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Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Legendary Brit rock band fire drummer for second time in a month as he issues savage statement
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE WHO drummer Zak Starkey has hit out at the band after being sacked for the second time in just four weeks. Starkey, 59 - son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr - denied it was his decision to leave the band ahead of their farewell tour across North America later this year. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 English drummer Zak Starkey has been fired from The Who Credit: AFP 5 Pete Townshend confirmed Starkey's axe for the second time in four weeks Credit: Getty 5 Roger Daltrey slammed Starkey on stage at the Royal Albert Hall Credit: Redferns His axe was confirmed by Pete Townshend, who posted a photo online with the caption: 'After many years of great work on drums from Starkey, the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' He also revealed Scott Devours, who plays with Roger Daltrey's solo band, will take over behind the kit, adding: 'Please welcome him.' But Starkey quickly shut down any suggestion he walked away - reposting Townshend's image with his own furious message scrawled across it. 'This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never have quit,' he wrote. READ MORE ON BANDS DRUMMER DUMPED Huge rock band fires drummer as devastated musician breaks silence on axe He thanked fans who backed him through the 'weeks of mayhem' after being previously axed, then briefly reinstated before getting the boot again this week. 'Quitting The Who would let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more),' he said. Hitting out at Townshend's claim he had other things going on, Zak said: "To clarify 'other projects'… yes I do have other projects and always have - Johnny Marr, The Lightning Seeds and more. '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.' Zak has played with the band since the mid-90s and was widely seen as their unofficial third member. The Who's Roger Daltrey performs Pinball Wizard during Tommy Live at The Royal Albert Hall He was fired from The Who in April following a clash over their Royal Albert Hall gig in March. The Sun exclusively revealed Daltrey, 81, complained live on stage he couldn't hear the key of their final track, The Song Is Over, over the sound of Starkey's drumming. He told 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.' Tensions erupted and Starkey publicly braded Roger "Toger Daktrey" and said the the singer was "bringing formal charges of over playing" against him. He was fired but three days later reinstated, with Townshend releasing a statement. He said: 'There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.' On Friday, another drummer spoke out about being axed from a world famous band. Foo Fighters sensationally sacked Josh Freese just two years after he stepped in to replace the late Taylor Hawkins. Who is Zak Starkey? Five key facts ZAK Starkey has been unceremoniously sacked as The Who's drummer - yet who is he? The Who's Roger Daltrey, 81, and bandmate Zak, 59, parted ways following a "huge fall out" at London's Royal Albert Hall. Zak had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 He is is the son of legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr Beatles Ringo Starr Aside from his drumming duties for The Who, Zak is also known for playing with Oasis Oasis He has been tipped to play at the Manchester band's UK reunion tour In January it was revealed Zak fell ill with a blood clot , hours before taking to the stage with Brit supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos Freese said he was devastated to be let go in an emotional statement. He wrote: 'The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they've decided 'to go in a different direction with their drummer.' No reason was given. :( 'Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. 'In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I've never been let go from a band, so while I'm not angry - just a bit shocked and disappointed. 'But as most of you know, I've always worked freelance and bounced between bands, so, I'm fine. 'Stay tuned for my 'Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters' list.' 5 Zak, 59, had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 prior to his sacking Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Legendary Brit rock band fire drummer for second time in a month as he issues savage statement
THE WHO drummer Zak Starkey has hit out at the band after being sacked for the second time in just four weeks. Starkey, 59 - son of Beatles legend 5 English drummer Zak Starkey has been fired from The Who Credit: AFP 5 Pete Townshend confirmed Starkey's axe for the second time in four weeks Credit: Getty 5 Roger Daltrey slammed Starkey on stage at the Royal Albert Hall Credit: Redferns His axe was confirmed by He also revealed Scott Devours, who plays with Roger Daltrey's solo band, will take over behind the kit, adding: 'Please welcome him.' But Starkey quickly shut down any suggestion he walked away - reposting Townshend's image with his own furious message scrawled across it. 'This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never have quit,' he wrote. READ MORE ON BANDS He thanked fans who backed him through the 'weeks of mayhem' after being previously axed, then briefly reinstated before getting the boot again this week. 'Quitting The Who would let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more),' he said. Hitting out at Townshend's claim he had other things going on, Zak said: "To clarify 'other projects'… yes I do have other projects and always have - Johnny Marr, The Lightning Seeds and more. 'None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them. Most read in Music 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who - I didn't. I love The Who and everyone in it.' Zak has played with the band since the mid-90s and was widely seen as their unofficial third member. The Who's Roger Daltrey performs Pinball Wizard during Tommy Live at The Royal Albert Hall He was fired from The Who in April following a clash over their The Sun exclusively revealed He told 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.' Tensions erupted and Starkey publicly braded Roger "Toger Daktrey" and said the the singer was "bringing formal charges of over playing" against him. He was fired but three days later reinstated, with Townshend releasing a statement. He said: 'There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.' On Friday, another drummer spoke out about being axed from a world famous band. Who is Zak Starkey? Five key facts ZAK Starkey has been unceremoniously sacked as The Who's drummer - yet who is he? The Who's Roger Daltrey, 81, and bandmate Zak, 59, at London 's Royal Albert Hall. Zak had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 He is is the son of legendary Beatles drummer Aside from his drumming duties for The Who, Zak is also known for playing with Oasis He has been tipped to play at the Manchester band's UK reunion tour In January it was revealed , hours before taking to the stage with Brit supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos Freese said he was devastated to be let go in an emotional statement. He wrote: 'The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they've decided 'to go in a different direction with their drummer.' No reason was given. :( 'Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. 'In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I've never been let go from a band, so while I'm not angry - just a bit shocked and disappointed. 'But as most of you know, I've always worked freelance and bounced between bands, so, I'm fine. 'Stay tuned for my 'Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters' list.' 5 Zak, 59, had been The Who's drummer since their Quadropenia tour in 1996 prior to his sacking Credit: Getty 5 Roger complained abou him on stage Credit: Getty
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary band The Who brings farewell tour to Washington. What to know about final shows
This may be your last chance to hear "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Pinball Wizard" live in Washington when the trailblazing rockers The Who embark on their farewell tour later this month. The band fronted by singer Roger Daltrey, 81, and guitarist Pete Townshend, who turns 80 May 19, will kick off the aptly named The Song is Over North American Farewell Tour — billed as a "truly grand finale" — Aug. 16 just outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and wrap in Las Vegas Sept. 28. The 16-show run, named for a song on The Who's classic 1971 album "Who's Next," will visit cities including Atlantic City, Boston, Toronto, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, and showcase hits from the band's six-decade career. "Every musician's dream in the early '60s was to make it big in the US charts," Daltrey said. "For the Who, that dream came true in 1967, and our lives were changed forever. The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. "Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It's not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been." Here's how you can get tickets for their only scheduled show in September in Washington. Sept. 25: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle Presale tickets will be available for Citi cardmembers at 10 a.m. on May 13 through May 15 at 10 p.m., according to a news release. Early ticket access will also be available for those that join the Wholigan Fan Club. General tickets will go on sale starting May 16 at 10 a.m. at Sept. 2: Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario Sept. 4: Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario Sept. 23: Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia USA TODAY reporters Melissa Ruggieri and Nicole Fallert contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: The Who brings farewell tour to Washington: How to get tickets
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The Who announce 2025 farewell tour, MSG show. Get tickets today
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. The Who are selling out one last time. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend's legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group just announced their farewell 'The Song Is Over Tour' — it's for real this time unlike their infamous 1982 farewell 'It's Hard Tour' — that will send them to ballparks, arenas, theaters, bowls, boardwalk halls and amphitheaters all over North America from August through September. That includes four shows in New York and New Jersey. Advertisement Up first, the 'Magic Bus' group will make a stop at Newark, NJ's Prudential Center on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Soon after, the guitar-smashing hitmakers hit Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, Aug. 23, Long Island's Jones Beach Theater on Thursday, Aug. 28 and New York City's Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Aug. 30. 'It is a poignant time,' Townshend, 79, said. 'For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon (who died in 1978) and John Entwistle (who died in 2002) and of course, all of our longtime Who fans.' Prior to this tour, the most recent North American Who run was in 2022 on their 'Who Hits Back! Tour.' At concerts on that run, the group played 20ish classic songs like 'Pinball Wizard,' 'Who Are You,' 'Won't Get Fooled Again,' 'Behind Blue Eyes' and 'Baba O'Riley' with and without an orchestra (as well as recently fired and re-hired drummer Zak Starkey, who happens to be Ringo Starr's son). Advertisement Fans Wholigans can purchase tickets for all upcoming North American Who shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the farewell The Song Is Over Tour' is Friday, May 16. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. The Who tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all North American tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Advertisement The Who set list As noted above, The Who last performed in the U.S. three years ago. According to Set List FM, here's what they took to the stage at their final show in Last Vegas on Nov. 5, 2022: With Orchestra 01.) 'Overture' 02.) '1921' 03.) 'Amazing Journey' 04.) 'Sparks' 05.) 'Pinball Wizard' Advertisement 06.) 'We're Not Gonna Take It' 07.) 'Who Are You' 08.) 'Eminence Front' 09.) 'Ball and Chain' Band Only 10.) 'You Better You Bet' 11.) 'The Seeker' 12.) 'Naked Eye' 13.) 'Another Tricky Day' 14.) 'Won't Get Fooled Again' 15.) 'Behind Blue Eyes' With Orchestra 16.) 'The Real Me' 17.) 'I'm One' 18.) '5:15' 19.) 'The Rock' 20.) 'Love, Reign O'er Me' 21.) 'Baba O'Riley' The Who farewell press conference To make the news official, Townshend and Daltrey conducted a 35-minute press conference discussing their history and the upcoming jaunt. If you'd like to see for yourself, you can find the surprisingly sprawling chat here: The Who current band members Throughout their seven-decade history, there's been quite a bit of turnover within the band other than Daltrey and Townshend. Advertisement To give you a better idea of what the group looks like today, here is The Who's current lineup: Roger Daltrey lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, percussion, ukulele (1964–1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996–present) Pete Townshend lead and rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals, keyboards (1964–1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996–present) Billy Nicholls backing vocals (1989, 1996–1997, 2019–present) Zak Starkey drums, percussion (1996–present) Simon Townshend guitar, backing vocals (1996–1997, 2002–present) Loren Gold keyboards, backing vocals (2012–present) Jon Button bass guitar (2017–present) Katie Jacoby lead violinist (2019–present) Keith Levenson music coordinator, conductor (2019–present) Emily Marshall keyboards, associate conductor (2019–present) Audrey Q. Snyder lead cellist (2019–present) Classic rockers on tour in 2025 Although not many groups that have been active for 61 years (!) are still touring in the 2020s, here are five of our favorite acts you won't want to miss in the next few months. Advertisement • Ringo Starr with his All Starr Band • Paul Simon • Stevie Nicks • Todd Rundgren Advertisement • Eric Clapton Need more music from way back when in your life? Check out our list of all the biggest classic rockers on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Boston Globe
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Tale of a tweenage rock band
I was on our patio when I heard it — the shriek of distorted guitar followed by a prolonged crash, as if someone were falling down the stairs with cymbals. It was a Wednesday afternoon in April 2023 and I'd stepped outside to clear my head. A story due the next day wasn't coming together and I was pacing, panicked that I'd have to tell my editor I couldn't do it. I knew instantly what the ruckus was: kids in a nearby basement with instruments they barely knew how to play. Before long, a guitar at peak volume was repeating four jagged chords — the beginning, I realized, of the Green Day song ' The clamor was comforting. Music made junior high and high school bearable for me and my friends. I didn't play an instrument, but many of them did and it was a blast to be in someone's living room, garage, or, a few times, a padlocked former Polish American Club late at night as they played noisy covers of Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Caleb Schmal smiled while playing bass guitar during a rehearsal with his band, The Jiraphes, April 15 in the basement of the Granger family home in Medford. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Advertisement Now, nearing 60 and sitting in a rusted lawn chair, I savored the muffled sound of kids bashing away, stopping and starting as they struggled to learn a '90s alt-rock anthem. In an era when many young people spend hours fixated on their phone, staring at TikToK and Snapchat, it was gratifying — exciting, even — to hear that familiar cacophony: the buzz of a bass amp; scattershot guitar; a tumbling drum fill. It became an occasional thing: I'd be on deadline and suddenly hear a discordant sliver of 'Come Together' or 'Pinball Wizard.' I smiled every time, reminded that adolescence is a maze of heavy emotions — anxiety, anger, joy, sadness — and music is the superpower that can make it OK. Advertisement Two years later, I'm on a couch in my neighbor's cramped basement as three boys — on guitar, bass, and drums — kick off ' 'Ugh,' he groans, stepping away from the mic. 'What's the line after 'Though his mind is not for rent'?' ''Don't put him down as arrogant,'' murmurs the bass player. 'Oh yeah,' nods the guitarist, tilting his head slightly to get the hair out of his face. 'Let's start again.' I've known Silas Granger, the guitarist, and his brother Owen, the drummer, for a while; their parents live a few doors from my wife and I in Medford. Our son used to baby-sit them and sometimes he'd come home with clips on his phone of two elfin headbangers engrossed in ' Owen Granger, who just turned 11, played drums during a practice with his band, The Jiraphes, in the basement of his family's home. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Silas Granger, 13, stood next to his guitar pedal board during a band practice. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Eventually, a video game wasn't enough. Silas, who's 13 now, began investigating his father's electric guitar, and Owen, 11, asked for an actual drum set. Both had taken piano lessons, but were unmoved by the prospect of playing Chopin's greatest hits and dropped the instrument. ('My mom used to play piano and she knows one song, Pachelbel's ' Advertisement They jammed with each other at first, but soon enlisted a buddy who lives around the corner, Caleb Schmal, to pick up the bass. When they painted 'The Jiraphes' on the kick drum, it was official — they were a band. The brothers have since formed a second group, SLOM, an acronym for Silas, Levi, Owen, and Miles. (Levi DaRosa, 9, plays bass, and Miles DaRosa, 11, plays guitar in SLOM — and like Silas and Owen, they're siblings.) Thanks to the bands' de facto managers — their parents — The Jiraphes and SLOM are performing at block parties and porchfests in Watertown, Winchester, and Medford in the coming weeks. Don't misunderstand: This isn't Eddie and Alex Van Halen, Ray and Dave Davies, or even Bob and Tommy Stinson. Silas and Owen are just kids who enjoy the music they've heard around the house and in the car and want to play it. And their parents — Christine Foot is a US government lawyer and Dave Granger works for a financial services firm — have indulged them, signing the boys up for guitar and drum lessons and taking them to shows. As a family, they saw 'Weird Al' Yankovic at the Chevalier Theater and Guns n' Roses at Fenway Park ('we brought earplugs,' says Owen). Silas has also seen A handwritten note posted on a wall in the Granger family basement. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Miles DaRosa, 11, (left) played guitar while his brother Levi DaRosa, 9, played bass guitar during a session at GS Music Center April 17, in Medford. The brothers are part of the band SLOM along with Silas and Owen Granger. Erin Clark/Globe Staff 'They have a record player in their room and they'll go to sleep to a record,' says Dave Granger. 'They take turns picking what the record is.' Advertisement The Jiraphes began by learning about a dozen songs, mostly classic rock: 'A Hard Day's Night,' 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain,' and Bowie's 'Starman.' Gradually, they expanded their repertoire to include indie-rock numbers like Weezer's ' Lou LaCava, Owen's drum teacher, has been impressed by the brothers' approach to learning new material. 'Owen will say, like, 'We're working on 'Psycho Killer.' What's the basic feel?'' says LaCava, who keeps the beat in a The Jiraphes rehearse as often as their after-school schedules allow, which is about once a week; all three play soccer, and Schmal, the oldest at 14, is busy with 'cello, more cello, and even more cello.' Their basement practice space is small and cluttered. In addition to drums, amplifiers, and a jumble of cords, pedals, and music stands, there's a mess of Legos, an 'Addams Family' pinball machine, two Nerf hoops, and a couple of Wii remotes. A street sign on the wall reads: Rock-N-Roll Ave. On this particular afternoon, they're running through the nine songs they plan to perform at the Magoun Park block party in Medford May 31. 'Tom Sawyer,' which is their opener because adults seem oddly energized by it, sounds reasonably tight and uptempo, but the band's energy begins to wane. By the fourth song, 'My Generation,' they're plodding. Silas stops and looks at his brother, who's barely visible behind the cymbals. Advertisement 'Too slow,' Silas says. 'Alright,' Owen answers cheerfully, adjusting his black ballcap before counting the band back in with his sticks: One! Two! Three! Four! The Jiraphes debuted as a band last June, playing their first show on a makeshift stage in a neighbor's driveway as part of Medford Porch Fest. They weren't nervous — until they were. 'Leading up to the show, I'm like, 'It's gonna be great! It's gonna be cool!'' recalls Schmal. 'But standing there before the first song, I was, like, 'Oh boy.'' SLOM band members (from left) Miles DaRosa, 11, Silas Granger, 13, Owen Granger, 10, and Levi DaRosa, 9, posed for a portrait at GS Music Center. Erin Clark/Globe Staff There were some children in the crowd, including Miles and Levi DaRosa, whose parents are friends with the couple who hosted the show. Silas and Owen had never met the DaRosa brothers and the four didn't interact much that day. But when they ran into each other again a month later at a camp in Burlington run by Miles and Levi are younger than Silas and Owen, but they've been playing just as long. Music, it turns out, is more than a hobby in their house. Their mom, Michelle DaRosa, plays guitar, piano, and sings, and their dad, Jeff DaRosa, is in the Dropkick Murphys. 'They'd only ever seen grown-ups doing this,' says Jeff DaRosa, who plays guitar, banjo, and mandolin in the Dropkick Murphys. 'Seeing Silas and Owen — peers — got my boys thinking, 'Oh, we can do this.'' Both bands are busy now getting ready for what Owen calls 'gig season': SLOM is playing at Watertown Porchfest May 17, an open mic at The Burren June 1, and Winchester Porchfest Jun 14; The Jiraphes are playing Medford Porchfest June 7 and at the Essex Street block party in Medford June 14. Advertisement Back in the basement, the Jiraphes are working on their closer, 'I Am the Walrus.' They're frustrated because it doesn't sound raucous enough. 'We should go more crazy at the end,' suggests Schmal. Silas and Owen nod, and the band begins again. This time, though, they let the song build until the melody is buried beneath a roar of unruly guitar, bass, and drums. 'I am the eggman!' Silas finally shouts. 'Woo!' Schmal howls, eyes closed. 'They are the eggmen!' Silas shouts again. 'Woo!' Schmal howls. 'I am the walrus!' Silas screams. 'Goo goo g'joob! Goo goo g'joob!' they all scream. Caleb Schmal carried his amplifier up the walkway of the Granger home. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Mark Shanahan can be reached at
