Paul McCartney @ Desert Trip
McCartney at Desert Trip: A Perspective
By: Brian McGuire
Paul McCartney has long been one of rock’s most iconic figures. When it comes to the sheer legacy of songs that this man has contributed to our culture, very few others come close to even matching him. Very few will ever be in a position to even dream of excelling it. Recently, the veteran rocker made an appearance at the Desert Trip festival this past October. The festival was a chance for Macca and his merry band to show off some excellent new songs as well as plenty of Beatles and Wings classics.
Desert Trip Festival Appearance Is A Real Milestone
Paul’s recent appearance at the Desert Trip Festival in Indio, California was a true milestone in many more ways than one. His set was greeted with rapturous applause by a capacity crowd. Collaborations with the likes of Rihanna and Neil Young gave an element of freshness and unpredictability to the performances. As a result, many ticket holders ended up saluting McCartney as the breakout hit of the festival, a pretty impressive feat when you consider the other acts on the bill: The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, and Neil Young himself.
Late Life Roll In 2016
It seems as though the recent round of festival appearances has revitalized McCartney’s spirits. Many fans felt that his shows had become a bit stale and predictable over the past couple of years, with lackluster new material predominating in the set list to the exclusion of tried and true classics. However, recent shows seem to suggest that McCartney has found a way to balance the old with the new, while managing to reinvent even the most hackneyed material in a way that makes it surprisingly relevant.
A Life of Few Enemies, At Least Offstage
Of course, it’s also safe to say that McCartney has also had his share of “hard to handle” moments, both on and off stage. A less than pleasant encounter with fellow veteran performer Phil Collins left the former Genesis drummer seething with rage. It seems that McCartney turned down his request for an autograph and even belittled him in front of his then-wife, Heather Mills. Even though McCartney has had his fair share of such incidents reported to the press, his reputation remains undimmed.
Grinding It Out With Gronk
One of McCartney’s most notable recent appearances involved a surprise air guitar participation segment featuring none other than legendary New England Patriot, Rob Gronkowski. The “Gronk” was all too happy to grimace and churn his imaginary guitar while McCartney and the band tore through an incendiary version of the Beatles’ “White Album” classic, “Helter Skelter.”
Legacy Is Assured, Even If Not Everyone Knows Who He Is
In spite of the decades’ worth of accolades that McCartney has achieved, there still seem to be plenty of people who have no idea who he is. One of the more celebrated “Who he?” incidents was recently captured on tape when a reporter asked Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins if he had enjoyed McCartney’s inaugural concert at the brand new Golden 1 Center. Cousins promptly replied that he had never heard of McCartney. It just goes to show, you’re never too high above the clouds to be immune to a timely bit of shade.
