Drummer Zak Starkey is taking a break after suffering a medical emergency
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Grammy winner — son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr — was forced to cancel a London performance with his indie band Mantra of the Cosmos due to a blood clot in his right leg. The cancellation announcement was made just hours before the gig was scheduled to begin.
A spokesperson for the band told media outlets that the 59-year-old was advised to take blood thinners for two weeks and rest to prevent additional clots.
The health scare comes after Mantra of the Cosmos — which also includes Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder, percussionist Mark ‘Bez’ Berry and guitarist Andy Bell — performed Jan. 19 at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, the same venue where The Beatles got their start.
During the show, Bez expressed his excitement for performing alongside Starkey.
“First of all, can I say how special it was to play the Cavern with Zak Starkey,” he said, the Sun reports. “He’s never been to the Cavern before and it felt special… It was better than anything I ever imagined in my life. I couldn’t believe how good it was.”
“To play there… I had to show off right at the end: ‘His f—ing dad’s Ringo Starr! Know what I mean?” he added. “We felt like the Beatles – well, I did for a little moment.”
Starkey and Mantra Of The Cosmos formed in 2023 and released their debut single “Gorilla Guerilla” shortly after.