String of Drummer Firings Rocks Major Bands

Rock bands have been getting rid of drummers at a high rate lately. The Who, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, and Sammy Hagar's group all made changes. Zak Starkey, Josh Freese, Frank Ferrer, and Jason Bonham lost their spots behind the kit.

"I think it's the Spinal Tap conspiracy. I think nobody is safe. Ringo's son was fired from The Who," said Mike Portnoy in a recent interview.

The Who's split with Starkey came during a show at Royal Albert Hall. Roger Daltrey cut off "The Song Is Over" mid-performance. He couldn't stand the drum volume in his mix, even though Starkey played an electronic kit that should have been easy to control.

The Foo Fighters stunned fans by letting Freese go, and talk swirls about Taylor Hawkins's son, Shane, taking over. "Frankly, it's shocking. I thought Josh was perfect," Portnoy said of the switch.

In March 2024, Guns N' Roses split from Frank Ferrer with no word on who'll take his place. Last summer, Sammy Hagar cut ties with Jason Bonham mid-tour.

Back with Dream Theater since October 2023, Portnoy said, "I'm scared for my life and career at this point. And I'm in, like, 15 bands, so I have 15 times the chance of getting fired right now."

Dream Theater put out Parasomnia in February 2024. It was their first album with Portnoy in 15 years and their 16th record. They started their 40th-anniversary shows on February 7 in Philadelphia, and they continued until March 22 in New York City.

More U.S. dates start on September 5 in Reading, Pennsylvania. The band will hit 30 cities before wrapping up on October 25 in Long Island, New York. Each night mixes new songs with old hits.