Robert Hampton

I don’t know why the Echo and others are disappointed with Ringo Starr’s comments on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

I watched a sizeable chunk of the Capital of Culture television coverage; in his various monosyllabic interviews, Starr’s attitude seemed to me akin to that of someone anticipating a trip to his accountant to prepare a tax return. This trip was not a task to be enjoyed, but something he felt obliged to do for financial reasons (after all, his new album Liverpool 8 does trade on his roots ever-so-slightly).

He was the most disappointing part of the opening night for me (easily surpassed in talent and enthusiasm by The Wombats), so I’m not terribly surprised or upset by this latest development. What does mystify me is why the powers-that-be in Liverpool hyped him up over the many other Scouse artists who could have performed. Anyone from Gerry Marsden right up to Anthony Hannah (listen to his cover of Relax here) would have been preferable.