Latest news with #ScottDevours
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Who Launch Post-Zak Starkey Era at ‘Song Is Over' Tour Launch
The Who kicked off their Song Is Over farewell tour Sunday night at the Anfiteatro Camerini in Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy. It was their first gig since firing longtime drummer Zak Starkey and replacing him with Scott Devours, their first regular tour show without an orchestra since 2017, and the official unveiling of new background singer John Hogg after giving him a test run earlier this year at the Royal Albert Hall. The setlist stuck largely to the standards, but they did break out the Who's Next deep cut 'Love Ain't For Keepin'.' Prior to the Royal Albert Hall gigs in March, they hadn't touched it since 2004. Also noteworthy was the inclusion of 'I've Had Enough' in a segment of Quadrophenia songs that also included 'The Real Me,' '5:15,' and 'Love, Reign O'er Me.' It was essentially the first time they've ever done 'I've Had Enough' outside of complete performances of Quadrophenia. More from Rolling Stone Pete Townshend on the Who's Split With Zak Starkey: 'It's Been a Mess' Zak Starkey on Being Fired, Rehired, and Fired Again by the Who: 'These Guys are F-ckin' Insane' Roger Daltrey Receives Knighthood for Contributions to Music and Charity: 'It's a Wonderful Honor' We say 'essentially' because there was a lone 'I've Had Enough' at the launch of the original Quadrophenia tour on October 28, 1973, at Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It's a show that looms large in Who lore since they attempted to play practically all of Quadrophenia that night, leaving out the title track and 'Cut My Hair.' They cut 'The Dirty Jobs,' 'Is It In My Head,' and 'I've Had Enough' by the second show so they'd have more time to devote to older material. When the tour hit Newcastle, England, a week later, the primitive analog tape machine the band used to play the complex Quadrophenia songs malfunctioned. A frustrated Pete Townshend had a meltdown in response, tossing sound man Bobby Pridden to the side and lunging at the board. 'Townshend began pulling at the sound board, yanking out wires, demolishing many of the prerecorded tapes it had taken so many weeks' work to piece together,' Dave Marsh wrote in his 1983 book Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who. 'The rest of the band watched in a daze.' (The Who wouldn't devote a substantial amount of their show to new material again until the start of the Endless Wire tour in 2006.) It's significantly easier for the Who to play complex songs like 'Love, Reign O'er Me' these days since they've added a keyboardist to their live band along with several other musicians. On this new tour, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are joined by Devours, Hogg, guitarist Simon Townshend, bassist Jon Button, and keyboardist Loren Gold. In a new interview with Pollstar, Daltrey said this was a 'back to basics' tour after all the recent outings with orchestras. 'We are trying to just make it more like what we were in the '70s, make it raw,' he said. 'Let me explain something: the problem with modern rock concerts is that, in some way or the other, people expect too much in a visual way, which involves screens and lights and all that stuff. And to keep all that stuff on the same page as the music and what the band's putting out, you have to have a set list.' 'I fucking hate set lists!' he continued. 'I hate them because, to me, the next song should follow the energy of what you've created to the previous one. And you don't know that until you go out there doing it. In the old days, before we had screens, we used to mix the sound from the front of the stage and the lights from the front of the stage, we used to just do it all on the stage. You could make the set list up as you went along, and that was fabulous. It was freedom. But now, of course, it's impossible, because you've got to work with a team. It's like a military operation.' It's a military operation led by two men in their early eighties. And on opening night in Italy, Daltrey sang 'See Me, Feel Me 'while kneeling down since he was suffering from leg cramps. 'The Song is Over' was listed as the final song, which makes sense considering that's the name of the tour, but it was cut, quite possibly due to Daltrey's leg cramps. The tour continues Tuesday night at the Parco della Musica di Milano in Segrate, Italy. The U.S. leg begins August 16 in Sunrise, Florida. It wraps up September 28 in Las Vegas, but more shows will likely be added before they wrap this thing up. The Who's setlist at Anfiteatro Camerini in Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy: 'I Can't Explain''Substitute''Who Are You''Love Ain't for Keepin'''Bargain''The Seeker''Pinball Wizard''Behind Blue Eyes''The Real Me''5:15''I'm One''I've Had Enough''Love, Reign O'er Me''Eminence Front''My Generation''Cry If You Want' (Snippet)'See Me, Feel Me''You Better You Bet''Baba O'Riley''Won't Get Fooled Again' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Who fires Ringo Starr's drummer son Zak Starkey for the second time in 1 month: ‘Madness'
Déjà vu. The Who fired drummer Zak Starkey for the second time ahead of an upcoming farewell tour. Starkey, 59, was previously let go from the band and then re-hired just days later in April. Guitarist and co-founder Pete Townshend shared the news of Starkey's latest firing on Instagram Sunday. 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' Townshend, 80, wrote. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' Townshend also announced that drummer Scott Devours will replace Starkey on the Song Is Over North American Farewell tour that starts in August. Starkey shared his own statement about his firing and disputed Townshend's reasons for his exit. '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. 'Not true. I love The Who and would never have quit and let down so many amazing people who stood up for me through this madness.' Starkey added that there were 'weeks of mayhem of me going 'in and out and in and out' … like a bleeding squeezebox.' He went on to clarify that while he does have 'other projects' that he's working on, none of them have 'ever interfered' with his gig with The Who. 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who — i didn't,' he reiterated. 'I love The Who and everyone in it.' Starkey was fired from The Who last month following his performance during the group's two charity shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall in late March. Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey were allegedly 'upset' with Starkey over the gigs. 'The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,' the spokesperson for The Who told the Sun. 'They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.' Starkey spoke out about his blindsided departure, revealing that he 'suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf' in January. 'After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I'm surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?' he added. But days later, The Who said Starkey was back in the band. 'He's not being asked to step down from The Who. There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,' Townshend wrote on Instagram. Townshend also acknowledged that the news of Starkey's initial departure 'blew up very quickly' but insisted the band was moving forward 'with optimism and fire in our bellies.' Starkey, the son of The Beatles' Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zak Starkey Says He Turned Down Oasis Reunion Shows Before Being Fired by The Who
Zak Starkey has added another chapter to his ongoing saga with The Who, claiming that his firing occurred after turning down the opportunity to tour with a reformed Oasis. For those having trouble keeping up with the current state of Starkey's drumming gigs, trouble first began in April when a spokesman for The Who claimed that 'the band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,' referring to a pair of gigs the month prior. More from Billboard Don Was Remembers Brian Wilson's 'Mystical' Genius: 'He Explored Creative Territory Where No Musicians Had Gone Before' How LadyLand, the Scrappy Festival That Could, Is Shaping Queer Culture & Live Music In NYC Shooter Jennings Reveals Three Albums of Unreleased Waylon Jennings Songs Are On the Way Starkey later issued a statement noting he was 'surprised and saddened' by the news, though guitarist Pete Townshend later claimed Starkey was back in the band following the resolution of 'communication issues.' In May, however, Townshend seemingly walked back this announcement, taking to social media to announce, 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' and welcomed Scott Devours to the lineup for their final shows. In an attempt to clarify the situation, Starkey claimed just a week later that he hadn't been 'fired' from the band, but rather ''retired' to work [on] my own projects.' Now in a new interview with The Telegraph, Starkey has provided some further insight into the circumstances that led to his leaving The Who. 'What happened was I got it right and Roger got it wrong,' Starkey explained. According to a report from The Who's Royal Albert Hall shows, newly knighted vocalist Roger Daltrey had stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. Per Starkey's recollection, the group played the rarely-performed 'The Song is Over,' and a lack of rehearsal meant that Daltrey 'came in a bar early.' The result was a call from band manager Bill Curbishley who shared the bad news with Starkey. 'He says, 'It's my unfortunate duty to inform you',' Starkey remembers. ''That you won't be needed from now on. Roger says you dropped some beats.'' Forced to admit he had indeed dropped some beats, Starkey says he was welcomed back to the group, only for the announcement of his retirement to be made soon after. 'I don't blame anyone. I blame The Who because they're unpredictable, aggressive and f–ing insane,' Starkey explains. However, the drummer also revealed that a major issue surrounding his axing relates to a role behind the kit with Oasis. Despite having been a member of The Who since 1996, he also served as a touring drummer for Oasis between 2004 and 2008. Per his latest interview, Starkey claims that he had in fact turned down the position of drumming for the reunited Manchester group due to his commitments with The Who. Instead, Starkey's position in Oasis will be filled by the prolific Joey Waronker. 'He's the best and we're lucky to have him,' Liam Gallagher recently said of Waronker's addition. 'I've enjoyed all our drummers but this guy is special.' Despite Starkey's other focus being Mantra of the Cosmos (a supergroup of sorts featuring members of Happy Mondays and Oasis' Andy Bell), its members' touring commitments means he's likely being left with a clear schedule in 2025. However, Starkey did close by noting he'd recently spoken to Daltrey, who reportedly told him, ''Don't take your drums out of [The Who's] warehouse yet in case we need you.'' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Zak Starkey looks downcast as he's seen for the first time since being sacked as drummer of The Who AGAIN
Zak Starkey looked downcast as he was seen for first time since being sacked as drummer for The Who for the second time. The son of Ringo Starr, 59, was fired from the band last week, just one month after he was sacked then quickly reinstated. He looked unhappy as he strolled through Manchester BBC Breakfast Studios in Manchester after the news broke, sporting a black parka jacket and tartan trousers. Guitarist Pete Townshend took to Instagram last week to announce that Zak, the Who's drummer since 1996, was no longer part of the band. But Zak quickly took to his own social media to claim that his departure was not a mutual decision and that he was fired from the band. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Zak's sacking comes just months ahead of the legendary bands farewell tour across North America and Pete revealed Scott Devours will replace him on drums. The statement from Pete read: 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' In a second post, Pete and Roger Daltrey added: 'The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20yrs younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects. 'He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world. 'Scott Devours – Who fans will know him from Roger's solo shows – will be replacing Zak. We hope all our fans will welcome him. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey'. Resharing The Who's post, Zak hit back: 'I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endevours this would be a lie. 'I love the who and would never had quit. So I didn't make the statement ….quitting The Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going 'in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox x. 'To clarify "other projects" yes I do have other projects and always have. The Who have been sporadic or minimalist in touring most years apart from a two extensive tours in 2000 and 2006/7.' Zak continued to list his other previous projects before adding: 'Releasing singles but not touring cos members are so busy. None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them. 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- I didn't. I love the who and everyone in it.' But on Monday, Zak again took to his Instagram account to share that his version of events had been contradicted yet again after a phonecall with The Who singer-guitarist Roger. Zak said Roger told him he hadn't actually been fired and instead 'retired to work on his own projects'. He wrote: 'NOISE&CONFUSION!!!! I had a great phone chat with Roger at the end of last week which truly confused both of us!!! 'Rog said I hadn't been 'fired'…I had been 'retired' to work n my own projects. I explained to Rog that I have just spent nearly 8 weeks at my studio in Jamaica completing these projects, that my group Mantra Of The Cosmos was releasing one single at the beginning of June and after that had run its course ( usually 5/6 weeks ) I was completely available for the foreseeable future…. Zak's sacking comes just months ahead of the legendary bands farewell tour across North America and Pete revealed Scott Devours will replace him on drums 'Rog said "Oh!" and we kind of left it there- On good terms and great friends as we have always been. 'Gotta love these guys. As my mum used to say "The mind boggles!!!" XXX.' It comes weeks after The Who shared the shock news that they will be retiring from touring after 60 years, following a final run of shows in the US later this year.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Rock Band's New Drummer Makes Powerful Statement
The Who's new drummer Scott Devours has issued a statement on Instagram following the news of his new role, and he's paying tribute to the legendary band's history int he process. Devours, who was previously Roger Daltrey's solo band drummer, was named The Who's new drummer after Zak Starkey's firing. Devours did not take his new role lightly. 'It's hard to express the tsunami of emotions that I'm processing since that incredible news,' he wrote. 'The amount of positivity thrown my way has been overwhelming, I truly thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Also, please don't ask me for tickets, lol.' In his post, Devours acknowledged that fans might feel "gutted" by Starkey's departure, admitting that, as a devoted fan himself, he's also grappling with the loss and feeling the weight of it. 'In my world, there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger,' Devours wrote. 'The weight of this responsibility is enormous and I am feeling every ounce of it. What I want to say to all of the fans is that I will do everything I can to honor the legacy of The Who, Zak, Kenney Jones, Simon Phillips and the memory of the great Keith Moon. For my name to even be mentioned in a sentence like that literally sends shivers down my spine and I know I need to earn this honor. Since this is the last time Pete and Roger will be touring the US, playing the greatest songs ever written, I will be giving them every second of my time, every beat of my heart, and every drop of my sweat and blood. This is my ultimate goal.' In the meantime, Starkey is speaking out on his firing from the band. In a lengthly Instagram post. Starkey expalined he was fired from The Who two weeks after being reinstated. Starkey said he was asked to make a statement explaining his departure was due to other musical endeavors. 'I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endevours this would be a lie,' Starkey wrote. 'I love the Who and would never had quit. So I didn't make the statement ….quitting the Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going 'in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox.' Despite his firing, Starkey expressed fondness for his former band members. Legendary Rock Band's New Drummer Makes Powerful Statement first appeared on Men's Journal on May 22, 2025
