Ringo Starr Returns To Festival Hall After 48 Years

Ringo Starr was back on stage at Festival Hall, Melbourne last night for the first time since June 17, 1964. However, the famed Beatles drummer wasn’t there to reminisce.

Ringo Starr, Festival Hall, Melbourne Australia, Photo By Ros O'Gorman

During the two-hour All-Starr show The Beatles were only ever referred to as “my other band” and a reference to “not being here in a long time” was the closest nod we had to their historic one-off Aussie tour of ’64 at this very same venue.

Ringo wasn’t here to look back. He showcased a few songs from his latest album ‘Ringo 2012’ and made a few jokes about how no-one in the audience had bought it. Ringo has designed the All-Starr Band more as one of the world’s great party bands with a line-up featuring Todd Rundgren, Richard Page of Mr Mister, Steve Lukather of Toto and Greg Rolie of early Santana sharing the spotlight during the show.

The setlist itself, while having the continuity of an iPod on shuffle, still maintained historic relevance from the rock era with thanks to a few of those “other band” songs like ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, Santana rock classics ‘Evil Ways’ and ‘Black Magic Woman’, Todd’s ‘I Saw The Light’, Toto’s ‘Africa’, ‘Rosanna’ and ‘Hold The Line’ and Richard Page’s Mr Mister hits of the 80s ‘Kyrie’ and ‘Broken Wings’.

Ringo’s ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ and ‘Photograph’ were clearly crowd highlights.

So while the continuity seemed strange at times, the audience certainly didn’t mind. An almost full Festival Fall crowd may have came along to see a Beatles live on stage but clearly enjoyed the classic hits of the all of the All-Starr Band members as well.

The setlist for Ringo Starr and the All-Starr Band at Festival Hall, Melbourne for Lennard Promotions was:

Matchbox (The Beatles)
It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
Wings (Ringo Starr)
I Saw The Light (Todd Rundgren)
Evil Ways (Santana)
Rosanna (Toto)
Kyrie (Mr Mister)
Don’t Pass Me By (The Beatles)
Bang The Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren)
Boys (The Beatles)
Yellow Submarine (The Beatles)
Black Magic Woman (Santana)
Anthem (Ringo Starr)
You Are Mine (Richard Page)
Honey Don’t (The Beatles)
Africa (Toto)
Everybody’s Everything (Santana)
I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles)
Love Is The Answer (Utopia)
Broken Wings (Mr Mister)
Hold The Line (Toto)
Act Naturally (The Beatles)
Photograph (Ringo Starr)
With A Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles)
Give Peace A Chance (John Lennon)