Scott Devours has spoken out on his position as The Who‘s new drummer following the band’s acrimonious split with former drummer Zak Starkey.
Devours, who previously drummed in Roger Daltrey‘s solo band, took to Instagram to share his thoughts. “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.”
He went on to address The Who’s recent firing of longtime drummer Zak Starkey. The Who officially confirmed Starkey was fired just days ago (May 18), with Starkey claiming the band asked him to “lie” about his reasons for quitting after “weeks of mayhem”.
In his post, Devours said he understood if fans were “gutted” by Starkey’s departure, adding that “as a huge fan myself, there is a part of me that’s processing this loss with a heavy heart too.” However, he also said that “there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger,” adding that “the weight of this responsibility is enormous and I am feeling every ounce of it.”
The drummer then pledged to “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.”
He concluded: “This tour isn’t about me or anyone other than The Who, which IS Pete and Roger. I will give them everything I have and the rest is soon to be history… Thank you for reading this. Now I’m going to go throw up, lol.”
Devours’ post follows shortly after The Who’s contentious firing of Zak Starkey, who had drummed with the band since 1996.
Starkey, who is the son of Ringo Starr, first appeared to publicly confirm in April that he had been let go, but Pete Townshend later denied Starkey’s reports, claiming that the drummer was “not being asked to step down”.
Just weeks later, however, The Who confirmed they had actually fired Starkey, claiming that he “has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”
However, Starkey spoke out against the band, taking to Instagram to claim he was “fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical [endeavours]. This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never had quit.”
Though Starkey said he did have other projects and “always have”, this was manageable as The Who were “sporadic” in touring – bar two extensive treks in 2000 and 2006-2007.
The Who later responded on Instagram, saying that “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.”
In other news, The Who have announced massive special guests and extra dates for their 2025 farewell tour.
