Except for the slight vocal decline that led him to remove ‘Yesterday’ from his repertoire for a long time, Paul McCartney has left little behind this Monday at the first of his two concerts at the Wizink Center in Madridwith the entire capacity sold out, to give a lesson on six decades of history for the ages.
At 82 years of age, he has not lacked humor, desire or courage to complete nearly three hours of “show” (plus the previous rehearsal, which has also been attended by the public), much less since the original era of The Quarry Men, but above all all as a member of The Beatles and Wings.
The 60 minutes it took for all the tickets to be sold out already gave an idea of the desire to enjoy this event, both because of the 8 years that have passed since their last concert at the now defunct Vicente Calderón stadium, and because, given their age and the period that It usually happens between visits and visits, this It could be his last musical foray into Spain.
He has done it accompanied by a metal wind trio, the Hot Horns, and his longtime band, with Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums), in addition to an impressive display of lights and screens and a colossal stage that occupied almost a third of the track.
With few millennials and even fewer Zetas among them, about 15,600 people, according to figures from the promoter, have had the privilege of attending to this “intimate” evening by the most common standards of this living legend, accustomed to stadiums.
Greetings in Spanish
“Hello, Spain! Good evening, Madrid! “I’m very happy to be here again!”he exclaimed in Spanish to the delirium of his followers, who minutes before received him like an angel descended to earth, granting him immediate relief for the 15 minutes of delay so unusual for a British man.
The complicity and good vibes have been constant since it sounded Can’t Buy Me Love and McCartney has removed his finger from the neck of his bass as if it were on fire, an energy equally ignited shortly after with Got To Get You Into My Life and the entrance of the brass, which brought him the first great applause of the evening.
The Beatles have occupied a good part of the repertoiremore than half, not just more massive hits like Drive My Caralso less hackneyed cuts like Getting Betterall celebrated as the catechism of music.
Afterwards, with Let ‘Em In from Wings, has released the guitar to begin a section sitting at the piano in which, for example, the delicate My Valentinewhich he wrote for his wife Nancy, as well as fiery interpretations of Maybe I’m Amazed and of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Fivewith which the band as a whole has shown its power and perfect gear.
“Thank you very much,” he said, underlining the Spanish-style “c” when, at concert time, everything was a party of “oé-oés” that continued with a trip to the origins, when The Quarry Men recorded their first song in Liverpool, In Spite of All the Dangerbefore going to London and recording his inaugural single as The Beatles, Love Me Dowith its essential harmonica arrangement.
Tribute to his colleagues
At the equator and standing on a huge podium made up of screens, he has interpreted Blackbirdconverted into one of the group’s main listens on Spotify after Beyoncé’s version, and Here Todaydedicated to John Lennon. He has done it completely alone with his guitar in a section in which the beauty of his naked exposure has made up for the logical decline of his voice at 82 years old.
They haven’t stopped ringing after Now And Thenpublished last year after recovering, thanks to AI, material from some unreleased John Lennon recordings, as well as the energizing Jet, Lady Madonna (turned into a vindication of feminine achievements) or somethingdedicated to its author, his “brother” George Harrisonin one of the most popular and exciting moments of the night.
There was still the end of the party, the contagious joviality of Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Dathe elusive Band on the Runthe cry of get backthe beauty of the message of Let it Be and a tremendous Live and Let Die with fire explosions as if it were a real James Bond scene.
Upon returning for the encores, he wanted to walk with the Spanish, British and rainbow flags of pride, in addition to interpreting still fundamental pieces such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, Helter Skelter or the total finish with The Endthe last song that the four Beatles recorded together in the studio before Lennon left.
But if there has been a vibrant ending It was, just before those encores, with the essential Hey Jude converted into a catharsis of throats in unison with the awareness that, no matter how much this song is played again in Madrid sometime (which it will), it will never do it again like tonight in the voice of its historical and eternal author.
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