Posted on 08/03/2025 5:37:47 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Roger Daltrey has accused Zak Starkey of character assassination, declaring that the fuss over the Who drummer's recent dismissal was "incredibly upsetting."
Starkey served in the band for 29 years before he was fired in April after an onstage incident during the band's performance at Royal Albert Hall.
Daltrey is said to have complained about Starkey overplaying during the show, telling the crowd: “To sing that song I do 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.”
Less than a week later, the group rehired Starkey. "He's not being asked to step down from the Who," guitarist Pete Townshend explained. "There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily."
A month later, Starkey was out again, this time insisting that he had been asked to lie about his dismissal. “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,” he wrote. “This would be a lie. I love the Who and would never had [sic] quit."
In a new interview with the Times, Daltrey gave his side of the Royal Albert Hall story and everything that has happened since. “[The sound] is controlled by a guy on the side, and we had so much sub-bass on the sound of the drums that I couldn’t pitch. I was pointing to the bass drum and screaming at [Starkey] because it was like flying a plane without seeing the horizon. So when Zak thought I was having a go at him, I wasn’t. That’s all that happened."
“It was kind of a character assassination and it was incredibly upsetting,” he added of the ensuing fallout. "Pete and I retain the right to be The Who. Everyone else is a session player.”
The Who launched their The Song is Over farewell tour last month in Italy, with Scott Devours taking over for Starkey on drums. The tour hits the United States on Aug. 16 in Sunrise, Florida and is currently scheduled to conclude on Sept. 28 in Las Vegas.
If (if) the drums are too high in the mix, that's on the sound guy, not the drummer.
"Character Assassination" means he looks like a jerk, but not because of what his former drummer said.
Ay Freepers go see these people yell at clouds?
Stupid hippies.
like a playground fight. Put it away, Rog.
Imagine if Keith Moon was still playing the drums. I know Pete got really tired of playing with Moon in the final years of Keith’s life.
At least Zak doesn’t try to park in the swimming pool.
If they come anywhere near Sacramento, I’ll go see them.
That's assuming the drummer is wearing earbuds. If he's not, and is pounding away, the physical drum sound could be too loud.
Professionals - Waiting for a Friend - Roger Daltry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9VVRC4eR4o
Daltry is the front man, the Star, if you will.
If he or Townsend are not comfortable with the drummer, then the drummer needs to be replaced. Simple as that. It matters not “WHO” the drummer’s father is. So what? Remaining in a world class legacy band like that is not a matter of treating hurt feelings of any supporting band member.
Ringo is not The Pope, or anyone who should be seen as omniscient or all knowing. If you really want to know, he never actually contributed musically to The Beatles either. Ringo was well liked by the other three, so he stayed. On this issue, he’s acting like your typical Soccer Dad, who becomes “outraged” when his son is removed from a pivotal position because the results are judged as less than satisfactory by someone with the power to decide. Strictly business. Nothing personal. Bye, Bye, Nepo.
Agreed. Daltrey is losing his shit and Townsend is past his expiration date for live playing.
They should do what the Beatles did in the 1960s snd just become a studio band for their remaining years.
He was their drummer for 29 years. He just started playing too loud one day? Also, Daltrey actually mentions the sound guy.
Got lost looking for my car parked somewhere on the streets of downtown Seattle because half the Kingdome parking lot was full of people who camped out all day waiting for the gates to open.
I still don't know how I found my car or my way home to Tacoma some 30 miles away.
Good times. I think.
This time I'll take an Uber.
Every band, regardless of how good they are, has at most a 7-year window before they turn into a parody of themselves.
The Beatles, lasted exactly 7 years in the spotlight. They broke up at the right time.
The Who’s period was from 1965 through Quadrophenia.
The Stones period was up to Exile On Main Street.
Roger Snowflake.
And, I’m sorry ... but a 29 year band mate drummer is nothing more than a session musician??
This guy needs to sit down.
Roger needs to stop being such an old lady. Wrap up the farewell tour and be done with it. Grace Slick was right.
Well at least he didn’t uppercut Zak, like he did Pete during the recording of Quadrophenia.
I'll give the Stones up to Tattoo You. That was their last good studio album, and mostly because it came out on the heels of two lousy studio albums preceding it where the Stones thought to try their hands at disco.
They haven't recorded anything worth a damn since. Keith Richards barely remembers how to even play their songs on the guitar (and it's been this way for the past 30+ years).
Zak Starkey likely didn't just start playing too loud one day after 29 years. Instead, the drums might not have been miked properly at that show.
I've seen too many bands end themselves by not reigning in the drummer by putting him on earbuds or earmuffs and increasing the signal to them if he got too loud. Without that control, the guitarist and bassist increase their volume, and since the singer's microphone input can't be opened up without initiating a feedback loop, the singer ends up screaming.
"Cookie Monster Music" might sell to death metal audiences but regular singers don't last long if they're screaming into a microphone.
Jimmy actually did play on the Stones “One Hit To The Body”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.