Photo: Ringo Starr
The Findlay Toyota Center will be rocking on May 30 when Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band make their first ever appearance in Prescott Valley. Starr, along with his band held an upcoming tour press conference in Los Angeles.
Starr said, “Rehearsals are going great. The first day is always really hard. Yesterday we ran the whole show, and now we are ready to rock.” Edgar Winter added, “I feel great about it. Muscle comes back and I am ready to rock and roll.” Colin Hay said, “We hit our stride a few months ago and I am really looking forward to getting back at it.”
The tour has two stops in Phoenix on May 20, 21, will circle around the southwest before landing here in Prescott Valley on May 30. The 40 shows will be broken up into two halves. The first half begins May 19, and ends on June 17. After a nice break over the summer, the tour resumes on September 17, ultimately ending on October 13.
Photo: The band members (L-R) Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Ringo Starr, Gregg Bissonette, Hamish Stuart, Warren Ham, and Colin Hay
The band, which has evolved through the years since its inception back in the 1989 continues to feature an “All Star” lineup. Current members for the 2023 concert tour include with Edgar Winter (The Edgar Winter Group), Steve Lukather and Warren Ham (Toto), Colin Hay (Men at Work), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band, Paul McCartney Band), Gregg Bissonette (Electric Light Orchestra), and of course Ringo Starr (Beatles).
Asked about not being able to tour due to COVID restrictions, Starr said, “It’s exciting to go back on the road again. Last year and the year before was awkward. This year we are going to do all the gigs. I love to play. We are the best band in this room. I love to tour. It’s not grueling or tiring at all.”
There have been a total of 47 musicians, counting Starr, in the band over the past 34 years. The former Beatle was asked about the evolving changes of his band. “When I first started we would change the band completely after a few years. Now I have only changed two people last year with this band, I just did because I thought it was something I had to. It’s great, I like this band. I’m ready to get out there.”
Asked about the approach to each of the other band members original music. Steve Lukather said, “I love the challenge playing other peoples music. I have more fun playing their stuff than mine, plus playing the great Ringo hits and Beatle stuff never gets old. We are such good friends. As far as I’m concerned this is not a job, it’s a vacation for me.” Winter said, It’s such an interesting variety of material getting to play everybody’s things. On Ringo’s songs, I really try to make them authentic, like the records. I try to find a place to really listen and fit in to what everybody else is doing, and it becomes a whole new experience.” Gregg Bissonette added, “This is a Youtube world and we are a band. If you go on Youtube and you type in Ringo All Starr Band, and you type in any of these songs, you can hear our version, and it’s a special version.” Starr added, “It is great playing with this band and the freedom that he is talking about. We may change it a little, it’s not like we never make mistakes, we just changed it a bit.” Warren Ham chimed in with, “And it’s not like we are trying to change it, we are just putting our own imprint on it.” Hamish Stewart said, “You play the songs, and you try to boost yourself in it.” Colin Hay, “It’s our bands version of all these songs. I’m just trying to do my part. The more we play, the more finessed, the more fun.”
Starr, the elder band member at 82 shows no signs of letting up. “I start my day out at the gym. Do my thing, keeping active. I would much rather play than be stuck in a hotel room.” When asked about how his band days differ from when he started, saying, “I started playing the drums when I was 13, and when I got into a band we had no sense of timing. They kept saying slow it down, but that eventually got remedied, and getting to play in the best band, of my day, that was something special. I just love playing live. I would often dream that if I played guitar or piano, I would have played a lot more. It’s a band thing, and I just love being in a band.”
Tickets for the May 30th concert can be purchased at the Findlay Toyota Center box office at 888-652-0899 or findlaytoyotacenter.com. More info can be obtained at ringostarr.com
