Sir Ringo Starr is feeling “ready to rock” ahead of his US tour with his All Starr Band.
The 82-year-old former Beatles drummer is finally set to embark on his delayed 22-date jaunt, which he cancelled due to coming down with COVID-19 for a second time in 2022.
And the legendary sticksman has insisted he has never found touring or performing live to be “gruelling”.
He said at a press conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday (17.05.23): “Yesterday we ran the whole show and I feel ready to rock.
“It’s not gruelling playing. It’s never been gruelling. I love to play. I love to play with these guys.”
On his stamina, he continued: “I didn’t think of it. I was just doing it.
“Yeah, it’s been a long time … I mean, 34 years with a couple of years’ break because of the pandemic, but it’s what I do.
“I love to play and I love to play with great musicians and I love to play great songs, and I get all of that from these guys.”
In fact, the ‘Let it Be’ hitmaker asked for there to be fewer days off in between shows on the tour, which begins on May 19 in Temecula, California.
He added: “I don’t want to sit in the hotel and relax for three days, I want to get out there and play.
“That’s just how I am, I just love to do it.
“With this band it’s great because you know everybody takes the weight.”
Meanwhile, Ringo has a country EP in the works with T-Bone Burnett, one of three he’s working on.
On how he got the 75-year-old Grammy winner involved, he shared: “I asked [Burnett] to help us out.
“[I said] if he’s got any time and wants to do it… Well, he did want to do it, and he sent me, I promise you, one of the most beautiful country songs, tracks, I’ve heard in a long time. It’s very old school country. It’s beautiful. So I thought, ‘Hey, I’m gonna make a country EP!'”
One of the other EPs is a collaboration with legendary singer-songwriter Linda Perry, who has penned hits for Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani.
He said: “I finished one [EP] just before I started rehearsing.
“We got to know each other and I love her.
“She’s just great. She said, ‘Oh, Ringo, let me do it.’
“[I said] ‘OK, do what you do.’ The only thing I’ll be doing on that EP is playing drums and singing.”
On his decision to ditch the album format, he added: “I get to meet and actually work with people I’ve never worked with, which I’ve always found exciting.
“I just felt EPs, you could sort of look at it in a serious way and you can do it in a month.
“An album does take longer, so (EPs are) what I’ve been doing.”