Sir Ringo Starr says he is “ready to rock” ahead of his new US tour with his All Starr Band.
The veteran rock star and Beatles drummer, 82, said he had never found playing live to be “gruelling” and had always loved performing in a band.
Sir Ringo first assembled the All Starr group in 1989, though the line-up has revolved over the last three decades of performances.
The 2023 line-up consists of Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Edgar Winter, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart and Gregg Bissonette, with the tour due to kick off on May 19.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Sir Ringo said: “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.”
Asked about the success of his All Starr bands over the past 30-plus years, he said: “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.”
Sir Ringo added that he had requested fewer breaks between shows for the 2023 tour, which features 22 dates across the US.
“I don’t want to sit in the hotel and relax for three days, I want to get out there and play,” he said.
“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.”
Last year Sir Ringo was forced to cancel his All Starr tour after testing positive for Covid-19 twice in two weeks.