ADRIAN THRILLS reviews Paul McCartney’s Liverpool homecoming | Daily Mail Online
As homecomings go, this was always going to be emotional. Returning to the city of his birth to launch the UK leg of his Freshen Up tour, Paul McCartney rolled back the years to deliver a masterclass.
There was a cheer as he walked onstage – fist-bumping the air and shrugging in mock surprise – and an even louder one to greet the iconic opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night, the first song of the evening and a mighty way to kickstart any tour.
From there on, it was a matter of celebrating shared memories while appreciating a man who is still curating his legacy with respect and affection.
Paul McCartney rolled back the years to deliver a masterclass as he returned to Liverpool to launch his new UK tour
‘We’ve got old songs, new songs and in-between songs,’ he said. ‘It’s so great to be here and always great to be bringing it all home. I could spend the whole evening just chatting to you.’
Judging by the dozens of placards held aloft – ‘Go Ed Macca’, ‘Hug 4 A Little Luck’, ‘Live And Let Sign’ were just a few – and the sea of mobile phones being waved, the feeling was entirely mutual.
This wasn’t the first time McCartney has been to Liverpool this year – he played two small club shows in the summer – but it was the first time since 2015 he had delivered a full, 38-song package with a surprisingly even spread of Fab Four, Wings and solo material.
His Hofner bass slung low across his waist, he even snuck in a number, In Spite Of All The Danger, by his old pre-Beatles skiffle band The Quarrymen.
He is regarded differently here. In some cities, the mere presence of a former Beatle can leave a crowd awestruck.
On Merseyside, he is one of their own, a singer to be relished rather than revered.
He still played to the gallery, though, recalling his early days at The Cavern, mentioning Woolton church and joking that he was the unofficial head of the Liverpool tourist board.
it was the first time since 2015 he had delivered a full, 38-song package at a concert in Liverpool
Although fans had come primarily to hear the hits, McCartney, 76, was at pains to show that he isn’t just a human jukebox by featuring some lesser-known Wings tunes, with a raucous Junior’s Farm and Let Me Roll It bringing fans to their feet.
With the exception of the ukulele ditty Dance Tonight – what John Lennon would have scathingly called ‘Paul’s granny music’ – novelty songs were avoided.
Some surprises from his solo catalogue also featured, including tender piano ballad My Valentine from his 2012 jazz album Kisses On The Bottom.
That was dedicated to his wife Nancy Shevell – ‘This one’s for you, Nance’ – who was in the crowd.
There were numbers, too, from this year’s Egypt Station, an album which took him to the top of the American charts for the first time in 36 years.
Who Cares, an anti-bullying number party inspired by Taylor Swift’s sisterly bond with her fans, arrived early on, with the singer telling fans: ‘If anyone has been bullied, this song will let them know we care.
The lively Come On To Me, again from his new album, followed shortly afterwards, with McCartney recalling his summer trip back to his old Liverpool house as part of his Carpool Karaoke session with James Corden.
But it was the more familiar hits and classic album tracks which brought the most enthusiastic response. As he joked, the camera phones always come out for the big Beatles songs. Got To Get You Into My Life – ‘we’re going to have some fun here’ – and Eleanor Rigby were rapturously received.
For the Wings hit Let ‘Em In, he discarded his black jacket- ‘the night’s only wardrobe change’ – and took to the piano, where he remained for Maybe I’m Amazed, once more delving forcefully into his back pages for a rock ballad from his 1970 solo album.
A solo, acoustic Blackbird led into a similarly touching Here Today, about an imaginary conversation with Lennon.
Sung with minimal accompaniment, the two songs offered confirmation that Macca, at 76, remains in remarkably fine voice.
And, in giving all his loving to a bold mix of hits and equally-deserving, if lesser-known, gems, he showed just how much joy he still gets from playing them.
Source: ADRIAN THRILLS reviews Paul McCartney’s Liverpool homecoming | Daily Mail Online
