Ringo Starr reveals the fart-related rule that held The Beatles together: “It took the pressure off”
The Beatles may have had their fair share of disagreements on the road, but according to Ringo Starr, they had a clear rule surrounding farts that kept things civil in that regard.
During those early days, before they were able to travel in more opulent surroundings and were in each other’s pockets all day while squashed into a van, it’s easy to see how farts could possibly become an issue.
Starr, who recently turned 86, made the comments at his annual Peace and Love event, telling any younger bands, “If you’re in the van and you fart – own up to it.”
Speaking from personal experience, he added (via Daily Star), “We just occasionally with four guys in a three-hour car journey, one of us would make a noise. And at the beginning, it was like ‘well, it wasn’t me.”
Starr added, “And we realised, well, just to get it out of the way, say I did it. And it worked a treat and it took the pressure off.”
With everyone owning up to their gassiness, it alleviated potential sources of discontent in the camp, with Starr saying, “It wasn’t a thing. We didn’t like go oh, ‘I’m going next’.”
This is not the first time that Starr has mentioned the importance of owning up to farts while in the van, even using part of his 2015 induction speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to hammer the message home to younger artists.
Starr said at the prestigious ceremony, “A tip I’ve got for all bands who are starting out: when you’re in a van, if you fart, own up. It’ll cause hell if you don’t own up because everyone will blame everyone else. Make a pact in the van. We did and that’s how we get on so well.”
Presumably, the rule remains in place today for his All-Starr Band, who recently confirmed a new batch of dates for later this year.
The run of ten shows will stretch across September and October, kicking off on September 24th at the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania, and concluding on October 7th at the Palace Theatre in Albany, New York.
Notably, the tour also includes a stop at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, on October 1st, marking the first time Starr has returned to perform at the iconic venue since The Beatles last played there in 1964.
Additionally, Ringo was honoured on his 86th birthday with an honorary doctorate from the University of Liverpool, which he said he was “really honoured” by.
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