Mantra Of The Cosmos cancel gig as Zak Starkey suffers leg condition

Mantra Of The Cosmos have been forced to cancel a secret gig in Soho after drummer Zak Starkey was revealed to be suffering from a serious leg condition.

• READ MORE: Shaun Ryder and Zak Starkey on Mantra Of The Cosmos: “Do you know what a supergroup means? Four guys having a wank”

The supergroup – consisting of Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays, Black Grape), drummer Zak Starkey (The Who, Oasis), guitarist Andy Bell (Oasis, Ride) and Bez (Happy Mondays, Black Grape) – were due to perform at the Karma Sanctum Soho on Tuesday night (January 21), but had to cancel at the last minute.

Per a press release, Starkey is suffering from a blood clot in his right leg, and has been ordered by a doctor to take blood thinners for the condition and to rest for two weeks. The diagnosis forced the cancellation of their performance, though the Soho party still proceeded with several A-listers in attendance.

The cancelled gig came just days after Mantra Of The Cosmos performed a pair of shows in Liverpool on January 19 after releasing the psychedelic single ‘Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)’ with Noel Gallagher. The band are also currently working on an album.

Footage from their Liverpool shows was screened at the Soho event, with Shaun Ryder joking to attendees – which included Yungblud: “As soon as I get out of here I’m going to take some tights to get on Zak’s legs.”

Mantra Of The Cosmos launched in 2023 with the singles ‘Gorilla Guerilla’ and ‘X (Wot You Sayin?)’, and made their Glastonbury Festival debut that summer. Further singles are scheduled for 2025, per a press release.

Speaking to NME in 2023, Starkey revealed that Mantra had recorded “about 175” songs together. Ryder said: “We’ve got a lot of material. If you want some songs that can go on for two and a half or three minutes [laughs], then I reckon we’ve got about 175 songs, haven’t we?

“Or we could have a couple of Pink Floyd-type ones where they go on for 35 minutes each. It just depends what Zak’s gonna turn this into. That’s what’s interesting about it. I leave the studio sometimes and I’ll come back and I’ve put something in there but Zak has just mashed it up into something different. He picks out the stuff that I’ll come out with, which I’m just trying to get a smile on their faces and enjoy it.”

Starkey began drumming for Oasis in 2004, playing on their last two albums ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ (2005) and ‘Dig Your Own Soul’ (2008). He is currently rumoured to be joining the new Oasis line-up on their huge 2025 reunion tour, as is former member Andy Bell.

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