I don’t really want to stop the show,
But I thought that you might like to know,
That the singer’s going to sing a song,
And he wants you all to sing along.
So let me introduce to you,
The one and only [Ringo Starr] and [his All-Starr Band].
Forget about Sgt. Pepper — those days are gone — but the ex-Beatles’ legendary drummer will be playing the Prague Congress Center this month, for the first appearance in this country of Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, although he won’t see much of the Czech capital, as his private plane will be flying him in and out on the same day (June 29).
Meanwhile, more than three-quarters of tickets available to the public had already been sold as of Thursday morning, Květa Havelková from the JVS Group agency told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). “Most of the tickets left are the especially expensive ones, going for Kč 3,590 to Kč 4,990, for the exclusive seats in the center of the concert hall and very close to the stage,” she said.
Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band is a concept that was created by producer David Fishof. The band has consistently toured for two decades and rotates its lineup depending on the musicians’ projects at a given time (in similar fashion to Bill Wyman’s Rythmn Kings).
The All-Starr Band heading to Prague — the eleventh configuration to date — features Ringo on the drums (of course); singer and guitarist Rick Derringer, perhaps best known for his ’60s hit single “Hang on Sloopy” although he has collaborated with American pop stars Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper; Richard Page on bass, a composer for Madonna and Meat Loaf, among others, whose former band Mr. Mister once topped the US charts with the single “Broken Wings.” ‘I ask Paul every time I put a new group together and I promise him two numbers like everybody else.’
Other All-Starr Band members include Wally Palmar from ’80s one-hit-wonders The Romantics (“What I Like About You”) and pianist Gary Wright, known for the 1974 hit “Dream Weaver” and his work with Judas Priest, as well as another drummer — Gregg Bissonette, of Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) fame — in case the former Beatle needs that extra push (“to go to eleven,” to quote Spinal Tap).
Meanwhile, The List reports that Starr asked the only other surviving member of the Beatles, Paul McCartney (“the cute one” back in the day), to join his ensemble — but joked he would only let the bassist and songwriter to perform two of his own songs within the set: “I ask Paul every time I put a new group together and I promise him two numbers like everybody else. And he always seems to be busy at the time!”
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| June 4 | Kiev | Palace of Ukraine |
| June 6 | Moscow | Crocus City Hall |
| June 7 | St. Petersburg | Big concert Hall |
| June 10 | Gothenburg | Liesberg |
| June 11 | Oslo | Norwegian Wood Festival |
| June 12 | Randers | Vaerket |
| June 14 | Riga | Arena Riga |
| June 15 | Warsaw | Sala Kongreskowa |
| June 17 | London | Hampton Court Palace |
| June 18 | Liverpool | Empire |
| June 20 | Birmingham | Symphony Hall |
| June 21 | Manchester | Opera House |
| June 23 | Glasgow | Clyde Auditorium |
| June 24 | Bournemouth | BIC |
| June 26 | Paris | Palais Des Sports |
| June 28 | Budapest | Budapest Arena |
| June 29 | Prague | KCP Congress Center |
| July 2 | Lyon | Amphitheatre - Centre Des Congres |
| July 3 | Milan | Civic Arena |