Roger Daltrey Addresses The Who’s Drummer Issues & Potential 2027 Shows

Roger Daltrey discussed the challenges The Who have faced behind the drum kit since Keith Moon’s death and confirmed the band recently rehearsed with Zak Starkey to assess the possibility of playing shows in 2027.

As reported by Louder, Daltrey addressed The Who’s drummer situation and future during an interview with LifeMinute.tv. Starkey, who first joined The Who in 1996, is back in the fold after a turbulent 2025 that saw the drummer depart the band before their North American farewell tour.

“We love Zak,” Daltrey said. “We do love Zak. Sometimes the road doesn’t love Zak. It gets on top of him, so it becomes difficult, but we love him.”

Daltrey went on to explain that The Who recently got together with Starkey to determine whether the band is still capable of delivering the demanding material in concert.

“We did the rehearsal to see if we can possibly do shows next year, still hit the notes, still get the drive. Who music demands an incredible amount of drive, and without that, it would be like Herman’s Hermits without Herman.”

The singer then looked back on The Who’s struggles to replace Moon, who died in 1978 at age 32.

“It’s never been the same since Keith died,” Daltrey acknowledged. “I can’t pretend it has. We were firing on all cylinders. We could throw anything out there and make something of it. That kind of disappeared when Keith died.”

Kenney Jones succeeded Moon and remained with The Who through the 1980s. Simon Phillips handled drums on the band’s 1989 reunion tour before Starkey began his long tenure with The Who in 1996. Scott Devours was behind the kit for the group’s 2025 North American Farewell Tour.

“We tried Kenny Jones, who is a great drummer, but a straight drummer just does not work with The Who,” Daltrey explained. “It just does not work. But Zak Starkey, he’s not Keith Moon, but he comes very close.”

Daltrey recently revealed during his A Great Night Out tour stop in Las Vegas that The Who had rehearsed with Starkey. The drummer subsequently confirmed his return to the band and stated he was looking forward to playing with Daltrey and Pete Townshend again.

The possibility of more Who activity also surfaced this week when Pete Townshend withdrew from Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival due to complications related to his recovery from knee replacement surgery. Townshend stated he was concentrating on getting himself “fit and strong enough to join Roger and The Who when they plan to rehearse again.”

Daltrey is currently in the midst of his A Great Night Out tour. The singer launched the trek on August 23 in Mesa, Arizona with a set featuring Who classics, solo material and covers.

Watch Daltrey discuss The Who’s drummers and potential 2027 shows below: