Ringo Starr Once Walked Out Of An Elton John Show After Three Songs

Ringo Starr And Elton John Portrait — Photo: Archive Photos

Imagine going to an Elton John concert at Wembley Stadium and leaving after three songs. It's hard to fathom, but that's what Ringo Starr (and John's own mother!) did in 1975. And it's because John was playing his brand new album Captain Fantastic in full, and they didn't know the songs.

The Beatles drummer recalled the incident during a new interview with The Sunday Times. “I was with his mother,” Starr says. “He came on and said, ‘I’m only going to do the new album.’ Me and his mother left after three tracks because we didn’t know them.”

The conversation stemmed from Starr explaining why he doesn't like to play new music live. “In the late Nineties, I would put in, like, two or three from the new album, and you could feel the room empty," he admitted. "It happens to everybody.”

So despite having a new album, Look Up, in his discography don't expect Starr to play anything new on tour. Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band plan to hit the road in June after cancelling the last dates of their 2024 tour due to illness. Check out a full list of tour dates below.