Sir Paul McCartney got back to where he once belonged, performing a homecoming show at Liverpool’s O2 Academy.
It was the last of three pre-Christmas concerts in the UK for McCartney, coming after his intimate show at London’s 100 Club and concert at the Hammersmith Apollo.
The setlist included some unexpected changes, beginning with ‘Honey Hush’ and including versions of ‘Lady Madonna‘ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying’ – a Ray Charles song performed by The Beatles in their Hamburg days. There was, however, no ‘Live And Let Die’, ‘Here Today’, or ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, all songs he has been playing at recent shows.
McCartney was in good spirits, introducing ‘One After 909’ by saying “We wrote this one at Forthlin Road before we even started The Beatles”. At one point he joked “I’ll be playing Bootle town hall tomorrow.”
Here’s the performance of opening song ‘Honey Hush’:
McCartney also reportedly arranged for free tea, coffee and French fries to be distributed to fans as they left the venue.
The setlist
- ‘Honey Hush’
- ‘Magical Mystery Tour’
- ‘Jet’
- ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’
- ‘All My Loving’
- ‘One After 909’
- ‘Drive My Car’
- ‘Let Me Roll It’
- ‘The Long And Winding Road’
- ‘Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five’
- ‘Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying’
- ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’
- ‘Blackbird’
- ‘Calico Skies’
- ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’
- ‘And I Love Her’
- ‘Petrushka’
- ‘Dance Tonight’
- ‘Eleanor Rigby’
- ‘Hitch Hike’
- ‘Highway’
- ‘Something’
- ‘Band On The Run’
- ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’
- ‘Back In The USSR’
- A Day In the Life/‘Give Peace A Chance’
- ‘Let It Be’
- ‘Hey Jude’
Also on this day...
- 2011: Paul McCartney live: Echo Arena, Liverpool
- 2009: Paul McCartney live: The O2, Dublin
- 1974: UK album release: Dark Horse by George Harrison
- 1971: US album release: The Concert For Bangladesh by George Harrison & Friends
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono are interviewed for CBC Weekend
- 1969: Television: John Lennon in conversation with Marshall McLuhan
- 1966: Recording: When I’m Sixty-Four
- 1966: Television: Reporting ’66
- 1962: Live: Star-Club, Hamburg
- 1961: Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1958: Live: wedding reception, Speke, Liverpool
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.