The Who, Zak Starkey speaks: “Surprised and saddened” after being hunted by the group

Zak Starkey spoke. Or rather, he has released a press release in which he faces the dismissal from the Who. Which is confirmed after yesterday's rumors and really would have to do with the drummer's performance at the Royal Albert Hall, in one or in both concerts that the band held to collect as usual funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Son of Ringo Starr, Starkey is the drummer who played longer with the WHOs throughout their history, having started in 1996.

“I am proud of the almost 30 years spent with the Who,” writes Starkey. «Replacing my godfather,” uncle “Keith, was a great honor and still remain the number one fan of the band. They represented a family for me. In January I had to face a serious problem due to blood clots in the right calf, but is completely healed and does not affect my way of playing the battery or running ».

«I am surprised and saddened by the fact that, after playing those songs with the band for many decades, someone has had problems with my one evening performance, but what can I do? Now I will spend more time with the family and prepare for the publication of Domino Bones Of the Mantra of the Cosmos with Noel Gallagher in May and I will finish the autobiography I am writing alone. Twenty -nine years are not few, in any job. I wish them the best ».

A real tour of the WHOs is not currently scheduled, but two concerts in Italy, on 20 July at the Euganeo stadium in Padua and on July 22 at the San Siro Hippodrome in Milan. Townshend and Daltrey have not announced the name of the drummer who will replace Starkey. It could be Scott Devours, which has been part of Daltrey solo band since 2009 and who has already temporarily replaced Starkey in 2013, when the latter had a tendonitis.

Another candidate is Simon Phillips who has already played with the band on the 1989 Reunion tour and has collaborated with solo Townshend. Just the guitarist in an interview granted last year to the monthly Mojo He explained that he left Daltrey to choose the musicians and that he was not 100% satisfied. “I would take Simon Phillips on drums,” he said, in addition to Pino Palodino on bass and John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboards. “The problem is that they are all very, much better musicians than me.”