Advertisement 1

Zak Starkey hints at return to ‘f***ing insane’ The Who despite being fired twice

The longtime drummer revealed he isn’t bitter about the double dismissal and still thinks of his former bandmates as 'family.'

Article content

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

Zak Starkey refuses to be played out.

Article content
Article content

The Who drummer was fired after nearly three decades earlier this year but was rehired days later.

The English rock group later had a change of heart and cut ties with the longtime musician once again — for good, it seems.

But Starkey revealed he isn’t bitter about the double dismissal and still thinks of his former bandmates as “family.”

Article content

“I don’t blame anyone,” Starkey told the Telegraph.

“I blame The Who because they’re unpredictable, aggressive and f***ing insane.”

Starkey, son of Beatles legendary drummer Ringo Starr, detailed his side of the conflict between himself and the other band members, namely Roger Daltrey.

In March, the band played two concerts for a U.K. cancer charity at the Royal Albert Hall.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

While performing 1971 song “The Song Is Over,” Daltrey was so unhappy with Starkey’s drumming and paused the concert to express to the crowd — and Starkey — his displeasure.

“To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can’t,” the lead singer reportedly said.

“All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom,” he continued. “I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry, guys.”

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Loading...
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Starkey told the Telegraph that there was a lack of rehearsal of the song and Daltrey shortened the track on the fly.

“What happened was I got it right, and Roger got it wrong,” Starkey said.

Nevertheless, he got a call from the band’s manager a week later.

“He says, ‘It’s my unfortunate duty to inform you that you won’t be needed from now on. Roger says you dropped some beats.’”

Starkey added that “(guitarist) Pete (Townshend) had to go along with it, because Pete’s had 60 years of arguing with Roger.”

Starkey said that after he returned following the first firing, he was first forced to admit that he had dropped two beats during the song — as Daltrey accused him of doing.

But the peace lasted about two weeks.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

“It was like, ‘Roger says he can’t work with you no more, and we’d like you to issue another statement saying you’re leaving to do your other projects’ and I just didn’t do it, because I wasn’t leaving (of my own volition),” Starkey told the publication.

Following Starkey’s first sacking, Townshend denied the drummer was “asked to step down,” and chalked it up to “communication issues, personal and private on all sides.”

After the second ouster, Townshend reportedly told fans that “the time has come for a change.”

Starkey, however, remembers things differently, detailing on Instagram how he refused to make a statement saying he had quit the Who.

That said, Starkey teased that the third time could be a charm as he and his former bandmates have already talked about him returning.

Advertisement 5
Story continues below
Article content
Read More
  1. Pete Townshend, left, and Roger Daltrey of The Who.
    The Who announce ‘The Song Is Over’ North American farewell tour
  2. From left to right, Melissa Scott, Colin Maier and Liza McLellan performed in the orchestra as The Who made a stop in Toronto on Sunday.
    WARMINGTON: 'Who' says you can't still rock after 60 years?
  3. Elton John and Madonna have finally 'buried the hatchet' after a decades-long feud.
    Elton John and Madonna end decades-long feud: 'Buried the hatchet'

“I spoke to Roger last week and he said, ‘Don’t take your drums out of (The Who’s) warehouse yet in case we need you,’” Starkey claimed.

“I said, ‘Best let me know.’”

As of now, however, the drummer does have other projects on the go which he clarified, “None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them.”

The Who will begin their Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour in August — without Starkey, for now.

Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances!

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Page was generated in 2.417946100235