What the fans thought of Paul McCartney’s Adelaide concert
This stunning picture of a father and two sons in the front row of Paul McCartney’s Adelaide concert sums up everything people said afterwards.
Entertainment
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Music fans were still pinching themselves yesterday following Sir Paul McCartney’s concert for the ages at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The legendary Beatle enthralled a capacity crowd for almost three hours on Wednesday night, with a memorable performance hailed as one of the best seen in this state.
Hyperbole is almost unavoidable now when it comes to McCartney, 81, whose timeless tunes have been the soundtrack of people’s lives for six decades.
Indeed, his last show on this Got Back Tour, at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2022, was described by The Times as “the best gig ever”. High praise indeed.
What appears certain is that McCartney remains at, or near the top, of his game, even after all these years.
There was something for everyone as he worked his way through his incredible collection of songs, from the Fab Four to his Wings days and everything in between.
You might know all the tracks, each chorus, every line, but there’s nothing like hearing them performed live, by the man behind the melody.
For many it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and his adoring fans soaked it up.
McCartney devotee Andrew Bullen was there with his family and said it was the “greatest night of his life”, thanks to a seat upgrade from a member of the rockstar’s crew.
The staff member spotted them at the side of the main stage and passed on three front row tickets, saying Sir Paul likes to “keep some aside for his fans”.
“I couldn’t believe it, I thought I was in a dream. I’m still dreaming,” he said the day after.
“His voice was sublime, he’s the consummate rock star.
“This was history. What a night … I can’t put it into words.”
It felt like half of Adelaide was in the crowd, including several big names such as Port Adelaide’s AFLW superstar Erin Phillips, The Project’s Georgie Tunny and a host of local radio hosts led by Mix 102.3 breakfast presenter Ali Clarke and her husband, Crows AFLW coach Matthew.
She took to Instagram after the show, saying: “Oh. My. God. We are singing with a Beatle”.
The highlights came thick and fast – particularly in the second half of the show.
McCartney performed part of George Harrison’s beloved track, Something, on a ukulele gifted to him by his late bandmate, as thousands sang along unprompted to the chorus.
The crowd were on their feet again as the cavalcade of hits continued, from Get Back and Let It Be, to the James Bond theme Live and Let Die, featuring jaw-dropping pyrotechnics that had everyone spellbound.
The longer the show went, the more chatty McCartney became, regaling us with stories from his career, including the day The Beatles met legendary music producer Sir George Martin, as they recorded Love Me Do for the first time at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
The Liverpudlian also showed his humorous side on occasion, and shared the odd dad joke with the crowd. Looking out at the signs held up by fans, he noticed one in particular.
“Sign my butt … well go on, let’s have a look at it,” McCartney deadpanned.
Crowd pleaser Hey Jude concluded the show before a six-song encore, highlighted by a virtual duet with John Lennon on I’ve Got A Feeling.
“It’s so amazing to be singing along with John again. Sweet memories,” he said.
Even towards the end of the marathon show – which included 39 songs – the vast majority remained captivated, many quietly paying tribute to McCartney’s amazing stamina.
No one went home disappointed and those of us lucky enough to be there will never forget it.
Afterwards, the reviews flowed in and fans couldn’t say enough about the living legend.
The Advertiser reader Alison said it was a privilege to be there.
“Still rocking in his 9th decade. Sir Paul’s Adelaide concert was one of the best, most vibrant and generous performances I’ve attended,” she wrote on advertiser.com.au.
“All the classics, mixed in with some new. A privilege to witness.”
Another fan, Joe Davola, described McCartney as “freakish”.
“The man is a living legend. It was brilliant. For an 81-year-old to play for over 2.5 hours virtually non-stop is freakish,” he wrote.
Neville simply added: “I was there and it would be ranked as one of the great shows by the greatest of our generation. unbelievable.”
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