Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band@Massey Hall-Wed.,Sept.28th,2022

Posted by BK on September 30, 2022 in Arts, Music, Showcase | Leave a comment

 It was the return of Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band which started their North American/World Tour in Ontario at Casino Rama back in May. This line up had new and alumni members on this tour. Ringo Starr(Sir Richard Starkey) the one time Beatle drummer didn’t show any wear and tear for the 82-year-old musician.  Starr and his bandmates —second drummer Gregg Bissonette(David Lee Roth)along with multi-instrumentalist-backing singer Warren Ham(Toto&Kansas), singer-guitarist Steve Lukather (Toto), singer-bassist  Hamish Stuart(Average White Band&Paul McCartney)singer-organist Edgar Winter (The Edgar Winter Band)and guitarist&Singer Colin Hay(Men At Work)were a treat for the fans who really seemed to enjoy their two hour and 15 minute set.

The show started with Matchbox, previously covered by the Beatles, before getting  into solo classic songs such as:” It Don’t Come Easy” and “What Goes On”the latter from an early Beatles song, The fans loved Ringo’s wit and one liners and give him a big roar of approval!. Starr would eventually climb up to his drum set on an elevated riser in the middle of the stage and handed the first non-Ringo/Beatles song off to Edgar Winter and his first of three songs, Free Ride.(The Edgar Winter Group cover. Plus Frankenstein and Johnny B. Goode was also performed.) For the rest of the night each musician-singer taking their turn in the spotlight with their respective hits, while Lukather handle the guitar solos and eventually lead vocals on Grammy Award winning band Toto with mega hits such as:” Roseanna”, “Africa” – which got the entire crowd on its feet for the first time – and”Hold The Line”, and the crowd responded by “cheering” and dancing to Lukather. Pick Up the Pieces(Average White Band cover) (with Hamish Stuart) was the next song and the audience were dancing to the funk songs of such hits as Pick Up The Pieces, Cut The Cake and their rendition of the Isley Brother’s song”Work To Do.” Colin Hay did all the Men At Work hits-“Down Under”, “Overkill”&”Who Can It Be Now.”

Second drummer Gregg Bissonette had an amazing drum solo and a duet with guitarist Steve Lukather, as they “jammed” to iconic songs from Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones and a reference to Toronto with YYZ by RUSH. Ringo Starr’s fans  were dancing on the aisle to such Beatles tunes as: ” Boys”,” I’m The Greatest”– and “Yellow Submarine”. Ringo got the crowd into the concert with alot of audience participation and interaction with the crowd.  He invited and encouraged  the audience to “rush the stage” and get a little closer to him.  The die hard Beatles’ fans loved”I Wanna Be Your Man”, and the show-ending ” With A Little Help From My Friends/Give a Peace A Chance”  the demographic of the crowd was pretty evenly divided among young/old, crazied female(reminiscent of Beatle Mania) and male fans. The  front area of Massey Hall was eventually set free with fans converging to get closer to the band and it converted into an impromptu dancing area where exuberant fans crowded around. It should be very interesting to see the next “Supergroup”to join Ringo on his travels back here in Toronto. Beatle/Ringo Mania is alive and well in our city.

We would like to thank  DAVID LANGLEY  |  INVICTUS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP for the invitation to this event.

Setlist

1-Matchbox
(Carl Perkins cover)
2-It Don’t Come Easy
(Ringo Starr song)
3-What Goes On
(The Beatles cover)
4-Free Ride
(The Edgar Winter Group cover) (with Edgar Winter)
5-Rosanna
(Toto cover) (with Steve Lukather)
6-Pick Up the Pieces
(Average White Band cover) (with Hamish Stuart)
7-Down Under
(Men at Work cover) (with Colin Hay)
8-Boys
(The Shirelles cover)
9-I’m the Greatest
(Ringo Starr song)
10-Yellow Submarine
(The Beatles cover)
Solo Set
11-Cut the Cake
(Average White Band cover) (with Hamish Stuart)
12-Frankenstein
(The Edgar Winter Group cover) (with Edgar Winter)
13-Octopus’s Garden
(The Beatles cover)
14-Back Off Boogaloo
(Ringo Starr song)
15-Overkill
(Men at Work cover) (with Colin Hay)
16-Africa
(Toto cover) (with Steve Lukather)
17-Work to Do
(The Isley Brothers cover) (with Hamish Stuart)
18-I Wanna Be Your Man
(The Beatles cover)
19-Johnny B. Goode
(Chuck Berry cover) (with Edgar Winter)
20-Who Can It Be Now?
(Men at Work cover) (with Colin Hay)
21-Hold the Line
(Toto cover) (with Steve Lukather)
22-Photograph
(Ringo Starr song)
23-Act Naturally
(Johnny Russell cover)
24-“With a Little Help From My Friends
(The Beatles cover)

25-Give Peace a Chance’ by Plastic Ono Band chorus at the end.