Zak Starkey, leader and drummer of Northern supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos, pulled out of a secret performance at Soho’s Karma Sanctum on Tuesday January 21 due to a blood clot in his right leg. The diagnosis has left him needing blood thinners and at least two weeks of rest, though recovery can take up to three months.
The drummer’s issue didn’t stop the celebratory atmosphere, with the gig being part of a wider party celebrating the release of their new, vinyl-only single ‘Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)’, co-written by Noel Gallagher. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Starkey shared a digital bootleg of the track taken from spotify, humorously endorsing it by saying, “I’m totally down,” before making clear that the only official release is the vinyl copy available from the Cavern Club website.
Mantra of the Cosmos performed at the iconic Cavern Club just days earlier, playing two sets for fans and debuting the new track. The vinyl single was initially only available to purchase at the shows, ironically being sold in red and blue pressings. Their appearance on the venue’s website suggests that the band weren’t able to sell all 1000 pressings, though the performances were a hit, with one X user saying that both he and his daughter loved the show.
Me and my daughter loved the gig yesterday afternoon thanks a lot Shaun (and all of you)
— Paul Meagher (@PaulMeagher20) January 20, 2025
Noel Gallagher’s role in ‘Domino Bones’ is particularly understated with the Oasis legend writing the chorus and contributing vocals remotely. Starkey took the vocal contribution and built the rest of the song around the chorus, and that disjointed approach is noticeable on the track. Gallagher is still yet to publicly comment on the single despite his involvement.
The Soho event welcomed several notable attendees, including Yungblud and Louie Starkey, Zak’s nephew, and an actor in his own right, alongside Dan Parker of Liverpool-based indie band Keyside. Parker performed Gallagher’s vocal parts during the Cavern shows, as Gallagher wasn’t present. Keyside are a growing band from Liverpool, and recently sold out the Art Club Theatre in the city, and added additional shows in Leeds, Manchester, and Glasgow.
While fans took to social media to offer well wishes, bandmate and former Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder took the opportunity to have a light-hearted joke at Starkey, telling the audience “as soon as I get out of here I’m going to take some tights to get on Zak’s legs.” Starkey’s road to recovery should be fairly straight forward, and there are currently no plans for tours in the near future.
With new music reportedly in the pipeline for 2025, Mantra of the Cosmos have definitely made a name for themselves, be it high profile collaborations or being supported by some of the North West’s most exciting bands. While Starkey won’t be able to get behind the drum kit for a few weeks, his involvement in different capacities will still be felt by fans.
