Zak Starkey looks back on his life and career with new one-man show

Drummer Zak Starkey is set to debut a new one-man show, Zak Starkey … Who?: An Evening of Drums and Conversation, in New York, and he tells ABC Audio there’s a simple reason why he decided to do it.

“Because I don’t have a job,” he jokes. “So I had to invent one.”

Starkey, who was The Who’s drummer from 1996 until he was let go in 2025, says someone suggested he do a drum clinic, but he’s not fond of a “clinical approach.”

Starkey, son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, instead plans to treat fans to a special evening of him sharing stories, rare photographs and personal movies, with the night also including a Q&A and, of course, some music.

“Basically, I’ll be playing along with, it’s a film of my life at first,” he says. He’ll then take questions from the audience, noting that “hopefully that can move it on to the next thing that I play, sort of what the audience guide(s) me towards.”

When it comes to the home movies, Starkey says he had “no idea” what he’d find, but he’s had a hard time choosing what to use because “there’s so much great stuff.”

Starkey adds that he’s “flexible” about what he plans to perform during the show, but expects to cover his time with Oasis, Johnny Marr and more. He has no doubt he’ll end the evening with The Who, noting, “You can’t follow The Who.”

As for what he hopes fans will take away from the evening, Starkey jokes, “a T-shirt and some drumsticks,” before getting a bit more serious.

“That [the] music’s f***** great,” he says. “It’s just been a f****** great ride.” 

Zak Starkey … Who?: An Evening of Drums and Conversation will take place Feb. 20 at New York’s Gramercy Theatre. Tickets are on sale now.