According to Stereo Gum, Roger Daltrey recently opened up about Zak Starkey leaving The Who, and it’s clear it was a tough situation for him. He called Zak’s public comments about the split “really upsetting” and said it felt like a personal attack.

The problem started during a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall when Roger had trouble hearing the music because the drums were too loud and heavy on bass. This made it hard for him to stay on key while singing, so he had to stop and explain what was going on. Zak didn’t agree with Roger’s version and said Roger was the one who got it wrong. After some back and forth, Zak was eventually let go from the band.

Roger said the whole thing wasn’t personal, it was about making sure the band sounded right, and he and Pete Townshend have the final say on that. What really hurt him was how Zak’s comments made it seem like Roger was attacking him, which Roger says wasn’t true at all.

For Roger, this was more than just a mix-up during a show. It was about respect and keeping the band’s legacy alive. His honest words show how hard it was to deal with the situation, especially when things got blown up in the public eye. He wished it could have been handled differently, without all the harsh feelings being aired out so openly.