LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — In an apparent reversal, British rock band The Who announced that longtime drummer Zak Starkey has been reinstated with the band.
Starkey’s return to The Who was announced by Pete Townshend who announced that the veteran drummer was no longer “being asked to step down” from the band.
“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 shared on social media. “Roger [Daltrey] and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed.”
Starkey, who joined The Who in 1996, was reportedly asked to leave the band following their performance at Royal Albert Hall in March. During the show, The Who’s Roger Daltry appeared to criticize his longtime bandmate on stage.
“All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry, guys,” Daltry said during the show, according to a concert review in Metro.uk.
Read Pete Townshend’s full statement below:
News Flash! Who Back Zak!
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.
Roger and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed. I take responsibility for some of the confusion. Our TCT shows at the Royal Albert Hall were a little tricky for me. I thought that four and a half weeks would be enough time to recover completely from having a complete knee replacement. (Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?) Wrong!
Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage. The sound in the centre of the stage is always the most difficult to work with. Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer.
We are a family, this blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.
As for Roger, fans can enjoy his forthcoming solo shows with his fabulous drummer, Scott Devours, who it was rumoured might replace Zak in The Who and has always been supportive of the band.
I owe Scott an apology for not crushing that rumour before it spread. He has been hurt by this. I promise to buy him a very long drink and give him a hug.
