It has been a turbulent period for veteran rock drummer Zak Starkey, who has revealed his disappointment at being excluded from the upcoming Oasis reunion tour while also publicly disputing the circumstances of his recent departure from The Who.
In a recent appearance on BBC Breakfast, Starkey, who played drums for Oasis from 2004 to 2008, shared that he was “gutted” to learn he would not be part of the highly anticipated tour, as reported by NME.
“I texted them and said, ‘Why am I not in it?,” Starkey remarked about hearing the news. He appeared to accept the decision, suggesting the band had grown comfortable with a new musician, believed to be Joey Waronker. “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.”
Despite the snub, Starkey had high praise for his former bandmates, calling Oasis the “greatest rock and roll band of my generation.” The reunion lineup is expected to feature original members Liam and Noel Gallagher, with bassist Andy Bell also confirming his participation alongside returning guitarists Gem Archer and Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs.
The news from the Oasis camp comes amid a much more contentious situation regarding Starkey‘s long-standing role with The Who. On May 17, guitarist Pete Townshend announced that Starkey was leaving the band to pursue other projects and named Scott Devours as the new drummer for their upcoming farewell tour.
However, Starkey, who has played with The Who since 1996, immediately refuted this account. “I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavors,” Starkey wrote in a social media post. “This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never had quit.”
Oasis – 2025 Reunion Tour Dates:
Europe:
- Jul. 04 – Cardiff, Wales – Principality Stadium
- Jul. 05 – Cardiff, Wales – Principality Stadium
- Jul. 11 – Manchester, England – Heaton Park
- Jul. 12 – Manchester, England – Heaton Park
- Jul. 16 – Manchester, England – Heaton Park
- Jul. 19 – Manchester, England – Heaton Park
- Jul. 20 – Manchester, England – Heaton Park
- Jul. 25 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- Jul. 26 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- Jul. 30 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- Aug. 02 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- Aug. 03 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- Aug. 08 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
- Aug. 09 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
- Aug. 12 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
- Aug. 16 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
- Aug. 17 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
- Sep. 27 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
- Sep. 28 – London, England – Wembley Stadium
North America:
- Aug. 24 – Toronto, Canada – Rogers Stadium
- Aug. 25 – Toronto, Canada – Rogers Stadium
- Aug. 28 – Chicago, USA – Soldier Field
- Aug. 31 – East Rutherford, USA – MetLife Stadium
- Sep. 01 – East Rutherford, USA – MetLife Stadium
- Sep. 06 – Los Angeles, USA – Rose Bowl
- Sep. 07 – Los Angeles, USA – Rose Bowl
- Sep. 12 – Mexico City, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguro
- Sep. 13 – Mexico City, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguro
Asia & Australia:
- Oct. 21 – Seoul, South Korea – Goyang Stadium
- Oct. 25 – Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Dome
- Oct. 26 – Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Dome
- Oct. 31 – Melbourne, Australia – Marvel Stadium
- Nov. 01 – Melbourne, Australia – Marvel Stadium
- Nov. 04 – Melbourne, Australia – Marvel Stadium
- Nov. 07 – Sydney, Australia – Accor Stadium
- Nov. 08 – Sydney, Australia – Accor Stadium
South America:
- Nov. 15 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Estadio River Plate
- Nov. 16 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Estadio River Plate
- Nov. 19 – Santiago, Chile – Estadio Nacional
- Nov. 22 – São Paulo, Brazil – Estadio MorumBIS
- Nov. 23 – São Paulo, Brazil – Estadio MorumBIS
