Latest news with #TheSongIsOver
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary '90s Rocker Gets Candid About Departure From Band
Legendary '90s Rocker Gets Candid About Departure From Band originally appeared on Parade. After a whirlwind month of band drama—Zak Starkey, longtime drummer and son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr—is finally setting the record straight about where he stands with The Who. In a candid new interview with The Telegraph, Starkey, 59, says things took a turn following a rare live performance of "The Song Is Over" at the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit at London's Royal Albert Hall earlier this year. "What happened was I got it right and Roger got it wrong," Starkey said of the musical misstep, claiming that frontman Roger Daltrey came in a bar ahead of schedule during the song. Just a week later, Starkey says he got a call from The Who's longtime manager, Bill Curbishley, ousting him from the group. The alleged reason? "Roger says you dropped some beats," Starkey, who has drummed for both The Who and Oasis, recalls being told. But according to the musician, he's reviewed the tape and didn't hear those missing beats. "Then Pete [Townshend] had to go along with it because Pete's had 60 years of arguing with Roger," he added of the alleged incident. The drama with the band didn't stop there, however, with Starkey revealing that he briefly rejoined the group, but only after being pressured to accept blame for the onstage snafu—and spoiler alert, the reunion didn't last long. "It became clear Roger couldn't work with me," he shared. "I don't blame anyone. I blame The Who, because they're unpredictable, aggressive and f--king insane." Even still, Starkey isn't ruling out a return to the group, especially after he says Daltrey, 81, told him to keep his drums on standby. "Don't take your drums out of [The Who's] warehouse yet in case we need you," Starkey says Daltrey told him, with him urging the frontman to let him know should The Who have a change of heart. For now, drummer Scott Devours has taken over, as The Who gears up for their The Song Is Over farewell U.S. tour, kicking off August 16 in Sunrise, Florida. The tour will run through September 28, capping off in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Legendary '90s Rocker Gets Candid About Departure From Band first appeared on Parade on Jun 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey reveals alleged altercation with The Who's Roger Daltrey got him fired
Zak Starkey can explain. The Who's former drummer, 59, addressed his shocking exit from the band in a new interview with The Telegraph published on Monday, June 16, and shed some light on what allegedly led to his firing. In April, The Who announced they were parting ways with Starkey — who is Ringo Starr's son — following two shows at Royal Albert Hall in the UK, which saw the likes of Bill Murray, Sadie Frost, Tracy-Ann Oberman, and famed hypnotist Paul McKenna, in attendance. Advertisement 9 Zak Starkey has addressed his shocking exit from The Who after almost 30 years. Getty Images 9 Starkey claims he was kicked out following an alleged altercation with The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey. Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame However, days later, Pete Townshend revealed that Starkey would stay in the group despite 'some communication issues.' Advertisement All that changed in May when Starkey once again announced he was ousted from the Grammy-nominated rock band, marking his second firing in one month. Now, he claims he was kicked out following an alleged altercation with The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey. 9 'What happened was I got it right and Roger [Daltrey] got it wrong,' Starkey explained. WireImage 'What happened was I got it right and Roger [Daltrey] got it wrong,' Starkey told The Telegraph, referring to the rare performance of 'The Song Is Over' at London's Royal Albert Hall. Advertisement After his second firing, it was alleged that Starkey's bandmates weren't happy with his performance at the event. But, the drummer claims it wasn't his performance that was lacking. 9 Starkey with his father, Ringo Starr, in London in September 2016. David M. Benett Starkey told the outlet that The Who band members 'hate rehearsing,' noting they rarely perform their 6-minute-long 1971 hit 'The Song Is Over.' Advertisement According to Starkey, Daltrey 'took a bit out' for the show. 'Roger [came] in a bar early,' he told the outlet. Starkey also claimed that one week later, the band's manager, Bill Curbishley, called to fire him. 9 Daltrey, Starkey and Pete Townshend of The Who performing at the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show at the Sun Life Stadium on February 7, 2010, in Miami Gardens, Fla. WireImage 'He says, 'It's my unfortunate duty to inform you' — it's like Porridge or something — 'that you won't be needed from now on. Roger says you dropped some beats,'' he alleged. Starkey watched the performance but said, 'I can't find any dropped beats,' claiming, 'Then Pete [Townshend] had to go along with it because Pete's had 60 years of arguing with Roger.' But the drama didn't stop there. 9 'Roger says you dropped some beats,' Starkey was allegedly told when he was fired from The Who. Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Starkey shared that he still wanted back in the band after the alleged feud; however, he was allegedly instructed that he needed to admit that he dropped 'two beats' in the performance. Advertisement 'Two weeks later 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 alleged, adding 'they didn't specify' why they fired him the second time. Starkey shockingly doesn't have any hard feelings, telling The Telegraph, 'I don't blame anyone. I blame The Who because they're unpredictable, aggressive and f—— insane,' stating those are reasons he 'loves' the band. 9 'I don't blame anyone,' Starkey said. 'I blame The Who because they're unpredictable, aggressive and f—— insane.'He also hinted that his days of playing with The Who might not be over. Advertisement '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 said. 'I said, 'Best let me know.'' Starkey didn't just expose the alleged altercation that he claimed got him fired. The drummer also alleged that he turned down the offer to tour with Oasis for The Who. The Post reached out to the band's rep for comment. 9 The Who with their original lineup, including drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwhistle, in 1965. Michael Ochs Archives Advertisement Townshend was the first to address Starkey's second firing in May. 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' he wrote on Instagram. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' Starkey immediately hit back with a different story. 9 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' Townshend wrote on Instagram on May 18. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' Getty Images Advertisement '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,' the musician said in a lengthy social media rant. 'Not true. I love The Who and would never have quit and let down so many amazing people who stood up for me through this madness.' Starkey claimed that Daltrey told him he wasn't 'fired' from the band for a second time but rather 'retired' and free to work on his own projects. He clarified, 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who — i didn't. I love The Who and everyone in it.' Starkey, the son of The Beatles' Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Who star makes cryptic comment about 'the end' after farewell tour unveiling
The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, the mastermind behind anthems My Generation and Substitute, shows no signs of slowing down after marking his milestone 80th birthday Legendary The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who wrote the 1960s rock anthem I Hope I Die Before I Get Old, has just turned 80 – but says he feels like a new man. Or at least part of him does. 'That song wasn't a state of mind – it was a threat!' he laughs. 'I don't feel old – I just got a new knee.' And Townshend reveals that although he's not planning to retire just yet, he admits that The Who's days of going on the road are numbered. After 58 years since first touring America, one of the greatest – and loudest bands in rock history – has announced its farewell US tour, aptly titled, The Song Is Over, this summer. 'Whether it's the end of The Who…?' Townsend muses, before adding, 'It's certainly the end of touring in America. I asked Roger if it's the end of touring Europe, and he said. 'We'll have to wait and see'.' Speaking to My Cultural Life on Radio 4, Townsend reflects on the dark times in his life that created his wild man of rock persona, trashing guitars on stage and wrecking hotel rooms, but says even at 80, he has an edge. 'I feel like a diamond with a flaw. I am a dangerous f***er,' he reveals. 'I was a proponent of rock and roll as a philosophy. But when I started exploring my inner darkness on stage, my stage persona – smashing guitars and turning it all up – I was very detached and I didn't enjoy doing it.' He also acknowledges now that after years of a long-running feud with his 81-year-old bandmate Roger Daltry, the balance of power between them has shifted. 'Roger has said in the past that we would go on touring until we drop dead – but the needle has shifted,' he says. 'It was always me who said that, 'I reserve the right to stop,' and I have stopped twice – once for 11 years when I worked with Faber and Faber as a book editor. 'So I always thought I was holding the cards – but I think Roger holds the cards now." Although Daltry founded the band in 1964 when the pair met at Ealing Art College, Townsend wrote the rock group's huge teenage anthems including My Generation, Substitute and I Can See For Miles. He admits his co-founder thinks he's pretentious when he says The Who was an art project for him as much as a pop band. 'What was difficult was the other three members didn't (feel that way),' says the father-of-three. 'If Roger and I were sitting together and I was doing an interview now about My Cultural Life, he would spend most of his time laughing.' While Townsend planned to be an artist, it was Daltry who asked him to join The Detours – which became The Who. 'Roger sees it as his band to this day – he started it. He had been expelled and came back and asked me to be in his band. 'And that's true, and I'm grateful, but for me, the beginning of my life as a musician and an artist was when I wrote the first song I Can't Explain.' While the band played pubs and weddings, Townsend kept his hobby a secret. 'I wasn't serious about being in a band,' he admits. 'Roger was lead guitarist – but he wasn't a particularly good player. I was gawky and had a big nose and just strummed. 'But we had a good looking lead singer who the girls liked and we became quite successful. ' The young, confused Townsend was so sure he didn't want to be in a band, he even forecast its demise. 'I wrote myself a manifesto – 'The Who are a band who are chopping away at their own legs'. Then one day I'm driving home in my mum's yellow van and heard my song, I Can't Explain, come on the radio, and I thought, 'My manifesto! I don't want to be in a rock band. No – this is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. But wow – people are listening to this'.' By now Daltry was lead vocalist and the line-up included drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle, and along with guitarist Townsend, released their 1969 rock opera album Tommy to huge critical and commercial acclaim. But a decade later, in true rock and roll style, Keith Moon died, aged 31, in 1978 from an accidental overdose of the prescription drug Hemineverin, prescribed to combat alcoholism. Then in 2002, bass player John Entwistle's dodgy ticker gave out after the 57-year-old took cocaine in a Las Vegas hotel room. 'The Who is a clumsy machine because we've been missing two members for a long time,' says Townsend. '(Roger and I) are very dependent on each other. We're getting old and we have different needs. 'But if Roger wanted to perform MY music, if I can put it as bluntly as this, I would be honoured. It's not about there being an argument between – we're just accepting our current situation. And he adds, 'We've never agreed on very much, but that's not to suggest there's a war on, because there isn't.' Age has finally mellowed the old enmity between him and Daltry, but Townsend says the abuse he suffered as a child created a dark side to his personality. He was officially cautioned for accessing a website containing images of child abuse in 1999, which he explained was for his autobiography. Born into a musical family right at the end of the war, Townsend first went out on the road with his musician parents aged just 13 months old. 'They were in very popular swing dance bands,' he recalls. 'My first memories are passing out beer bottles to band players on the tour bus. 'When The Who first started touring in the UK, I knew my way to all of the gigs because I'd done it so many times with my dad.' But his happy childhood came to a sudden end when his mother went on tour and sent him to live with his grandmother in Margate. 'Why my mother sent me to my grandmother who had abandoned her when she was seven, I don't know, but I left my friends and school behind in Acton,' he says sadly. 'It was just horrible and I don't remember a lot of it – I kind of black it out. She was nuts and abusive and cruel and surrounded by extremely pervy men all the time who interfered with me. It was a really shitty time and in the end somebody reported my grandmother for abusive behaviour. 'My parents saved me – they got back together and eventually I had two brothers,' he says about returning to his home in Acton, West London. 'As far as I was concerned, that was when my childhood began.' Despite his father being a musician, Townsend says he didn't encourage his son to join a band at school. 'My father didn't think I had any musicality,' he admits. 'My mum was very encouraging. When our band started, she lugged our kit around, helped us get gigs.' The rock legend has been open about his lifelong battle with depression and substance abuse, but he has been sober for 40 years now. 'I sometimes wonder if my parents knew I was damaged – I've done all of the things that people do who have fallen into addiction and bad behaviour,' he speculates. And explains how his 1965 hit My Generation was about him pushing back against his dad. 'I drew the line with My Generation,' he explains. 'Dad's music was his generation – love and romance after the war. We didn't have that reason for being – we needed to reinvent ourselves. Rock and roll was our generation. I was overthrowing my dad's big band generation.' The Who created some of the most powerful moments in rock and roll history especially when they performed at Woodstock in 1969 – and the hair-raising refrain of Tommy's Feel Me See Me Touch Me played out across the half a million festival goers as the sun rose in the sky. They went on to sell-out stadiums around the world, but Townsend felt that by the late 1970s, they'd begun to lose themselves. 'The band had turned into a prog rock outfit. I felt we have to reconnect with our roots – and I wrote Quadrophenia about the Marquee and Shepherd's Bush – where we'd grown up.' Again, Townsend's creative philosophy behind the 1979 rock concept album which tells the story of a young mod Jimmy set in 1965 was lost on his bandmates. 'The other guys didn't identify themselves with Jimmy at all. They didn't care about the manifesto that was buried in the middle of it.' It was the first album Townsend had total control over, but tensions between him and Daltry boiled over. 'It led to the only incident in which Roger and I have actually had a physical fight,' he admits. 'I'd been working all night on stage tapes and was late for rehearsal and we had an argument and I behaved badly and he knocked me out. 'But when I finished it, I thought, 'Wow, you know, they've let me do this'.' Like Tommy, Quadrophenia was adapted for film, and recently has been staged as a mod ballet. Townsend adds, 'Jimmy being vulnerable expressed the universality of what teen boys seem to go through. So it has new relevance.' The 80-year-old has as much creative energy today as he did 60 years ago, but he says it's time to do new things. 'I'm proud The Who have been able to create a form of music that lasted, and I'm not disowning my past, but I'm driven by the need to be creative. The idea that I could retire and go sailing and stop writing feels like a waste of time. 'I might have five, or 10 or 15 years if I'm really lucky at being able to work with music and art. Nothing is off the map now – I might even do some dancing when I get my other knee done!'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"I'm scared for my life and career at this point." Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy jokes he's worried about his job after spate of drummer firings
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy says he's worried about his future after seeing a spate of high-profile drummers lose their job recently. Josh Freese was let go by the Foo Fighters this month, The Who fired Zak Starkey a few weeks ago and Guns N' Roses parted with Frank Ferrer in March. Last year, Jason Bonham was replaced in Sammy Hagar's band. Reacting to those firings, Portnoy jokes that he is looking over his shoulder. As well as his role in Dream Theater, which he returned to in 2023, Portnoy works with a number of other groups and artists. He tells Office Hours Live With Tim Heidecker: "I think it's the Spinal Tap conspiracy. I think nobody is safe. Ringo's son was fired from The Who. John Bonham's son was fired from Sammy Hagar's band. "I mean, if the spawn of Ringo and Bonzo are not safe, nobody is safe." On Freese's shock departure from Foo Fighters, Portnoy says: "Frankly, it's shocking. I thought Josh was perfect. So, yeah, it's scary. It's scary times for drummers. "I'm scared for my life and career at this point. And I'm in, like, 15 bands, so I have 15 times the chance of getting fired right now. The odds are very much stacked against me right now." On Starkey's firing from The Who, which came weeks after he was fired then almost immediately rehired, Portnoy adds: "The whole thing with Zak Starkey started ... they did a show last month at the Royal Albert Hall. "They were doing The Song Is Over and Roger came into the second verse early and stopped the band, turned around and blamed it on his mix, that the drums were powering out his mix. "Now, mind you, Zak Starkey is on an electronic kit. They already downgraded it off of an acoustic kit. They have him playing an electronic kit, which is fully controllable in terms of volume through the sound guy. "So, if anything, he should have fired the monitor guy, not Zak." Dream Theater released Parasomnia, their first album with Portnoy for 15 years, in February.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"He made a few mistakes and has apologised', says Pete Townshend as Zak's back in The Who
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Just days after being unceremoniously dumped from The Who, Zak Starkey, the journeyman session drummer who's been playing with the band for 29 years, is back in the hot seat for the rock legends. That's the surprising word coming from Pete Townshend's camp, apparently overruling official word from The Who's management following an on-stage spat between Starkey and The Who's lead vocalist Roger Daltrey. In an Instagram post, Townshend wrote: 'News flash! Who back Zak! 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.' And on the official Who website Townshend continues, shedding more light on this latest Who fracas. '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,' Townshend writes. '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,' he continued. '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.' During the band's second appearance at the Royal Albert Hall on 30 March – seen as precursor try-outs for another (final?) yet-to-be-confirmed The Who world tour – Daltrey complained of on-stage sound problems and not being able to hear the band's final track properly due to Starkey's drumming. Gesturing to the sound crew throughout the night, Daltrey complained on mic during The Song Is Over that: 'To sing that song I 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.' While tensions were visible between the pair it was assumed that the blame that night would land squarely on the sound technicians at play that evening, however, days later a cryptic (read: barely legible) Instagram post from Starkey indicated that 'Toger Daktrey' wasn't happy with him, accusing him of 'overplaying' and that The Who were about to 'Zak the drummer'. The post has since been deleted. Sure enough, a thoroughly professional and carefully worded statement from the band was to follow next day, spelling out their thanks to Starkey for his service but making it plain that he wasn't welcome anymore. 'The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future." After which Starkey himself announced that he was 'surprised and saddened' by the band's decision. The situation took Who watchers by surprise, as Starkey had – up until this point – been seen as the ideal replacement for the dearly departed Keith Moon, offering up the kind of spirited performance, full of personality that befitted such an honourable posting. Speculation upon his being let go soon inevitably pointed towards Starkey being resurrected as Oasis' drummer for their upcoming summer 2025 reunion mega gigs, a role Starkey has filled before and which despite being rumoured to be filled by Joey Waronker has never been officially confirmed or endorsed by the band themselves. Also with Starkey out of The Who, not only were the band's rumoured world tour announcement placed in jeopardy, but also the band's ability to perform confirmed gigs in Italy, scheduled to take place on 20 and 22 July this year. With just weeks of prep to go, speculation had circled around the possibility of Daltrey's solo drummer Scott Devours who'd previously covered for Starkey during a tendon injury joining the band. Or similarly top session drummer, and Townshend band member, Simon Phillips stepping in. Now it seems that common sense has prevailed, simultaneously securing their fan's buy-in once more, placing that world tour announcement back in the frame and making the band's upcoming Italian gigs possible. Phew. Previously, apparent peace-maker Townshend had commented that he didn't always see eye to eye with Daltrey's choice of band members and it would appear that his calming influence (at least in this latest Who spat) is responsible for Starkey getting his job back. In 2024 Townshend revealed that it was Daltrey who was in charge of appointing the various members of The Who over the years and that Townshend 'wasn't 100% happy' with some of his choices. Meanwhile, in light of Starkey's recent spot in the limelight, a charity version of Children of the Revolution featuring an all-star line-up has been doing the rounds once more. Recorded in February this year the track features Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Elton John and Starkey's father, Ringo Starr and will be appearing on a yet-to-be-announced charity album. 'Ringo/Elton/Axl/Duff/Slash. C'mon amazing people – let's get this record out and [help] these teenagers who, as musicians, we rely on so much,' Starkey said on Instagram.
