Two rock bands from different generations unceremoniously parted ways with their drummers this month. No official statements were issued, and the departures were as abrupt as they were final.
Josh Freese – who joined Foo Fighters in 2023 following the death of Taylor Hawkins – broke the news himself on Instagram. The band later announced an Asian tour without referencing the personnel change or naming a replacement.
As for Zak Starkey, it marked his second dismissal in a matter of weeks from The Who. The first was chalked up to a misunderstanding. This time, it appears definitive, with the band pressing on with their farewell tour without him.
Though Freese and Starkey followed different career paths – the former a renowned session musician and touring drummer, the latter a long-serving fixture behind The Who’s kit for nearly 30 years – their stories underscore one of rock’s cold, enduring truths – veteran bands often rely on outside musicians during times of upheaval. And once the ship steadies, those players are quietly cast overboard.
The fact that both musicians expressed surprise at their dismissal perhaps shows they were unaware they were part of a greater tapestry of personalities – let’s call them transitional musicians – whose steady, experienced hands bands often turn to in moments of existential crisis or uncertainty.
Often arriving with stellar reputations, they are the quintessential team players, serving as the bridge aiding a group navigate its way through difficult times. Such is their immeasurable impact that their contributions are typically acknowledged in hindsight – and rarely celebrated in their own right.
It’s also an old story, with transitional musicians present as far back as eight decades ago. In 1965, when British guitarist Eric Clapton left the UK blues-rock group, The Yardbirds, around the release of hit single For Your Love due to artistic differences, Jeff Beck stepped in. His innovative guitar work led to the group’s most commercially successful period, producing hits such as Heart Full of Soul and Shapes of Things, and adding touches of psychedelia and distortion to the mix – elements that shaped the Yardbird’s legacy. But Beck’s own mercurial nature and health issues made his stay unsustainable, with Led Zeppelin’s future guitar maestro Jimmy Page taking over after a seminal 20-month period.
While Freese is acknowledged for his own brilliance – an unpretentious style that masks his sheer precision and sustained power – which saw his services used by bands including Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, The Offspring and Devo – his experience with the Foo Fighters closely mirrors that of fellow drummer Mike Portnoy and his time with Avenged Sevenfold.
Both stepped behind the kit after the sudden death of a band member – Taylor Hawkins in the case of Foo Fighters, and Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan for Avenged Sevenfold and helped finish their respective albums (But Here We Are and Nightmare respectively). They also played the supporting tour and then vacated the drum set.
Long before Starkey joined The Who, the British band's original drummer – the combustible Keith Moon – died in 1978. He was replaced by the ever-dependable Kenney Jones, best known for his work with The Faces. Jones was as relaxed and low-key as his predecessor was wild and dynamic. He stayed long enough to play on two studio albums, a period that helped the group overcome what could have been a career-ending loss and usher in a new phase that kept them going for about five more decades.
Sometimes these replacements serve a purely practical function. Matt Walker joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 1996 after drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was fired, simply to keep the tour on track. Meanwhile, Axl Rose showed a surprising degree of humility – not often associated with his time in Guns N’ Roses – when he joined AC/DC mid-tour in 2016 to replace singer Brian Johnson, who had to step away due to hearing loss that sidelined him for about two years.
Pop-punk group Blink-182 also joined in on the act when they brought in singer and guitarist Matt Skiba to replace co-founding member Tom DeLonge after he left acrimoniously in 2015. Skiba’s own songwriting nous and chilled demeanour not only resulted in the band releasing two solid albums, but his seven years with the group – which ended with DeLonge’s return in 2022 – are viewed by the band themselves as pivotal in keeping them going and playing some of their biggest shows to date.
Which brings us back to Starkey, who joined The Who in 1996, but was never made an official member. He never co-wrote a song with the group and rarely appeared in promotional photos. The same goes for Freese, who, despite his brilliant live performances with Foo Fighters, including their set at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix in 2023, received no recording credit on their most recent album, But Here We Are, and was absent from official press photos.
It shows that in the rock game, skill and loyalty often matter less than what’s written in the contract. While both artists and their former bands will move on, their impact on each other shouldn’t be diminished – or overstated.
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Australia 312-1
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- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
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Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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Price, base: Dh1,731,672
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PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
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ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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