Zak Starkey Explains the Misstep That Got Him Fired from The Who—”Roger Got It Wrong”
via The Beatles Rarities / YouTube
A Song Choice That Changed Everything
Zak Starkey recently shared details about his exit from The Who, a move that followed confusion during a live performance in March. The issue started when the band chose to play “The Song Is Over” from their Who’s Next album at the Royal Albert Hall. According to Starkey, he suggested adding the song as a special moment for the audience.
The track hadn’t been part of their usual setlist, and the band had little rehearsal time. To shorten the song, Roger Daltrey removed part of it. But during the second night’s show, things didn’t go smoothly. “Roger [came] in a bar too early,” Starkey said. “I got it right and Roger got it wrong.” Despite this, it was Starkey who faced the consequences.
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Fired Over a Missed Cue
Starkey said that after the show, the band’s manager Bill Curbishley called him. “He says, ‘It’s my unfortunate duty to inform you… that you won’t be needed from now on. Roger says you dropped some beats,’” Starkey recalled. After reviewing the footage himself, he said, “I watched the show and I can’t find any dropped beats.”
Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist, was not the one who initiated the decision. Starkey said Townshend had dealt with disagreements with Daltrey for decades and ended up supporting the call. “Pete’s had 60 years of arguing with Roger,” Starkey added. Townshend later asked Starkey if he wanted to fight to stay in the band. At first, he said no, but later changed his mind.
Not Leaving Willingly
Despite his attempt to come back, Starkey said the effort didn’t go far. “Two weeks later it was like, ‘Roger says he can’t work with you no more,’” he said. They also asked him to issue a statement saying he was leaving for other projects. But Starkey refused. “I wasn’t leaving [of my own volition],” he explained.
Starkey, who had been drumming with The Who for nearly 30 years, also shared that his passion has shifted. “I’ve fallen out of love with drumming,” he admitted. “Have you seen what a guitar looks like? It’s like a woman. A drum looks like a pot of biscuits.”
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Moving Forward, with Humor
Although no longer with The Who, Starkey hasn’t stopped dreaming big. He joked that he offered to play for Bob Dylan. “Because he’s the only person that’s anywhere near Pete lyrically,” he said. Did Dylan reply? “Course not, it’s Bob Dylan innit?”
