Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Fukuoka – 3 November 1989

Friday 3 November 1989 | Live performance | Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan | By Beatles Fabdom

Ringo Starr and his first All-Starr Band played Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan on 3 November 1989. It was the fourth concert of their Japanese visit and the 34th show in the year’s 37-date tour.

The concert is often listed under Fukuoka, but the venue was in Kitakyushu, a separate city within Fukuoka Prefecture. Ringo arrived with Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Rick Danko, Dr John, Billy Preston, Clarence Clemons, Levon Helm and Jim Keltner. The programme combined Ringo’s Beatles and solo songs with performances led by the other singers.

From Hiroshima to Kyūshū: the fourth Japanese concert

The first All-Starr tour opened in Dallas on 23 July 1989. Thirty North American concerts followed across the United States and Canada, ending with two shows at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on 3 and 4 September. After a break, the musicians reunited for seven performances in Japan.

The Japanese itinerary began at Nagoya’s Rainbow Hall on 30 October and Osaka-jō Hall on 31 October. Ringo and the band then played Hiroshima on 2 November before continuing to northern Kyūshū for this concert the following evening. Two dates at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan and a final show at Yokohama Arena completed the tour.

The shared-billing format gave each singer a place in the set. Rather than accompanying Ringo throughout a programme of his own records, the All-Starrs moved between their different catalogues. Ringo sang from his solo career and Beatles years; the other performers brought material associated with The Band, the Eagles, New Orleans music and their individual recordings.

The original nine-member All-Starr Band

Helm and Danko were bandmates in The Band. Clemons and Lofgren brought their connections with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, while Walsh contributed songs from his Eagles and solo repertoire. Preston and Dr John supplied the keyboard-led selections. With Ringo, Helm and Keltner in the same line-up, the group also had three established drummers.

Preston’s Beatles connection extended beyond the choice of songs: he had played keyboards with the group during the January 1969 sessions. Keltner, meanwhile, had worked extensively with the former Beatles in their solo careers. Those connections sat alongside the All-Starrs’ separate recording histories.

Setlist

Ringo takes the lead unless another performer is named.

1. It Don’t Come Easy
2. No No Song
3. Yellow Submarine
4. Iko Iko — Dr John
5. The Weight — Levon Helm
6. Shine Silently — Nils Lofgren
7. Get Back — Billy Preston
8. Act Naturally
9. Honey Don’t
10. You’re A Friend Of Mine — Clarence Clemons
11. The Shape I’m In — Rick Danko
12. I Wanna Be Your Man
13. Life In The Fast Lane — Joe Walsh
14. Desperado — Joe Walsh
15. Raining In My Heart — Rick Danko
16. Up On Cripple Creek — Levon Helm
17. Boys
18. Bein’ Angry — Nils Lofgren
19. Candy — Dr John
20. Right Place Wrong Time — Dr John
21. Quarter To Three — Clarence Clemons
22. Amazing Grace — Joe Walsh
23. Rocky Mountain Way — Joe Walsh
24. Nothing From Nothing — Billy Preston
25. Photograph
26. You’re Sixteen
27. With A Little Help From My Friends

Ringo’s Beatles songs and solo hits

“It Don’t Come Easy”, first released as a single in 1971, opened the concert. It was followed by “No No Song” and “Yellow Submarine”, moving from Ringo’s solo catalogue into one of his best-known Beatles lead vocals before the first guest-led number.

“Act Naturally” and “Honey Don’t” returned to the country and rockabilly side of his Beatles repertoire. Later came “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Boys”, songs Ringo had sung with the group during its early years. The closing sequence paired the solo hits “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen” with “With A Little Help From My Friends”, his lead-vocal song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Another Beatles song appeared through Preston’s “Get Back”. Its inclusion gave the set a different link to the group’s history: Preston had played on the original recording, but here he led the performance himself. For more about Ringo’s recordings and career, visit our Ringo Starr history and solo-career guide.

The All-Starrs’ featured performances

Helm led “The Weight” and “Up On Cripple Creek”, while Danko sang “The Shape I’m In” and “Raining In My Heart”. Their contributions brought two distinctive voices from The Band into the running order. Lofgren’s featured selections were “Shine Silently” and “Bein’ Angry”.

Walsh sang “Life In The Fast Lane” and “Desperado”, followed later by “Amazing Grace” and “Rocky Mountain Way”. Dr John’s numbers were “Iko Iko”, “Candy” and “Right Place Wrong Time”. Clemons took the lead on “You’re A Friend Of Mine” and “Quarter To Three”.

Preston returned near the end with “Nothing From Nothing”, immediately before the final three Ringo-led songs. The rotating lead vocals were central to the concert’s structure: musicians who had just taken the spotlight then returned to supporting the next singer.

Complete 1989 All-Starr Band tour dates

The first tour comprised 37 concerts: 30 in North America and seven in Japan. Every date below is in 1989. Linked dates lead to matching concerts already covered in our archive.

Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan: the concert venue

The hall stood at 12-3 Otemachi, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. The building opened in 1984 and was subsequently renamed Kitakyushu Soleil Hall. This is the hall identified on the map below, not a venue in Fukuoka city and not Fukuoka Sunpalace, where Ringo performed on a later tour.

The former Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan included a hall and hotel. Kitakyushu acquired the complex in 2010, and the Soleil Hall name dates from its later operation. A Kitakyushu city notice identifies the former venue and its address, and announced closure from 1 April 2025 for investigations connected with refurbishment. The map marks the historical concert site, not a statement of current opening arrangements.

Open the former Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan site in Google Maps.

Frequently asked questions

Where did Ringo Starr play on 3 November 1989?

He played Kyūshū Kousei Nenkin Kaikan in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The venue later became known as Kitakyushu Soleil Hall.

Was the concert in Fukuoka city?

No. Although the concert is commonly listed under Fukuoka, the hall was in Kitakyushu, a different city in Fukuoka Prefecture, at 12-3 Otemachi, Kokurakita-ku.

Who was in the first All-Starr Band?

The nine musicians were Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Rick Danko, Dr John, Billy Preston, Clarence Clemons, Levon Helm and Jim Keltner.

What songs opened and closed the concert?

It Don’t Come Easy opened the 27-song programme. Photograph and You’re Sixteen preceded the closing With A Little Help From My Friends.

How many dates were on Ringo’s 1989 All-Starr tour?

The itinerary comprised 37 concerts: 30 in the United States and Canada, followed by seven in Japan. The 3 November performance was the 34th overall.

Where did the Japanese tour go after Kitakyushu?

The band played Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan on 6 and 7 November, then finished at Yokohama Arena on 8 November 1989.