A historical journey of one of the biggest bands of all time
Paul McCartney
Freshen Up Tour presented by Barracuda Music, Wiener Stadthalle, Austria 20181205
He was not only dubbed a knight by her majesty the queen Elisabeth II. He did also write the most famous and most played pop song of all times entitled “Yesterday”. And this Advent he honours the Wiener Stadthalle two nights with his visit.
This year Sir Paul McCartney is the second of the two remaining Beatles after Ringo Starr who plays at the very place. The tickets are way more expensive in comparison. A pity as it seems impossible to go and see all the legends like e.g. Eric Clapton and Elton John at this prices. But even though it is too expensive, it still feels worth it seeing this journey through the musical history of Paul.
His set consists of unbelievable 38 songs and lasts for two hours and 45 minutes without any break. Apart from Wings tunes he also plays The Quarrymen, his own ones like Queenie Eye and of course loads of Beatles songs from “1”-hits to incredible performances of records of the “White Album”. But first he starts the show with “A Hard Day’s Night”. Already during this song a fight between two guests commences because the one would like to stand and film a bit, but the other doesn’t show any understanding, patience or nerves. It seems bit representative for our times that people go to a concert about love and peace and got nothing better to do than to fight.
The other guests enjoy the formidable show, like two Japanese visitors, that Paul greets individually as they follow their tour. He also recalls old stories like that Jimi Hendrix learned “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and played with them. Then Jimi’s guitar got out of tune, and so the best to do he could think of was to ask Eric Clapton who was in the audience if he could tune it.
As show elements Paul got a lifting platform with video walls that he stands on for the completely beautiful “Blackbird”, one musical highlight. During “To Live And Let Die” explosions and fire dominate the stage so after he stands at his piano holding his ears. He also plays the bass, the guitar, the mandolin and the ukulele and got an amazing band with him. And as he gets two guests on stage, the audience witnesses a proposal. More personal highlights are “Lady Madonna“, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Back in the USSR” (Paul tells that the Beatles were the first band to play at the Red Square), “Let It Be”, “Hey Jude” and for sure “Helter Skelter”.