By Althea Legaspi
After the Who announced that they had parted ways with drummer Zak Starkey earlier this week, band co-founder Pete Townshend took to social media to say this is not the case.
“News Flash! Who back Zak!,” Townshend wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “Zak is 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.”
The guitarist’s post directed fans to visit the band’s official website “for the full statement,” which was updated about an hour later, with a statement signed by Townshend. He opened by reiterating what he wrote on Instagram and added that he and Roger Daltrey wanted Starkey to “tighten up” his drumming style. “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,” Townshend said. “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!”
This appears to confirm reports that Daltrey appeared upset with their performance at the Royal Albert Hall shows. When the band attempted to play the Who’s Next deep cut “The Song Is Over” for the first time in their history, Daltrey stopped the song after just one verse and sounded frustrated.
“To sing that song, I do need to hear the key, and I can’t,” he said. “All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry, guys.”
In Townshend’s statement on the band’s website Saturday, he acknowledged that the issues could’ve been exacerbated by a short sound check. “Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage,” he continued. “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.”
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The hubbub began on Wednesday following the Who’s performances at Royal Albert Hall. “The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,” a representative for the band said in a statement announcing the initial news. “They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”
By Wednesday afternoon, Starkey addressed his then-departure. “I’m very proud of my near thirty years with The Who,” Starkey —the oldest child of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr who grew up around original Who drummer Keith Moon — told Rolling Stone in a written statement. “Filling the shoes of my Godfather, ‘uncle Keith’ has been the biggest honor and I remain their biggest fan. They’ve been like family to me. In January, I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf. This is now completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running.”
He added: “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 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.”
On Saturday, it appeared the parties have resolved their communication issues. “We are a family, this blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over,” Townshend said. “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,” Townshend concluded. “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.”
Starkey shared the statement from the Who’s website on his Instagram as well. “V grateful to be a part of the who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx,” he wrote.
This article has been updated with an official statement from the Who on their website.
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