Zak Starkey says he will “cry” if he attends Oasis reunion tour following snub

Posted On June 12, 2025June 12, 2025

Former drummer of The Who and Oasis, Zak Starkey, has again expressed his dismay at not being invited to perform on the Oasis reunion tour.

Previously, Starkey admitted that he was “gutted” not to be included in the tour, adding, “I texted them and said, ‘Why am I not in it?’” However, he understands the Britpop brothers’ choice to choose Joey Waronker, who recently played with Liam Gallagher on his tour with John Squire.

Starkey stated, “You know, if you get a new drummer, you get comfortable, don’t you? You get comfortable with new musicians and I think that’s what’s happened and I’m alright with that.”

Now, when asked if he had been invited back to Oasis, Zak told the Daily Star, “I was in The Who! There might have been a conversation, but I was in The Who then. You can’t go be hopping about like that and letting people down.”

Starkey was publicly fired twice by The Who; In April, Starkey’s initial exit was announced by the band following 29 years of service. However, weeks later, Pete Townshend took to Instagram to share: “News Flash! Who Zak Back! Zak is not being asked to step down from The Who.” In another twist on May 18th, Townshend again announced Starkey was no longer part of The Who, writing on Instagram, “After many years of great work on drums from Zak, the time has come for change.”

Starkey added his voice to the saga to reveal that the band had told him to say he’d quit the band due to other musical endeavours. In reality, he’d been fired.

“I’ll cry if I go, in case he mucks it up,” Starkey newly admitted, at the thought of watching the upcoming reunion tour play out. “I’m sure he won’t, but you know that’s my favourite band. I’d have done that gig for nothing, you know? I just loved it. I can’t see someone else do it that’s not me.”

Zak’s supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos have returned with a track featuring Noel Gallagher and Oasis star Andy Bell, plus Manchester legends Shaun Ryder and Bez.

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