Hello,

My second and almost certainly last time seeing the last creative Beatle left standing:would he hold up seven years later?I should never have even doubted him.
By the way,ever wondered what an entire city on the lash looked like?No...hmmm,just me then...but Glasgow seemed to be pretty much it yesterday,buoyed by beautiful sunshine and the certainty that they were going to have a mass singalong later that day.Win/win!

There was a doubt about how many tickets were sold for this show,what with the recession and Macca's top price of £95 including the always-justified booking fee,but it seemed pretty much full and there really was a knees-up atmosphere even on entering the stadium.
By the way Hampden,any danger of you abandoning the ridiculous 'gotta buy some vouchers before you exchange them for a beverage' system?Thought not.

The start to the show was a little underwhelming as the band strode out and promptly made no discernible noise at all.It was left to Macca to charm the bemused crowd for a minute or so before kicking-off with the low key "Venus and Mars":not something that I'd ever play at home to be fair,but he seems to like it.
It is my guess that the hapless tech is now swimming with the fishes given that his guv'nor doesn't suffer fools.

As I was lucky enough to be right on the rail I could hear some of the shouts between Macca and his lieutenants:it seemed that the crowd's relatively muted response was met with an answer of "...well,sod you:you can be quiet if you want but we're gonna play well regardless!".
They then launched into the ubersingalong of "Jet" and never looked back.How can you lose when your catalogue allows to follow the odd clunker with something like "Drive My Car"?It's almost unfair and almost too much to take in,especially when the man announces that the Epiphone that he is playing is the same one that he used on 'Rubber Soul' and 'Revolver'.High grade guitar porn,no doubt!

There was a little dig when he took his jacket off after two or three songs and said that that was it as far as costume changes went and for Madonna to eat her heart out.He is well aware of what he is worth in all senses:no false modesty here...this guy is nails.

Tell you what though-he still has a bloody remarkable rock'n'roll voice as I heard him sing when away from the mic...surprisingly loud yet raw.It was his 68th birthday the other day too.
His four bandmates have been with him for the last 7 years and more too but still don't seem complacent.Actually,if that happened I think they would be off the bus pronto,as the number of times that I saw Macca looking over at one of his two guitar players as they played a sequence and he looked quietly pleased,not smug,but I imagine he was tickled at how @#$%& tremendous those songs sounded.
The other thing is that his band all sing back-up vocals too which breaks my 'no singing drummers' rule but I wouldn't argue with Abe Laboriel Jr. as not only are his drumsticks like oars but he reminds me of the bond villain Odd Job.Repect.

So no,they didn't ring it in,no matter that this must have been the 60000th time playing these beauties.He must still get a buzz from people singing songs like 'Hey Jude' back at him one thousand times louder.The feeling you get when when you hear 'Let It Be' or 'Blackbird' is difficult to describe:they are part of you,so familiar are they.

There were clearly some emotional highpoints:bloody hell,when two of your friends are gone how could there not be?There was a beautiful tribute to George in the form of Macca starting off 'Something' on the ukelele that belonged to George before bringing in the rest of the band.Wow!His oft-told anecdote about Harrison being a real George Formby expert and member of Formby's fan club went down well too.
There had to be a mention for John of course and this was a little more reserved but because I was close I heard Macca say "...for you brother...".Amen.

As corny as it is,I love 'Mull Of Kintyre':words that probably have me sectioned but there...I've said it.How good was it with a drum and pipe band onstage giving it some?Try fantastic and then some.
I know none of this is ground-breaking stuff but frankly with a heritage act of his calibre,who cares?He was onstage without a break for 2 hours and 45 minutes which is Boss-like behaviour and it is obvious that he is a man with talent to burn.
On the swift walk back to hotel I didn't hear one dissenting voice amidst all the swear-words,hah-hah!Truly we got the night out we wanted.

Couple of clunkers for sure,but who has a back-catalogue like his?

1. Venus and Mars / Rockshow
2. Jet
3. All My Loving
4. Letting Go
5. Drive My Car
6. Highway
7. Let Me Roll It
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
10. Let ‘Em In
11. My Love
12. I've Just Seen A Face
13. And I Love Her
14. Blackbird
15. Here Today
16. Dance Tonight
17. Mrs Vandebilt
18. Eleanor Rigby
19. Something
20. Sing The Changes
21. Band On The Run
22. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
23. Back In The USSR
24. I’ve Got A Feeling
25. Paperback Writer
26. A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
27. Let It Be
28. Live And Let Die
29. Hey Jude

Encore
30. Day Tripper
31. Lady Madonna
32. Get Back

Second Encore
33. Yesterday
34. Mull Of Kintyre
35. Helter Skelter
36. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End





















and look bottom-right for your's truly!



Cheers,

Si.

Please look at sponsoring me at [www.bmycharity.com]

Venus and Mars/Rock show is a great number. He opened with that in the 70's. Sad that the crowd didn't seem to recognize it. "Mull" is absolutley HORRIBLE!

Wow, I really not regret seeing him in the 90s. Hope I get a chance to before it's too late.

[thepowergoats.com]

Erm... really like Mull of Kintyre actually. Maybe you had to have been raised in argyle diapers. He has said he only plays it in Scotland and Toronto. We'll see next month if he brings it back. Have some whisky, starstar74, it might help!

Scotland and TO? As a fellow Canuck (of SCottish background) I'm cuious as to why?

[thepowergoats.com]

Great set list, and Venus and Mars is a great lost classic. He opened the 76 tour with it and combined it with Jet as well. Its on Wings Over America. I wish though he would do the entire song!
I am off to see him in Salt Lake City in July! YES!

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jamesfdouglas
Scotland and TO? As a fellow Canuck (of SCottish background) I'm cuious as to why?

They're the only places where Mull charted or was popular. It didn't make it in the US or England. I remember it getting a fair bit of radio play when I was in high school. Apparently Canucks have a high tolerance / affection for bagpipes. I saw Macca at the Ex and the Skydome in the 90s and both times he played the song as an encore and used the Peel Police Pipe Band to back him up, lined up across the stage in full regalia. Pretty moving and impressive, if you like that kind of thing. And I do. (If it's nay Scottish, it's crrrrrrap!)

Yeah torontogirl, Mull of Kintyre wasn't popular in the US. The B-side got more airplay, the lost gem of Girls School. What a great rocker!

Great revue Si. I'll be lucky enough to be seeing him for the second time on this tour next month.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

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whitem8
Yeah torontogirl, Mull of Kintyre wasn't popular in the US. The B-side got more airplay, the lost gem of Girls School. What a great rocker!

Girls School is a great rocker. MOK is the Macca equivalent of a Keith set.

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sweetcharmedlife
MOK is the Macca equivalent of a Keith set.

Phthfft!

will see him in SF next month....I put some pix from his 76 show here on my website... peterstupar.com peter

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SomeTorontoGirl

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sweetcharmedlife
MOK is the Macca equivalent of a Keith set.

Phthfft!

Perhaps some gas-x will take care of that problem STG....Otherwise I hope you go see Sir Paul....Will Ya....Man we really need a Will Ya emoticon on this board....But I digress .....Run...Don't walk...Evrybody must see Macca one more time.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-06-22 16:17 by sweetcharmedlife.

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SomeTorontoGirl
They're the only places where Mull charted or was popular.

Um - mild pedantry ahead. Scotland has the same charts as England, so it was a Christmas #1 across the whole UK back in 1977. In fact, it sold millions oc copies - more than any Beatles single, for instance - and is still one of the UK's best-ever selling singles. I'm pretty sure it was also #1 in a fair few places across Europe and in Australia.

It is, of course, popular in Scotland as it's actually about Scotland - specifically the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll.

That and the bagpipes.

Anyway, I too was there and thought it was phenomenal. In fact, if pushed I'd go one better and say it was better than the Stones the last time they played Hampden.

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SimonN
the crowd's relatively muted response was met with an answer of "...well,sod you:you can be quiet if you want but we're gonna play well regardless!".

Really? Jings.

great review and photos, Si - thanks

quote]

It didn't make it in the US or England. !)[/quote]

Wasn't Mull of Kintyre the biggest selling single of all time in the UK before Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?

Macca dug it out for his O2 show last December. For those of us old enough to remember when it came out in a sea of punk rock, MOK is a great song IMO

At just under 3 hours a great show. McCartney excelled on bass , lead guitar and piano. Voice still amazing too.

It was a fantastic show. Shame the dazzling low sun meant I could hardly see a thing for the first hour. Highlights for me were Eleanor Rigby, Live and let die and - yup - Mull of Kintyre!

Waiting for him to come to the Seattle/Vancouver area again. . . .

counting the days to hyde park . ...

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CaledonianGonzo
... Scotland has the same charts as England, so it was a Christmas #1 across the whole UK back in 1977. In fact, it sold millions oc copies - more than any Beatles single, for instance - and is still one of the UK's best-ever selling singles. I'm pretty sure it was also #1 in a fair few places across Europe and in Australia...

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Valeswood
... Wasn't Mull of Kintyre the biggest selling single of all time in the UK before Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? Macca dug it out for his O2 show last December...

Mea culpa... the Dep't of Hysterical Inaccuracy was going from memory and is very old.

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LeCharmer
...Perhaps some gas-x will take care of that problem STG....Otherwise I hope you go see Sir Paul....Will Ya....

That was a raspberry... as you well know, you brat... and yes I'm going! I'd threaten to wear a kilt but I don't think the world can tolerate any more of our reparte!

Wonderful post and review SimonN.

Man he must be fitter than Mick. His voice always goes for it and almost 3 hours non stop! And what a setlist as always! And yes it maybe a bit cheesy but I love MOK. I'm surprised it wasn't released as a single in the US - there were plenty of Scots in the States at the time so I'm pretty sure it would have received airplay - and after all it was McCartney!

Hey squando, actually it was released in the US as a single with a very nice color sleeve, but it was the flip side, Girls School, that got the attention in the US. It was a double a-side release and Girl's School made it to number 33. Higher than Kintyre. Also, interesting to note that when Denny Lane filed for bankruptcy, he sold his publishing rights for the co-writting credit to Macca. He has never played the song in the US.

Yeah weird that whitem8. About the flip being played I mean. Think had they given it ample airplay it would have been another US #1 hit but anyways....

Yeah I heard about that and Laine. Puportedly 250 000 pounds. I remember the same article (showing Denny digging ditches for apparently 10 quid and hour to support his alcoholism) that Laine had apparently written the nuts and bolts of the song when he showed it to Paul in a pub and the two of them nicked out the front of the pub and knocked off the rest of the song. Dunno if that's true, but assumming for a moment it is, you gotta feel for poor Denny.....

Great review Si.You certainly get value for money with Macca ! I know his gigs are a bit pricey at times but certainly not extortianate like many supposedly class acts.Nearly 3 hours of mostly realy good and well known songs.A class act in the same league as the Stones,Bruce,AC/DC and just a few others.><

I paid £60 for tickets to Cardiff (this saturday) and can't wait. Sounds like it'll be a great night.

I'm excited after reading the review. Going to be at Hyde Park on Sunday, my first time there. Anyone know what to expect? Like how many people and is there a front of stage area? Also any good record stores in the area?

I was surprised to see "A Day in the Life" in the setlist. Wasn't this always considered a "John" song? (am no Beatles expert, admittedly)

So can anyone tell how this went down? How were the orchestral parts translated? I am curious.

A day in the life even by Lennon's admission was a 50/50 thing but I think Paul slips it in anyway as to pay homage and so on.
As for the orchestra it's just all keyboard.

The Old Macca is currently in a better shape LIVE than the Stones were on their Bigger Bang outing which disspointed me after the, what should had been their swan song, licks tour!

He always surprises me how great he is live. The energy is amazing, especially for a man his age!

Hope he keeps on rocking for some time!