Ringo Starr recalls attic drum session with Charlie Watts and John Bonham

Ringo on stage
(Image credit: Michael Hurcomb/Corbis via Getty Images)

 As far as drum-hangs go, it doesn’t get much bigger than three icons of British drumming, and Ringo Starr has been reminiscing about the time he, Charlie Watts and John Bonham took to his loft to check out his drum kit.

During a press conference promoting his latest EP, Change The World, Ringo explained, “I had a drum kit up in the attic – it was like a cinema attic, music, whatever you want to do up there. Charlie came, and so did John Bonham. We’ve got three drummers, just hanging out." 

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t long before Bonham’s right foot induced the dreaded bass drum-creep. “Bonham got on the kit. But because it was just like … you know, it’s not like onstage, where you nail them down, so they’re steady. It was just, like, there. So as he was playing, the bass drum was hopping away from him." 

Ringo and Watts took action, anchoring the bass drum while Bonham played, in a move that now has the former Beatle wishing the moment had been captured. 

“You think, ‘Ah, man! [Laughing] That would have been a great little video, a TikTok or a photo [that] would have gone worldwide!” .

“But in the ‘70s, I had parties, and you’ll never find any photos because I wouldn’t let you take photos, you know, in my house. But I always think, That would have been a great shot to have.”

 Ringo also took a moment to pay tribute to the late Rolling Stones drummer, "Yeah, we will miss Charlie. He was a beautiful human being. He was like The Quiet Man. Me and Charlie, we hung out. It’s not liked we lived together, we lived close in London, or we’d find ourselves at dinner or a gig.”

Ringo Starr, Change The World is out now.

Stuart Williams
Drums

I'm a freelance member of the MusicRadar team, specialising in drum news, interviews and reviews. I formerly edited Rhythm and Total Guitar here in the UK and have been playing drums for more than 25 years (my arms are very tired). When I'm not working on the site, I can be found on my electronic kit at home, or gigging and depping in function bands and the odd original project.