The 82-year-old former “Beatle”, Sir Paul McCartney, played an exhilarating live concert in Manchester last weekend.
McCartney and his band are on the concluding leg of their 8-country world tour 2024, which included two concerts in Madrid earlier in December.
The “Got Back” tour 2024
The “Got Back” concert lasts a mammoth two hours forty minutes during which the octogenarian takes us on a “Magical Mystery Tour” of his back catalogue, from the early days of The Quarrymen, through The Silver Beetles, The Beatles, Wings and as a solo artiste.
Writing in The Guardian, that paper’s music critic Dave Simpson described their concert at Co-op Live in Manchester last Saturday as “extraordinarily sublime and humblingly beautiful”.
The Times of London awarded the concert *****.
On the SKY News Press Review broadcaster and commentator Duncan Barkes described Macca as a “legend”.
TeleMadrid wrote on its website:
“Paul McCartney pone fin a su gira Got Back en el Wizink Center. El ex-Beatle vuelve a Madrid ocho años después de su último concierto en el estadio Vicente Calderón.
“Con dos fechas únicas en España, las entradas se agotaron en apenas dos horas este verano.”
The Spokesman-Review and The Dallas Morning News noted the absence of the Beatles song "Back in the U.S.S.R.", a usual staple of McCartney's live concerts, from the setlist. This in protest at the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
His own website, www.paulmccartney.com, informed us that the 2024 tour would include 15 shows, in 8 countries.
“The Got Back tour has stormed through Latin America over the course of 7 weeks, starting in Montevideo, Uruguay on 1st October and ending at Corona Capital festival in Mexico City on 17th November. ….. Paul and the band will make a triumphant return to Europe in December, with shows in Paris, Madrid, Manchester and London!”
Asked whether they had a post-show routine to come down from the energy of a performance, Paul replied:
“Oh yeah definitely. Most of the time we get on the bus immediately, and before we change back into our ‘day clothes’ I have a margarita to drink, which is always very welcome! And I have a cheese and pickle sandwich with ….. Branston pickle.”
UK Tour Dates
14/15 December 2024 Co-op Live Arena Manchester
18/19 December 2024 The O2 Arena London
Sir Paul McCartney
Arguably the most talented of The Fab Four, James Paul McCartney has been composing and making music for nearly seven decades!
With hindsight it has become clear that the left-handed self-taught bass guitarist was the major driving force behind the Liverpool band.
If you listen to the compilation album of their number ones, “One”, where their chart-toppers appear in chronological order, it is fascinating to note the initial pre-dominance of John Lennon turning into the Paul McCartney Show, as Lennon became distracted by other things, not least Yoko Ono.
George Harrison and Ringo Starr also came more into their own later on.
Earlier, after they had given up touring and moved into the recording studio, Paul was the one behind "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Magical Mystery Tour".
The End was nigh …..
As The Beatles lurched towards breaking up, Paul was the one behind their ground-breaking live performance on the roof of the Apple Corps Offices in Savile Row in 1969.
And it was Paul who got the others to agree to recording their final album “Let it Be”. Despite the animosity between members of the band at that time, it’s a remarkably good piece of work.
McCartney took most of the blame for the break-up of The Beatles back then, although he has since been vindicated.
What happened next …..?
John Lennon went off to New York with Yoko Ono, following their famous wedding in Gibraltar.
He made music in The Big Apple with The Plastic Ono Band and as a solo artiste. Some of his most thoughtful songs emerged from that time, eg “Imagine” and "Jealous Guy".
Then in 1980 he was assassinated by one of his fans, Mark Chapman. John Winston Ono Lennon was just 40 years old.
***
Ringo Starr also went to the USA and following divorce from Maureen and a couple of short relationships with other women, he married Bond-girl Barbara Bach in 1980. She had appeared in “The Spy Who Loved Me” alongside Roger Moore.
Ringo still lives in California with Barbara Bach and continues to make music and tour with his All Starr Band. And he is 84 years old! Barbara is a mere youngster at 78!
More talented than many thought, Ringo was a good actor – check out the three Beatles movies, A Hard Day’s Night, Help and Magical Mystery Tour.
He also did voiceovers for Thomas the Tank Engine and The Magic Roundabout.
Despite John Lennon’s famous put-down in an interview, Ringo Starr is regarded as one of the best rock drummers of all time.
***
George Harrison remained in the UK with his wife, model Pattie Boyd, and made some of the best music of his life. “Something” and "My Sweet Lord" are good examples.
Boyd left him for his best mate Eric Clapton who had lusted after her for years. “Layla” by Derek and the Dominoes, was apparently about Pattie Boyd.
Harrison later married Olivia Trinidad Arias from Los Angeles, California, USA .
George, known as "The Quiet Beatle", died in 2001 at the age of 58 from lung cancer and a brain tumour. But, what a musical legacy he left behind!
Olivia Harrison is one of the six directors of Apple Corps, the Beatles publishers.
George also diversified and set up HandMade Films, which brought us a host of great films, including “Life of Brian” by Monty Python and "Mona Lisa", starring Bob Hoskins.
***
Paul McCartney had married US photographer Linda Eastman during the “death throes” of The Beatles.
The couple moved to the Scottish island of Mull, where they adopted a healthy agricultural lifestyle.
But showman that he was, Paul soon set up a new band, Wings, together with former Moody Blues lead singer Denny Laine and wife Linda.
They toured British universities, charging 50p for an impromptu concert, in order to build up a head of steam. My girlfriend, later my first wife Jeryl, went to one of these, when Wings turned up at Salford University. (I was abroad at the time).
Wings enjoyed remarkable success from 1971 to 1981 and their albums “Band on the Run” (1973) and "Venus and Mars" (1975) are classics.
After Linda died of breast cancer in 1998 aged 56, Paul had a couple of disastrous relationships before settling down and marrying New York businesswoman Nancy Shevell in 2011. They are still together.
A great philanthropist, Paul bought his former grammar school, The Liverpool Institute, which had closed, and created LIPA, a “fame school”, in order to train people in music and performance arts.
LIPA has turned out a large number of professionals, including my son, Tom Whitelock, who did a singing diploma there, as well as using the state-of-the-art facilities to develop his keyboard, double bass, and saxophone skills.
Tom Whitelock as Kinks' bass player Pete Quaife in the West End run of "Sunny Afternoon"
Endpiece
Paul McCartney was always my favourite Beatle. His talent, drive and longevity are amazing!
© The Culture Vulture
Acknowledgements:
El Pais
Facebook
The Guardian
The Times
Wikipedia
www.paulmccartney.com
Photos:
Amazon
Branston
Britannica
El Club Del Rock
El Popular
La Sexta
Mondo Sonoro
New Musical Express
Official London Theatre
Uppers
West End
Wikipedia
WIZink Centre
Links:
GET BACK TAKE 1 | THE BEATLES ROOFTOP CONCERT
PAUL MCCARTNEY Got Back Tour; Seattle 2022
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