Paying tribute to musical icons every summer in Barry, none other than The Beatles are headlining Glastonbarry 2018, and Ringo Starr – OK, technically Simon Adams from tribute band Beatles For Sale, but he was wearing a wig, so it counts – spoke to Fedor Tot.
It’s fair to say that the Beatles headlining in Glastonbarry is one of the music events of the year. Are you looking forward to the gig?
Oh yeah, very much so. We headlined it a couple of years ago, having never even heard of it previously. It was amazing – certainly the best gig of that particular year – so we’re hoping this one will be even better.
In your long career, what do you consider your greatest achievement: being the narrator of Thomas the Tank Engine or forming Ringo’s All Starr Band?
Well it’s definitely not Ringo’s All-Starr Band – we’re not any good, are we really? I did a couple of bad singles as well. I’ll tell you my greatest achievement in all seriousness. I have a very odd style of drumming, I play backwards – right-handed when playing the drumbeat and left-handed when giving a drum fill – I didn’t invent it, it was an accident. Many people made jokes about my drumming, but I’m a very unique player!
I believe it was Paul McCartney who joked that you weren’t even the best drummer in the Beatles – what do you say to that?
Hang on, Paul’s here now. Paul, did you say that about me?
Paul: I never said that, it was John who said that! [It was actually Jasper Carrott – ed]
Ringo: Paul McCartney in all seriousness is a half-decent drummer – he can play. Paul played on some of the Beatles’ tracks – he played drums on Back In The USSR. I don’t know why I wasn’t in the studio, I think we all fell out around that time. Apparently, Paul was drumming and one of the other guys, probably John, was leaning over and doing the drum fills.
What was it like when John started coming in with things like Revolution Number 9?
Well you know, I was on holidays all the bloody time when he was doing all that crap. It’s not the greatest really, if you think about it. I didn’t do as many drugs as they did, that’s why they came up with all that. Wouldn’t let me play drums on it either. We did a song called Tomorrow Never Knows and they let me play the drum on that, which I’m very proud of.
You mentioned the others were taking lots of drugs. By most accounts The Rolling Stones were more hedonistic than yourselves – do you ever feel a little bit annoyed that all but Brian Jones in that band are still standing?
Actually, that hedonism is complete and utter myth. Back in the day we were just as bad. It was very clever marketing back in the day that made us look like a clean-cut bunch of lads from Liverpool, but actually but actually we were doing as many drugs as they were.
Have you got any stories from those days?
Ah, just Google it! I don’t remember much from back then really. But I’m sober now.
You’ve been sober since the 80s.
Yes, I did have some trouble with the pressure. I was part of the most famous entity in history – we’re probably more famous than Jesus.
John, in the background: I never said we were bigger than Jesus – and I never said we were bigger than Moses, I just said that Ringo’s nose was bigger than most noses!
When your son Zack started getting into drums, did you give him any advice?
I told him not to be as good as me, and he turned out to be better than me.
How on earth did you end up marrying Barbara Bach?
Well I was drunk at the time, and I came back to my hotel room and they had been filming the James Bond movie nearby, I think a Roger Moore one – and he certainly rogered more than me at the time. Barbara was in my bath and I said “Barbara, how did you get in my bath?” and she said “No, I’m Barbara Bach” and that’s it really, I jumped in, we had a glass of champagne and Bob’s your uncle. Got married a week later.
Glastonbarry, Romilly Park, Barry, Sat 28 + Sun 29 Jul. Tickets: £32 (weekend pass). Info: www.glastonbarry.com