Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996 and spent nearly three decades as their touring drummer. His position in the group was suddenly called into question after the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March last year. During a performance of The Song Is Over, Daltrey stopped the show to complain that he could not hear the pitch because of the drums. In the aftermath, reports said Starkey had been sacked following an acrimonious row.
A saga with several twists
Starkey later said he was “surprised and saddened” by the decision, insisting there had been no problem with his performance. A few days later, Pete Townshend said Starkey “wasn’t asked to step down.” But in May, The Who finally confirmed the drummer’s departure, saying “the time had come to move on.”
Starkey then disputed the official version, saying he had been asked to “lie” by claiming he had left the band of his own accord to pursue other projects. “I love The Who and would never have quit the band,” he wrote at the time.
Rehearsals revive hopes
Last month, Starkey appeared to be back alongside The Who, with both sides confirming that they had rehearsed together. Asked about the renewed collaboration, Roger Daltrey struck a tone that was both enthusiastic and cautious. Speaking to LifeMinute, he said of the drummer: “He isn’t Keith Moon, but he got as near as dammit.”
On the question of whether the pair could be heading for a full reunion, the singer replied: “I don’t know. We had a rehearsal recently, and Zak was on drums. We love Zak, but sometimes the road isn’t right for him. Sometimes it gets too much, and it becomes complicated.”
Roger Daltrey clarified the purpose of the recent meeting, saying: “He was drumming at the rehearsal, and we organised it to see if maybe we could do some gigs next year. The notes are always there, the energy is there. The music of The Who demands phenomenal energy, and without it, we’d be Herman’s Hermits without Herman.”
Drummer still in contact with former bandmates
In an interview in June last year, Starkey said he remained in regular touch with his former bandmates, while admitting he was not entirely sure where matters stood. “I still speak to Roger every week on the phone. I text Pete all the time,” he said. “A few weeks ago, Roger said to me: ‘Don’t take your drums out of the warehouse yet, just in case we need you.’ But what the hell is going on? That’s where we’re at.”
Separately, in May, Roger Daltrey said The Who had been “the first heavy metal band,” arguing that the group had helped pave the way for the genre in the 1960s.