The Who appear to be bringing drummer Zak Starkey back after a period of disruption involving his departure and rehiring. Multiple outlets report that Starkey is associated again with the band following an earlier, contested sequence in which he is said to have been dismissed for musical reasons, briefly returned, and then removed again.
NME says Starkey has rehearsed with the group ahead of a possible European tour, suggesting the band is considering using him for upcoming live dates. Stereogum frames the development as a seemingly renewed rehiring after a “messy split,” focusing on the uncertainty around his status and the back-and-forth decisions in the past year. While the outlets differ in emphasis—one highlighting rehearsal activity and tour prospects, the other underscoring the overall instability—they converge that Starkey is currently back in contention with The Who.
The reports do not provide new details on the earlier disagreements beyond the notion that the relationship turned acrimonious, nor do they confirm a final, official lineup change in the text provided.
