With Zak Starkey having been fired, rehired and fired again from The Who over the past few weeks, his replacement, Scott Devours, who plays in Roger Daltrey's band, has commented on his new gig.
He writes on Facebook, "[On Sunday], with a short, simple Instagram post, Pete Townshend and Roger, once again, changed my life forever. It’s hard to express the tsunami of emotions that I’m processing since that incredible news, but there are a couple of things I feel compelled to say...
"I understand and accept the reality that there are many lifelong Who fans who are absolutely gutted by the news that Zak is no longer on the throne behind The Who. As a huge fan myself, there is a part of me that’s processing this loss with a heavy heart too. 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. It’s tough to put into words actually, but I know it’s there and it’s real.
"I guess the reality of it is this: I’m sure there are many fans who will not accept me or anyone on that throne except for Zak. I know that this will be the case for some and I acknowledge that. For others, perhaps the jury is still out. Maybe I’ll need to let the music do the talking? 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, [previous drummers] 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 U.S., 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."
"Thank you for reading this. Now I’m going to go throw up, lol."
Devours filled in for Starkey on some Who shows in 2012 and 2013.
The Who start The Song Is Over - The North American Farewell Tour on August 16th in Sunrise, Florida. It runs through September 28th in Las Vegas.