“The time has come for a change”

The Who’s Pete Townshend has confirmed that drummer Zak Starkey is not within the band, saying “the time has come for a change”.

It comes simply weeks after a sequence of contradictory stories emerged about Starkey’s standing with the legendary rock band – the drummer appeared to publicly verify in April that he had been let go, just for Townshend to later deny it.

Now, although, forward of their farewell North American tour later this 12 months, it could appear that the ultimate choice has been made that Starkey and the band have parted methods for good.

In a put up on Instagram on Sunday (Might 18), the guitarist wrote: “After a few years of nice work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has plenty of new tasks in hand and I want him the perfect.”

Townshend went on to say: “Scott Devours, who has labored with Roger’s solo band, will be a part of The Who for our closing reveals. Please welcome him.”

Starkey – who's the son of Ringo Starr – had been the full-time sticksman for The Who since 1996, however after a sequence of reveals on the Royal Albert Corridor for the Teenage Most cancers Belief earlier this 12 months, frictions between him and the remainder of the band appeared to emerge.

Townshend addressed the rumours in an April put up, saying there had been “some communication points, private and personal on all sides, that wanted to be handled”, however did say on the time that they'd been “aired fortunately”.

Referring to the 4 Royal Albert Corridor reveals in March, he added that he and frontman Roger Daltrey had knowledgeable Starkey that they needed him to “tighten up his newest advanced drumming fashion to accommodate our non-orchestral line-up”, which he stated on the time the drummer had “readily agreed” to do.

He additionally famous that he felt Starkey “made a few errors” through the reveals, for which he had apologised. “It’s over. We transfer ahead now with optimism and hearth in our bellies.”

After the preliminary stories emerged of his departure from the band in April, Starkey stated he was “stunned and saddened” by the information, including he was “very happy with my thirty years with The Who” and that filling the sneakers of Keith Moon had been “the most important honour”.

The Who introduced their ‘The Track Is Over North America Farewell Tour’ earlier this month, consisting of 16 reveals throughout the continent in August and September. See the complete record of dates right here and discover any remaining tickets here.

Starkey suffered a blood clot in his leg earlier this 12 months, main his supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos – additionally together with Joyful Mondays’ Shaun Ryder and Bez in addition to Oasis’ Andy Bell – to must cancel a secret gig in Soho. He has since stated he's “fully healed” and the well being scare “doesn't have an effect on my drumming”.

Again in August 2024, Townshend stated that though he doesn’t “know what’s gonna occur with The Who”, he hoped that he and Daltrey “can discover some widespread floor and discover some method to work once more”.

Earlier than then, he instructed NME that he was “fairly positive” there can be extra Who reveals, though hopes of an album had been slim. “The story of the tip of The Who's gonna be when both Roger or I drop lifeless or can’t perform anymore on the stage,” he stated. “If there was a necessity or a spot for a Who album, may I write the songs for it inside six weeks? In fact I fucking may, it’s a bit of cake… The issue is I don’t suppose Roger needs to do it once more. For me it could be a pleasure as a result of I like writing songs.”