Your favorite band just fired their drummer twice in one month, and somehow the replacement might be the most sensible choice they’ve made in years. When The Who announced Scott Devours as their new drummer following Zak Starkey‘s messy second departure, longtime fans witnessed the end of one era and the calculated beginning of another.
This isn’t some random session player getting thrown into rock’s deep end. Devours has been Roger Daltrey’s go-to drummer for over a decade, performing Tommy at the Royal Albert Hall and touring extensively with the singer’s solo band. More importantly, he’s already stepped behind The Who’s kit multiple times when Starkey faced health issues in 2013.
The Familiar Face Behind An Uncomfortable Transition
Starkey’s exit reads like a soap opera crossed with a Taylor Swift album rollout—messy, public, and involving way too many plot twists. Fired after tensions at Royal Albert Hall, reinstated three days later, then fired again a month later when he refused to lie about “quitting” to pursue other projects. After nearly three decades anchoring The Who’s rhythm section, Starkey deserved better than this administrative shuffle, especially with The Who’s farewell tour announcement now casting a final spotlight on the band’s internal drama, longtime lineup tensions, and Starkey’s controversial departure.
But here’s where the music industry’s cold pragmatism works in fans’ favor. Devours understands the weight of his appointment, acknowledging that “many fans … will not accept me or anyone on that throne except for Zak,” while promising to “honor the legacy of The Who, Zak, Kenney Jones, Simon Phillips, and the memory of the great Keith Moon“.
That’s not marketing speak—that’s a drummer who’s watched The Who from the wings for years and knows exactly what he’s walking into.
Why This Change Makes Musical Sense
Your skepticism about lineup changes is completely justified. Rock history is littered with replacement musicians who felt like cheap cover band substitutes, especially when stepping into iconic roles.
Devours breaks that pattern because he’s essentially been training for this moment since 2009. His resume includes opening for White Stripes, Jane’s Addiction, and Stone Temple Pilots, plus extensive work with post-grunge bands like Oleander. More crucially, he’s performed The Who’s complex material in front of demanding audiences during Daltrey’s solo tours.
When Devours promises to give “every drop of my sweat and blood” to this farewell tour, he’s not making empty promises. He’s describing the standard he’s already held himself to for years.
The timing creates both a challenge and an opportunity. Devours won’t have months to ease into the role or develop chemistry gradually. He needs to deliver “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Baba O’Riley” with the same thunderous precision that’s defined The Who’s live experience for six decades.
The Stakes of Rock’s Last Dance
This farewell tour runs from August 16 through September 28, spanning 17 shows that represent Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey’s final North American performances. No pressure there—just the responsibility of providing the rhythmic backbone for rock history’s final chapter.
Devours acknowledges the emotional complexity: “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.”
But that pressure also eliminates the usual replacement-drummer awkwardness. There’s no time for tentative performances or gradual fan acceptance. Either Devours can handle The Who’s catalog at arena-level intensity, or these farewell shows become cautionary tales about when legends should have quit earlier, especially as The Who’s 2025 comeback promises a raw rock revival, renewed arena tour energy, and a bold attempt at redefining their final act.
These 17 dates will feature “the greatest songs ever written” performed by two surviving members of rock’s most explosive live band. Your ticket isn’t just buying access to nostalgia—it’s witnessing the final performances of songs that defined multiple generations.
Devours brings something Starkey couldn’t: the hunger of someone earning his place rather than defending it. After years of professional preparation and personal investment in this music, he’s positioned to deliver performances that honor The Who’s legacy without trying to replicate past glory.
Your farewell tour tickets just became more valuable than you realized.
