Ringo in Houston, 8/11/95
David Joseph Persails
Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, Houston's Arena Theatre, Friday, Aug 11.
It was Ringo Starr's first visit to Houston in nearly 30 years. He has a
new band of famous names this time, but, as it was so many years ago, the
name "Ringo" seemed to be the most popular.
There were fans in their 50's and fans in their 10's, but they were here, in
Houston, the town the famous drummer once considered making his home. Lucky
for us he stayed in Liverpool, and met up with members of the world's most
famous musical group ever.
Why, in 1995, should we still be looking back on those historical days?
Indeed, Ringo's new band of All-Starrs present us with a nostalgia trip, all
their own. It's not just the 60's we get to re-live, no, we can haze through
sounds of the 70's, too. Billy Preston reminds us that rock music had
moves, Mark Farner reminds us that rock was funky, and John Entwistle and
Felix Cavaliere help us to remember that rock and roll used to be mod and
groovy. Randy Bachman reminds us that rock could be everything you want to
forget, and Ringo's son Zak Starkey, reminds us that rock is youthful.
Not a bad package, really.
In fact, this is by far the best band of All-Starrs Ringo has put together.
But lest you forget, Ringo put it together, he's the boss, and he's the
Starr every man, woman and child came to see. All night long, they high-
fived, hugged, kissed, and tossed flowers and applause at him. Fans rushed
the stage in a frenzy not seen since, well, 30 years ago. Houston missed
this lad, the funny Beatle, and they were letting it show.
What a show it was. Ringo led off with a newer rocker all his own, "Don't Go
Where The Road Don't Go." Then the fab drummer broke the ice and addressed
the crowd. "Well, it's good to be in Houston." The crowd roared. "Houston,
Texas. This is Billy's hometown, he was born in Houston. Local boy! He may
have left in his body, but his heart's always been here. That's what he
tells us -- he left when he was one." The funny Beatle was still funny.
He introduced the next number, reprising the only song he sang on that
Houston stage three decades ago. "OK, I'd like to do another one for you
now. It's a number I did in that other band I was in, called 'I Wanna Be
Your Man.'" The 60's, and remebrances of "that other band" are still with
us, and Ringo is more than happy to oblige.
There were solo hits, too, as Ringo brought out "It Don't Come Easy,"
"You're Sixteen," "Photograph," and the "No No Song," all sandwiched around
favorite Beatles tunes. The band breezed through a faithful rendition of
"Boys," and a very lounge-act like performance of "Yellow Submarine." After
chiding the crowd that "even children know it," they wouldn't dare not sing
along.
Perhaps there was one sign that time had set in, as Ringo introduced his
next song, "a Carl Perkins number called 'Act Naturally.'" That got a funny
look from John Entwistle, who knew better. Realizing he was mistaken Ringo
quickly muttered, "Help me out, now. What number do I mean?" Which garnered
a laugh from bandmates, before they broke into "Honey Don't." After the
song, Ringo said "Thank you. Finally got it right." And then, as had been
going on for some time, another woman ran up one of the stage ramps to touch
the Beatle. "Yes, hi. Hello. Ah, hoo, hee, hoo, hoo ah. Take her away."
He could have fun and poke fun at the same time, without missing a beat.
In another bit of stage patter, designed to make the audience feel like the
show was made for them, Ringo announced "We've been touring now for three
months, and I've been dying to get to this state, of uh, Texas." Yip, yip
yows, and alamo shouts filled the air. "Because now, this line I've done
every night for three months is gonna work. Are there any cowboys in the
house?" More whooping and hollering. "There wasn't much response in
Kentucky." Oh, the funny Beatle struck again. "Are there any cowgirls?" The
same people shouted again. Maybe they weren't sure. Maybe they were
answering for each other. "Well, this song's just for you, and it's called
'Act Naturally.'"
The fans attacking Ringo on the stage continued, at a fever pitch by now,
and several of Houston's Finest positioned themselves all around the stage,
with chairs to help block people out. But as they would stop this ex-
Beatlemania in one area, another fan would break through to another part of
the stage. It was getting way out of hand, and as Ringo pointed out, "You're
going crazy over here!" No sooner had he said that and another fan walked up
to Ringo for a high five. Growing tired of this display, he said "Make this
the last, OK?" as he slapped the guy's hand and walked away. The round and
revolving stage lent itself to this kind of adoration from the fans, but it
was clear that the Arena Theatre staff were not prepared for the free-for-
all that took place. On a couple of occasions Ringo left the stage while
the others played their hits, leaving himself open to run through the
crowded aisles of fans all wanting a piece of him. Security teams would
form a loose wall down an aisle just before Ringo would run on or off the
stage, but the crowd caught on, and would gather in large numbers on the
aisle. Finally, the security people decoyed the audience on an aisle, only
to take the celebrity up a different aisle. He was safe, it seemed, but
sometimes, just barely. I don't think fans were out to do any harm, but
some didn't mind just throwing body hugs all over him. Beatle-mania never
died, it seems.
Finally, came the encore. "Usually when we play the regular gigs we all run
off, you see. We all pretend we're leaving, and then the audience all make
this noise, then we come back. You've been to a concert before, so you see
what happens here is we're trapped! (Laughter from the crowd.) We can't go
anywhere, so we're gonna pretend. The lights are gonna go out, and we're
gonna pretend we're gone. So that gives you a chance to make your noise. "
They do. The lights come back on. "OK, you've forced us to come back. I'd
like to do a number now that probably relates to five or six people in the
audience, it's called the "No No Song." The show closed with the crowd
joining in strongly on "With A Little Help From My Friends." Ringo Starr
had a little help from a lot of friends in Houston, Texas.
-Dave
<pers...@tenet.edu> or <D.Per...@genie.geis.com>
-Dave
Edward S. Chen
show. Go see it if you can, especially if you've only seen one or none of
the previous RASB tours. However, I just have to play devil's advocate, and
express some of the mixed feelings I personally had to the show.
In article <Pine.OSF.3.91.950813...@Leslie-Francis.tenet.edu>,
David Joseph Persails <pers...@tenet.edu> wrote:
>-----------------------------------------------
>Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, Houston's Arena Theatre, Friday, Aug 11.
The opening act was all-Starr Veteran Nils Lofgren, who also joins the show
for the encore. No word on how long he's sticking around for, but his brief
set on acoustic guitar / piano (with occaional sax/percussion by Mark Rivera)
is a musical joy to behold.
>There were fans in their 50's and fans in their 10's, but they were here, in
>Houston, the town the famous drummer once considered making his home. Lucky
>for us he stayed in Liverpool, and met up with members of the world's most
>famous musical group ever.
It should be noted that the "fans in their tens" were children of the
"fans in their fifties." Being somewhere in the middle, at times I
felt a bit out of place, something I *didn't* feel three years ago when
I saw the second incarnation in Florida.
>Why, in 1995, should we still be looking back on those historical days?
>Indeed, Ringo's new band of All-Starrs present us with a nostalgia trip, all
>their own. It's not just the 60's we get to re-live, no, we can haze through
>sounds of the 70's, too. Billy Preston reminds us that rock music had
>moves, Mark Farner reminds us that rock was funky, and John Entwistle and
>Felix Cavaliere help us to remember that rock and roll used to be mod and
>groovy. Randy Bachman reminds us that rock could be everything you want to
>forget, and Ringo's son Zak Starkey, reminds us that rock is youthful.
>Not a bad package, really.
What the act is missing is someone to lend it a bit of current "street
credibility." With all due respect to Zak, he is largely recognized
only by music industry types and label readers (well, and being Ringo's
son :-). From previous incarnations, Todd Rundgren and Clarence Clemons
were among the artists who helped keep the show more than the "Loving
Feelings" oldies shows being packaged around the country.
>In fact, this is by far the best band of All-Starrs Ringo has put together.
I think I would take the first group over this one. Clarence Clemons
convinced Ringo he needed sax/percussion in the band, and the interplay
of Ringo and Joe Walsh is *so* good.
>But lest you forget, Ringo put it together, he's the boss, and he's the
>Starr every man, woman and child came to see. All night long, they high-
>fived, hugged, kissed, and tossed flowers and applause at him. Fans rushed
>the stage in a frenzy not seen since, well, 30 years ago. Houston missed
>this lad, the funny Beatle, and they were letting it show.
Except for the fact they couldn't sell out a shoebox (~1300-seats) venue
like the Arena Theatre. True, advertising was minimal, but with less
advertising, comedians like George Carlin and Gallagher (!) routinely sell
out the site.
[Overview of Ringo's portion of the show deleted]
My biggest problem is that we've seen almost everything he (Ringo) did in
his portion of the show before. The patter is canned, and both the material
and arrangements are entirely recycled. For people *only* interested in
Ringo who have seen both the first and second RASB tours, there really isn't
much reason to spend the big dollars to see him here.
>The fans attacking Ringo on the stage continued, at a fever pitch by now,
>and several of Houston's Finest positioned themselves all around the stage,
>with chairs to help block people out. But as they would stop this ex-
>Beatlemania in one area, another fan would break through to another part of
>the stage. It was getting way out of hand, and as Ringo pointed out, "You're
>going crazy over here!"
While amusing, it was also (IMHO) a bit sad. The ladies charging the stage
weren't really charging Ringo Starr, leader of Ringo's All Starr Band, but
instead they were going after "FORMER BEATLE RINGO STARR." While that is
certainly part of who the man is, and part of the reason why we (the collective
"we") love him, he is capable of more. Ringo, on the other hand seems
to think that he should sink to the level of his audience and mostly wallow
in the nostalgia. (Witness the tour shirt which features a '64-vintage
Ringo on the front) I say If these so-called fans generally only want to
hear Beatles material in favor of your new stuff, play the smaller venues
(ie: larger bars and nightclubs), and challenge the crowds a bit.
What would I tell Ringo to do if I had his ear for a few minutes?
(1) Dump David Fishof. He is good enough at promoting, but being a schill
for Pepsi, VO-5, and now "The Discover Card." won't help your career.
A lot of promoters would be willing to book a tour for you, and do it
*your way*. (Something which reportedly didn't happen this time through
as Fishof vetoed any "Old Wave" or "Stop and Smell the Roses" material)
(2) Go back into the recording studio. Record, and tour behind that record.
There will be 12 songs on the disc. Play at least 4-5 of them live.
...and finally...
(3) Get yourself a band. Not an "All Starr Band," but an honest-to-goodness
conglomeration of guys who make a helluva noise playing together. Go on
the road *together*. Some of the members of Jellyfish (who helped you
tremendously on the marvelous "Time Takes Time") are certainly available.
Besides, it seems to me you were always best playing drums behind a band.
<ESC>
--
And the last thing these catch-all box sets are is systematic. There is very
little serious peeking behind the shades going on here. [...] The same process
of self censorship to be found in their art is just as likely to be found on
their box set. -- Clinton Heylin, _Bootleg_
KarZalot
spread of Ringo in his Beatle days. As much as I loved the Beatles...I
want to accept Ringo as he is today and would love to hear and see a more
current Ringo. I thought the concert was fabulous and would love to hear
more...
Thanks, Karen
"I'll get by with a little help from my friends..."
Laura Dever
I thought it was great to see the enthusiasm. However, I was quite
worried about Ringo's safety. This 1995, not 1964, and situations like
that are more dangerous for celebreties now than then. After all the
tragic stalking and killings of celbreties by fans, it not wise for Ringo
to be THAT accessable. I also went to the San Antonio shows. The crowd in
San Antonio all rushed the stage before and stood there. Only one person
got on the stage though, and I felt Ringo was safer. In Dallas, it was
the opposite of Houston. Security was so strict that security harrassed
anyone coming down or leaving their seats close to the stage. It was a
little over-done. If Ringo hadn't seen me with the Stetson hat I gave him
and signaled me to throw it up to him, I'm sure security would been all
over me. I guess Texas showed both extremes.
From Me To You,
Laura
Bryan D. Woolley
>(1) Dump David Fishof. He is good enough at promoting, but being a schill
> for Pepsi, VO-5, and now "The Discover Card." won't help your career.
> A lot of promoters would be willing to book a tour for you, and do it
> *your way*. (Something which reportedly didn't happen this time through
> as Fishof vetoed any "Old Wave" or "Stop and Smell the Roses" material)
Thank GOD! Old Wave Material was vetoed. No offense Ed,
but that album was Terrible. (capital T)
haven't heard SASTR.
I've heard that somebody is getting up at Ringo shows
and basically doing a discover commercial, and this
is incredibly lame.
>
>(2) Go back into the recording studio.
***GET A DECENT PRODUCER!! One who's a little more
in touch with TODAY'S music. Jeff Lynne (yeh, I know!)
would be good for Ringo. His songs on Time takes time
were good for Ringo. But I think he should stay away
from all of the producers and musicians he's recorded
with on his older solo albums. Don Was also did a nice
job.
Record, and tour behind that record.
> There will be 12 songs on the disc. Play at least 4-5 of them live.
YES! Time Takes Time was a pretty good album as Ringo's
go. I like it better than Ringo but only because Ringo
is dated to me.
>
>...and finally...
>
>(3) Get yourself a band. Not an "All Starr Band," but an honest-to-goodness
>conglomeration of guys who make a helluva noise playing together. Go on
>the road *together*. Some of the members of Jellyfish (who helped you
>tremendously on the marvelous "Time Takes Time") are certainly available.
>Besides, it seems to me you were always best playing drums behind a band.
this is also a great idea. Even if he had the Jellyfish
guys writing for him, that'd be a plus. I have a hard
time believing that they'd want to play in HIS band
mostly because of the fact that they aare better singers
than Ringo and I would sure have a hard time letting him
sing lead on my songs. However, if they wrote material
tailored for Ringo, that'd be VERY cool.
I agree about the "you were always best playing drums
behind a band" comment. I NEVER understood why he
had other drummers drumming on his album. Ringo's got
a very definite feel
Bryan
NO EMAIL PLEASE
________________________________________________________
I'm not a rock star, but I play one on the weekends!
-------------------------------------------------------
Edward S. Chen
Bryan D. Woolley <vg...@tc.fluke.COM> wrote:
>In article <40lu0b$d...@menudo.uh.edu> bch...@menudo.uh.edu (Edward S. Chen) writes:
>
>> as Fishof vetoed any "Old Wave" or "Stop and Smell the Roses" material)
>
>but that album was Terrible. (capital T)
A lot of it was pretty bad. However, two songs (in particular the fantastic
"In My Car") could have easily been resurrected.
>haven't heard SASTR.
"Drumming is My Madness" jazzed-up with Ringo and Zak alternating singing
would've been nice. Alternatively, "Brandy" and some of the stuff exclusive
to the CD re-release would've been quite tasty.
>I've heard that somebody is getting up at Ringo shows
>and basically doing a discover commercial, and this
>is incredibly lame.
Correct. The pitchman is far too excited for his own good :-)
>>
>>(2) Go back into the recording studio.
>
>***GET A DECENT PRODUCER!! One who's a little more
>in touch with TODAY'S music. Jeff Lynne (yeh, I know!)
>would be good for Ringo.
That's half the problem with "Old Wave." Joe Walsh is excellent at
producing guitars, but has no idea how to fill in the cracks in Ringo's
vocals. I would actually like to see Ringo work with George again, which
may or may not happen with them hanging out for "Anthology" stuff.
>>(3) Get yourself a band. Not an "All Starr Band," but an honest-to-goodness
>>conglomeration of guys who make a helluva noise playing together. Go on
>>the road *together*. Some of the members of Jellyfish (who helped you
>>tremendously on the marvelous "Time Takes Time") are certainly available.
>>Besides, it seems to me you were always best playing drums behind a band.
>
>
>this is also a great idea. Even if he had the Jellyfish
>guys writing for him, that'd be a plus. I have a hard
>time believing that they'd want to play in HIS band
>mostly because of the fact that they aare better singers
>than Ringo and I would sure have a hard time letting him
>sing lead on my songs. However, if they wrote material
>tailored for Ringo, that'd be VERY cool.
Well, who said Ringo had to handle all the vocals? I envision a
"Ringo Starr Band" album consisting of about half Ringo vocals, and
half other band members vocals. That would facilitate the live show,
and possibly attract buyers who think of Ringo as "a good drummer, but
a lousy singer."
>I agree about the "you were always best playing drums
> behind a band" comment. I NEVER understood why he
>had other drummers drumming on his album. Ringo's got
>a very definite feel
Joe Brennan pointed out the difference in feel between Zak and Ringo,
and watching them it is patently clear. I don't think Ringo wants
to play drums for an entire album (or for two continuous hours of a
stage show), but the plan I have outlined above would alleviate that
problem. Have another drummer as part of the band, but don't have
both guys playing drums simultaneously.
<ESC>
--
"Now is never really very important to most people...but, it's really all
you've got" -- Paul McCartney
Laura Dever
hits he's done with the other two tours. It would have added some variety.
Zak is an INCREDIBLE drummer! I couldn't take my eyes off him at times.
It actually looked like he tried to hold back when Dad joined him on the
drums so as not to show up the old man.