never been a problem for them.”
Starkey is “quite quiet about the whole subject” and “now focused on a more contemporary project,” a Starkey representative told CNN referring to his supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos, whose next single features the participation of Oasis star Noel Gallagher.
Starkey’s departure only takes place three months before The Who embarked on his farewell tour in North America, almost 60 years after the band began to perform there.
Of the band’s four founding members, only Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey are still alive. Bassist John Entwhistle died in 2002, while drummer Keith Moon, who was Starkey’s godfather, died in 1978.
Since then, Starkey has become “practically the” unofficial “Official The Who” drummer, according to the band’s website.
Scott Devrs will take the place of Starkey in the next tour, Townshend announced. Devrs has played with Daltrey at his solo shows and replaced Starkey as the Who Who in the past.
This content was originally published in The Who Dismate drummer Zak Starkey for the second time in a month on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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