Paul McCartney’s homecoming secret gig at the O2

It was a triumphant Paul McCartney who held the O2 Academy stage for two-and-a-half hours last night, barely pausing for breath in a good-humoured homecoming gig packed with sing-along hits.
He saved the 1969 single Get Back until the end of his first encore, but it would have better fitted the introduction as the recently announced concert was, as the ex-Beatle said himself, a nostalgia trip.
Warmly greeting the audience as if they were a handful of people rather than a crowd of hundreds, Macca shared memories of Liverpool between songs; writing One After 909 with John Lennon in the McCartney’s Forthlin Road council house and being born in Walton Hospital – "in World War I," he cracked.
The set took in the Fab Four, Wings (Band on the Run, Jet), his 2008 album Electric Arguments created with record producer Youth (Highway) and solo work (Dance Tonight).
Vintage versions of Drive My Car and All My Loving took him back to the days of his early fame, and he paused to suggest the original Cavern should be excavated.

Then it was off to Hamburg for a cover of Ray Charles’ Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying, before a story about being honoured to play a gig at The Apollo Theater in Harlem last week following in the footsteps of his heroes James Brown and Ray Charles.
It was interesting to witness one so idolised being humbled by such a brief encounter with his own idols.
McCartney paid moving tributes to his late fellow Beatles – a rendition of Sometimes on the ukulele for George Harrison ("I played it for him now I’ll play it for you") and Day in the Life merging with Give Peace a Chance for Lennon.
However, Ringo Starr, outshone by Macca’s charismatic drummer Abe Laboriel Jr, didn’t get a mention.
An emotional Let It Be and Hey Jude, with McCartney on piano, finished the main set but it was only seconds before he was back again, fizzing with energy, for Day Tripper, I Saw Her Standing There and Get Back.
A poignant Yesterday, on solo acoustic guitar, Lady Madonna and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band completed the concert.
"It’s great to be finishing the year home again" said McCartney. "It’s beautiful."
And the cheering crowd, of all ages and backgrounds, clearly agreed.

by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

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