Post by phil on Dec 19, 2008 23:32:44 GMT -5
AH! I went to see Paul McCartney's show for Québec city's 400th anniversary ...
Wasn't expecting much from the 64 y/o Macca but that was kinda hard to dismiss when it's in your backyard and only an other 249 999 close friends are invited...
It was GREAT!! Much better than I expected...
Here's a review from the Montréal Gazette Music reporter...
'Bonsoir les québécois!'
Magical night on plains of abraham. Beatles classics, Wings hits and solo gems mark spirited set lasting over two hours
BERNARD PERUSSE, The Gazette
The publicity-seekers and agenda-makers complaining about the inappropriateness of Paul McCartney's appearance on the Plains of Abraham to help celebrate Quebec's 400th anniversary will have egg on their faces today as they hear about the wall of cheers that greeted McCartney as he played a free open-air show last night to more than 200,000 people.
Battles historical and fabricated evaporated as McCartney quickly won over a highly excited crowd with a simple "Bonsoir les québécois! Bonsoir toute la gang!" after opening his set with an exuberant Jet.
With the sea of glow sticks, cellphones and flicking red light badges of Quebec's Festival d'été in a crowd that stretched as far as the eye could see, McCartney continued the magical night in rocker mode as he pumped his beloved Hofner bass - the same model he played with the Beatles - and delivered, in quick succession, Drive My Car and Only Mama Knows.
It was a show for the ages as Sir Paul delivered a generous two-hour-plus set in the open air on a gorgeous summer night - a spirited performance filled with Beatles classics and surprisingly heavy on Wings favourites, with a few solo gems mixed in.
There were more than a few surprises, including a bouncy I'll Follow the Sun, a stirringly beautiful Calico Skies, a high-energy Mrs. Vanderbilt, accompanied by a couple of hundred thousand pairs of hands clapping, the Ram-era rocker Too Many People, a cheery Let 'Em In and a hard-rocking I've Got a Feeling and some pretty spectacular fireworks during Live and Let Die.
"Je parle seulement un petit peu français," the singer said early in the show, beginning the first of his many French introductions, which consistently drew cheers, "so I'll be speaking English."
Not that that seemed a problem to anyone, as he reached back 45 years to sing a joyous All My Loving, continued with Flaming Pie and a driving Got to Get You Into My Life, before upping the crowd's energy level with a screaming John Lennon-esque Let Me Roll It and the reggae-lite of C Moon.
Lennon was also invoked with an emotional medley of A Day in the Life and Give Peace a Chance. George Harrison's spirit was present as well, as McCartney plucked his old bandmate's Gibson ukulele and sang Something.
Band on the Run, Good Day Sunshine, She Came In Through the Bathroom Window and Penny Lane, like virtually every song, became an occasion for celebration and singalong.
Not surprisingly, he sang both Michelle, which contains French lyrics, and Birthday, dedicated to "une dame qui a 400 ans."
"C'est ma première visite au Québec - and it's a great place," he said.
He also played Yesterday, alone on acoustic guitar and Get Back as an encore
Wasn't expecting much from the 64 y/o Macca but that was kinda hard to dismiss when it's in your backyard and only an other 249 999 close friends are invited...
It was GREAT!! Much better than I expected...
Here's a review from the Montréal Gazette Music reporter...
'Bonsoir les québécois!'
Magical night on plains of abraham. Beatles classics, Wings hits and solo gems mark spirited set lasting over two hours
BERNARD PERUSSE, The Gazette
The publicity-seekers and agenda-makers complaining about the inappropriateness of Paul McCartney's appearance on the Plains of Abraham to help celebrate Quebec's 400th anniversary will have egg on their faces today as they hear about the wall of cheers that greeted McCartney as he played a free open-air show last night to more than 200,000 people.
Battles historical and fabricated evaporated as McCartney quickly won over a highly excited crowd with a simple "Bonsoir les québécois! Bonsoir toute la gang!" after opening his set with an exuberant Jet.
With the sea of glow sticks, cellphones and flicking red light badges of Quebec's Festival d'été in a crowd that stretched as far as the eye could see, McCartney continued the magical night in rocker mode as he pumped his beloved Hofner bass - the same model he played with the Beatles - and delivered, in quick succession, Drive My Car and Only Mama Knows.
It was a show for the ages as Sir Paul delivered a generous two-hour-plus set in the open air on a gorgeous summer night - a spirited performance filled with Beatles classics and surprisingly heavy on Wings favourites, with a few solo gems mixed in.
There were more than a few surprises, including a bouncy I'll Follow the Sun, a stirringly beautiful Calico Skies, a high-energy Mrs. Vanderbilt, accompanied by a couple of hundred thousand pairs of hands clapping, the Ram-era rocker Too Many People, a cheery Let 'Em In and a hard-rocking I've Got a Feeling and some pretty spectacular fireworks during Live and Let Die.
"Je parle seulement un petit peu français," the singer said early in the show, beginning the first of his many French introductions, which consistently drew cheers, "so I'll be speaking English."
Not that that seemed a problem to anyone, as he reached back 45 years to sing a joyous All My Loving, continued with Flaming Pie and a driving Got to Get You Into My Life, before upping the crowd's energy level with a screaming John Lennon-esque Let Me Roll It and the reggae-lite of C Moon.
Lennon was also invoked with an emotional medley of A Day in the Life and Give Peace a Chance. George Harrison's spirit was present as well, as McCartney plucked his old bandmate's Gibson ukulele and sang Something.
Band on the Run, Good Day Sunshine, She Came In Through the Bathroom Window and Penny Lane, like virtually every song, became an occasion for celebration and singalong.
Not surprisingly, he sang both Michelle, which contains French lyrics, and Birthday, dedicated to "une dame qui a 400 ans."
"C'est ma première visite au Québec - and it's a great place," he said.
He also played Yesterday, alone on acoustic guitar and Get Back as an encore
