Sir Paul McCartney – You disappointed me…

Now that that got everyone’s attention ----

That’s a lie.

Well just for a little bit – it was true. Yesterday (8th August, 2010) Rupali and I finally went to see the Paul McCartney Up and Coming Tour of 2010. The concert was at the Air Canada Center and was supposed to start at 7:30 pm. There were no opening acts announced. Knowing that the set would be about two-and-a-half hours long, it was only to be expected that we thought there would be an opening set. But there wasn’t. We were quite excited as we went into the Air Canada center and took our seats. The seats were filling up quickly. 7:30 came and went.. the crows waited patiently. Then 8:00 came and went. The crowed decided to amuse themselves. Mexican waves went round and round. Finally around 8:15 the two large screens to the side of the stage lit up. Music and video. Oh yay!! just what we needed. NOT!! Finally, at 8:30 pm, a full hour after the show was supposed to start THE MAN walked out onto the stage. And the crowd lost it!!

He is not very tall. Wears little heels. Slim. Still mop-topped. Still boyish looking. Dressed in a Sgt Pepper’s style jacket and black pants. And can still scream with the best of them. The set began with ‘Venus and Mars/Rockshow’. And then it went on – three hours of pure bliss.

He mixed them up. And sang almost every Beatles song that I like – except ‘Come Together’. Now that would have been the ultimate for me. That was one song that I listened to on a 45 rpm track over and over and over again, until it almost wore out the vinyl. The jacket came off by the time ‘The Long and Winding Road’ came around.

I was taking pictures and videos as much as I could. All my batteries had been charged before I left including a spare set. But strangely half an hour into the set, and both sets of batteries died. Not only that – my cell phone died too!! WEIRD is not the word. So I was only able to get a few snaps/videos. Watch it on youtube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQFy3ryiag

So what did he sing?

Remember, this is a man who has been rocking for 50 years almost.. YEP!! The Beatles came together in 1960 – remember? And he has this humungous catalogue over this long period of time. And his fans are now in their THIRD generation!! So everything he sang resonated with the crowd.

At one point, with just one spotlight on him, an acoustic guitar in hand – he sang ‘And I love her’. I cried. This song to me has always had a very strong memory attached to it. Years ago, sitting on a rooftop in Kolkata, with my cousins Shubro  and MoonMoon and my sister during load-shedding – or rolling black out. Shubro was strumming his guitar and singing ‘And I love her’. At the words - ‘bright are the stars that shine/dark is the sky’ - we all looked up at the sky. It was a new moon night. And the stars shone brightly with no moonlight to dim them. We’d never have seen them had there been no load-shedding. And now here in front of me, was Paul McCartney – singing that sweet melody, those incredible simple, heart-felt lyrics. And I cried. One more memory created.

Oh yeah. 

So here’s the set list he played.

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 (with the Peel Regional Police Piper Band)
35. Helter Skelter
36. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End 

Yes, there really were two encores. But there were those moments that made my day.

Like the time the lights were focused on our section only. I looked around and no one had their hands raised. So I raised my hands and waved. Next thing I know – he waves back!! I like to think he was waving at me.. ** tee hee!!**

And Rupali was in tears with ‘Hey Jude’.

And the pyrotechnics with ‘Live and Let Die’ were amazing. But funnier was Paul’s drama-baazi after the fireworks were done!

His tributes to Linda (‘My love’), John (‘Here Today’ – solo with acoustic guitar only) and George (‘Something’). So he switches to a ukulele and starts talking about how he and George liked to play the ukulele. And evidently, he told George that he’d learnt one of George’s songs on it, and he starts strumming the ukulele and then its ‘Something’ with a Hawaiian flair and then he switches to a bass guitar and completes the song with full band backup.

And the sing along to ‘Ob-la-dih’. Evidently this is the first time they played it on tour.

And ‘Hey Jude’? Well they brought the piano out – the multi colored almost psychedelic painted one. And of course, he made the crowd sing along to ‘na na na – na-na-na na – na-na-na na –Hey Jude’. That scream is still as good as it was forty something years ago.

And ‘Let it Be’ – what can I say… !!

And of course, ‘Yesterday’ – alone on stage. Guitar in hand and that incredible strumming…Brings tears to the eyes.

Followed by ‘Mull of Kintyre’  with a full Scottish band (it was the Peel Marching Band). He acknowledged that many of his relatives had actually moved to Canada from Scotland. Thank God he didn’t … Where would the Beatles be then?

And ‘Helter Skelter’ talk about a classic. It sounded better than most rock songs of today and completely modern.

The sheer genius of the man, his incredible energy, his presence, charisma.. call it what you like. For three hours, he kept us entertained and enchanted. Even from a distance you can’t take your eyes off him. He talked, laughed and joked with the audience. No gimmicks. No fancy dress changes and no backup dancers. Just brilliant music and an excellent time.

Was I disappointed??!! Heck No!! Well, just a little bit. Wish he’d sung ‘Come together’.

Paul used to be my favourite. He still is. He will always be.

And I Love him.