The performance that got Zak Starkey fired from The Who after 29 years

[kwf]

Roger is past his shelf life. Pack it in old timer

[Hatchets Molly]

Never cared much for The Who except for Tommy, so couldn't watch the whole video. I bounced after seeing the frontman (yes, I know who he is) with a coffee cup and cool hand towel around his neck. JFC. Daltrey is effing 81. Take it easy, dude.

[Anthrax442]

Such a bitch move on Daltrey's part. Zak clearly will be fine.

They should have retired 40 years ago when they said they were gonna.

[NineteenEightyFour]

Obviously "having a mood". The guy played with Keith Moon, one of the wildest drummers in rock.

[FreddyFender]

One of the most un-rock and roll things in the history of the movement.

Perfect example of living long enough to see yourself become the villain.

[GoodJudge]

Such a bitch move on Daltrey's part. Zak clearly will be fine.

They should have retired 40 years ago when they said they were gonna.

So are you saying the band should have died before they got old?

[ALMOSTsaved]

Someone needs to tell Roger that if it's too loud, you're too old.

[NineteenEightyFour]

Someone needs to tell Roger that if it's too loud, you're too old.

He hoped he died before he got there, but that didn't play out.

[Anthrax442]

Such a bitch move on Daltrey's part. Zak clearly will be fine.

They should have retired 40 years ago when they said they were gonna.

So are you saying the band should have died before they got old?

Niceeeeee.

[aznsquirt]

This is just so odd.

I can see throwing a mini-tantrum at the drummer in the moment, but to ultimately blame him for what's a monitor/stage set up/lack of soundcheck/you're old and deaf issue is silly.

Also, that would've been a perfect song to do an impromptu piano/guitar/vocals-only rendition of.

Get through it, buy a drum shield, and move on.

Of course that screams "deeper issue/straw that broke the camels back", but who knows.

[El Vampiro Blanco]

This is just so odd.

I can see throwing a mini-tantrum at the drummer in the moment, but to ultimately blame him for what's a monitor/stage set up/lack of soundcheck/you're old and deaf issue is silly.

Also, that would've been a perfect song to do an impromptu piano/guitar/vocals-only rendition of.

Get through it, buy a drum shield, and move on.

Of course that screams "deeper issue/straw that broke the camels back", but who knows.

What would a drum shield help?
It's an electronic kit, it makes no sound.
Any sound from the drums comes from the mixing desk in Roger's in ear monitors. If it was too loud, that is on the sound engineer.
Apparently Pete does not use in ears, but monitors.
If those were too loud, then again, not zakks fault, but either Pete's, since he is half deaf and needs more volume to hear the monitor or, again, the sound engineer pumping too much volume.

[aznsquirt]

It's an electronic kit

Hahahaha, thanks for pointing that out, I didn't catch that. That makes it that much funnier and more ridiculous.

[ParaDime77]

Starkly is visually cueing someone on the side stage to turn him up at the beginning of the clip. Dide the sound engineer screw this whole thing up or was Starkey set up to be the fall guy during a live performance with a bunch of deaf guys who should’ve retired 25 years ago?

[AlexVonHaig]

Are we forgetting that if Zak murdered someone during this show he would be less of a criminal that the lead guitar player

[Hatchets Molly]

Rehired.
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/zak ... 236373201/

[DangerZone]

Are we forgetting that if Zak murdered someone during this show he would be less of a criminal that the lead guitar player

To what are you referring?

[TheDeadBastard]

Are we forgetting that if Zak murdered someone during this show he would be less of a criminal that the lead guitar player

To what are you referring?

Pete’s “research”.

[HueyRamone]

One of the most un-rock and roll things in the history of the movement.

Perfect example of living long enough to see yourself become the villain.

An even more un rock and roll thing is Roger singing like ass, fucking up, quitting the song like a bitch, whining about the not-at-fault drummer......and the audience cheers him!!

Fuck, there's not anything they wont swallow and clamor for more.

[DangerZone]

Are we forgetting that if Zak murdered someone during this show he would be less of a criminal that the lead guitar player

To what are you referring?

Pete’s “research”.

I thought he said he was writing a book report

[cowpins]

Is that an electronic kit that looks like a real kit? And the way he stops and talks to Pete totally screams that he didn't want Ringo's kid in the first place.

[El Vampiro Blanco]

Is that an electronic kit that looks like a real kit? And the way he stops and talks to Pete totally screams that he didn't want Ringo's kid in the first place.

Yeah, the kit looks like a real kit just for optics.
One of their techs did a blog on the rehearsals and even there Roger was complaining about the drums.
The tech said it made no sense since it was an electronic kit and made no sound.
They finally figured out it was because Pete does not want to use in ears monitors and had a monitor wedge for drums and one for guitars.
The monitor with the drums was what was bothering Daltrey. The tech says they fixed it in rehearsal by pointing the monitor in a different direction.
My guess is this fell apart during the actual show since Pete is half deaf and likely had his monitor wedge with the drums turned up and pointed different again.
In any case, that is an electronic drumkit and the kit itself makes no more sound than someone tapping on the couch....

Here ya go:

Pete is the only one who doesn’t use the in-ear monitors; he uses the “wedges” slanted speaker boxes that sit onstage. I may have told you about his setup, which IS unique to him, and quite brilliant. He stands in the middle of a box of four wedge monitors. In the two speakers in front of him, he hears his and the band’s vocals, plus his own acoustic guitar signal. Behind him on the left, is the playback of the tracks like ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ – his own synth/organ tapes from countless Who shows. And in the rear/right monitor speaker (between himself and the drums) he has the sound of the drums and bass, so when he’s looking at Zak, he hears the drums from that same direction. During rehearsals this weekend, Roger kept hearing “too much drums” despite the lack of any REAL drums onstage (Zak’s pads are rubber/plastic and don’t really make much noise.) Eventually it was determined that Rog was hearing too much of Pete’s rear/right wedge, which is somewhat near him. But Pete needs the drums/bass to drive him, always. We did a lot of moving things and baffles so the drum speaker can still be loud enough for Pete, but it blocks any sound of that speaker from Roger, who has his own drum mix. These are significant changes that won’t be noticible by anyone watching the show, but it may make a huge difference in the feeling and outcome for the musicians onstage. This is why we rehearse!

[Wiseacre]

Aaaaaaaaaaaand…Zak is back.

[Venus Flytrap]

First, Zak should have told them to fuck off when they asked him back. Second ,ok if he says "I'll come back," fine. That statement from Pete wouldn't cut it for me with that all sides were at fault bullshit. I'd want a public apology from Roger.

[FOON]

In three days Zak Starkey rose again, in fulfillment of the scriptures.

[Anthrax442]

First, Zak should have told them to fuck off when they asked him back. Second ,ok if he says "I'll come back," fine. That statement from Pete wouldn't cut it for me with that all sides were at fault bullshit. I'd want a public apology from Roger.

This. What a clownshow for a band that's been around for sixty years, you'd think they'd know how to make a proper public statement.

The fact that Pete made it and not Roger is ridiculous, and still seems to point blame at Zak.

[Ozzy Stradlin]

First, Zak should have told them to fuck off when they asked him back. Second ,ok if he says "I'll come back," fine. That statement from Pete wouldn't cut it for me with that all sides were at fault bullshit. I'd want a public apology from Roger.

He’s likely getting compensated enough to be less concerned about the rest of it, and his price probably just went up.

[ijwthstd]

The band has 2 scheduled shows and considering how little prep went into the 2 Royal Albert Hall shows I doubt Pete wants to go thru the work of breaking in and getting used to playing with a new drummer. Basically Roger proposes the gigs and Pete decides if he is going to play then shows up and plays. If he says no then it's a Roger solo tour. Roger has had complete creative control of all things The Who going back about 15-20 years.

[exitflagger]

Is he in the band or out?

Last I heard was OUT but a few minutes have passed and paw paw might've woke in a new world today.

[WentEast]

Roger apparently never wanted Kenny Jones in the band either. I for one liked Kenny’s drumming live on the old songs.

[Anthrax442]

Is he in the band or out?

Last I heard was OUT but a few minutes have passed and paw paw might've woke in a new world today.

Zak said he was out. Said that they wanted him to basically lie about what happened, and he wasn't having it, and that he was happy with the fact that he'd played with them for 29 years.

I think he sees the writing on the wall that this last tour is going to be a shit show, and it's not worth the trouble to put up with those guys.