A new era of Who history began earlier this month with the launch of the Song Is Over farewell tour in Italy. The show marked not only the start of the band’s supposed last tour, but also the unveiling of new drummer Scott Devours. He took over from Zak Starkey after a bizarre and protracted battle that played out in public, and placed Devour in a pretty awkward position.
“It really is a strange contradiction of emotions to have the greatest moment of my professional career also be one framed with some sadness and shadowed by someone else’s loss,” Devours wrote in a message to fans in May. “It’s tough to put into words actually, but I know it’s there and it’s real.”
He continued: “In my world, there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger. 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.”
A big part of the responsibility is playing parts that were largely originated by Moon, which is no easy task for any drummer. The most famous drum part of the night comes near the end of the show when they break out “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Here’s a look at how the five main drummers in the Who have handled the solo over the years, with some bonus commentary Roger Daltrey’s primal scream that follows. (And yes, we know it’s not technically a pure drum solo since it’s accompanied by an organ part.)
Keith Moon — May 25, 1978 @ Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England
Just four months before Moon’s death, the Who gathered at England’s Shepperton Studios to play a brief set for director Jeff Stein. He was prepping a documentary about the Who’s history, The Kids Are Alright, and felt there weren’t adequate versions of “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in the film vault. Moon was in suboptimal health at this point and was winded when they wrapped up with “My Generation,” but Stein begged them to do “Won’t Get Fooled Again” one more time. That’s the footage you see here, and it’s also the single last song that Moon ever played with the Who.
Editor’s picks
It feels unfair to judge Moon on his literal final performance of anything, and there are certainly better live renditions of the song from his younger years, but he still dug deep and largely nailed the solo. It’s a great swan song. B+
The Scream: Near-perfect. It’s Daltrey at his primal best. A-
Kenney Jones — Dec. 17, 1982 @ Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada
The Who could have pulled a Led Zeppelin when Moon died and dissolved the band. But they decided to soldier on with Small Faces/Faces drummer Kenney Jones just months after Moon’s death. The new lineup made one unfairly maligned album, 1981’s Face Dances, one appropriately maligned album, 1982’s It’s Hard, and then decided to call it quits after an expansive farewell tour. (Yes, it’s now 43 years later and they’ve just kicked off another farewell tour. They are hardly unique in this regard.)
The tour wrapped up at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens with a show that was broadcast around the world on Pay-Per-View. The main set ended with “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” You can’t see what Jones is doing since vintage images of the Who flash on the screen during this drum solo, but you can hear that he does his best to replicate Moon’s original part. It lacks some of the power and finesse of the master recording, but expecting anyone to play like 1971 Keith Moon isn’t fair. B-
The Scream: This one is slightly thin and gets a little wobbly at the end. B-
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Simon Phillips — Aug. 24, 1989 @ Universal Amphitheater in Los Angles, California
To varying degrees, the Who laid the groundwork for power pop, arena rock, punk, and even progressive rock. They also laid the groundwork for reuniting just a few years after the conclusion of a farewell tour. When they came back in 1989 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tommy, and make oodles of money, they jettisoned Jones and brought journeyman drummer Simon Phillips into the fold. Simply put, Daltrey was never totally happy with Jones, and Townshend loved working with Phillips in the Eighties on his solo albums and occasional live show.
When the tour hit Los Angles, they invited special guests Steve Winwood, Patti Labelle, Billy Idol, Phil Collins, and Elton John to join them for a complete performance of Tommy. The second set focused on hits from other eras, wrapping up with “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Phillips speeds up the drum solo and adds his own flourishes. It largely works, and we give him a lot of credit for not simply redoing Moon’s original part, since Phillips is more than capable of doing that. B
The Scream: It’s a beastly one, but it’s almost ruined by the horn section chiming in. The Who got by just fine with four members in their heyday. Reuniting with a 15-piece was madness. B-
Zak Starkey — Oct. 20, 2001 @ Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
Simon Phillips had his hands full in Toto when the Who came back together in 1996 for a tour celebrating Quadrophenia. But Daltrey had recently toured with Ringo Starr’s son Zak on drums, and he slid seamlessly into the Who. Starkey grew up on the Who’s music, even learned to play the drums alongside Moon, and knew every nuance of their catalog. It was the perfect injection of youth and energy just as the group was starting to show their age.
They were off the road in 2001, but reconvened at Madison Square Garden for a special show honoring the Sept. 11 first responders. This was a stacked bill that also included David Bowie, Elton John, Billy Joel, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney. But the Who undoubtably were the highlight. And Starkey’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” drum solo is majestic. It’s the best it sounded since the Seventies. A-
The Scream: Daltrey sounds a bit hoarse here, and he loses points for forgetting the “Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss” coda. That’s an essential element of the song’s finale. B-
Scott Devours — July 20, 2025 @ Anfiteatro Camerini in Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy
There are nice, clean ways for major rock bands to part with longtime drummers. Pearl Jam and Iron Maiden both recently handled the situation with great class and dignity. Unfortunately, the Who’s separation with Starkey was the equivalent of peeling off a child’s Band-Aid very slowly while the kid screams, putting the Band-Aid back on, and then doing it all over again. We may never know exactly why the Who fired Starkey earlier this year, un-fired him, and then fired him again. But it happened. And now Devours from Daltrey’s solo band has the job.
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Devours filled in for an injured Starkey for brief periods on the 2013 Quadropehnia tour, but his official debut took place this month at the start of the Who’s the Song Is Over farewell tour. They closed out the night with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” even though “The Song Is Over” was on the printed setlist. (It was a punishingly hot night, and Daltrey had leg cramps.) Devours had a lot of pressure on him at this moment, but he delivered a powerful drum solo that kept to the original tempo. There will always be a special place in our hearts for Starkey, but this was impressive. B+
The Scream: This is a fierce one where it looks like it’s causing Daltrey legitimate pain. He’s said in recent years that he loathes playing this song, and especially hates delivering the scream every night, but we give him a lot of points for continuing to handle it himself, and not pass it off to a background singer. B+
