Paul McCartney Pays Tribute to Late Beatles Mates at Tour Finale In Liverpool
To conclude his 19-date On The Run World Tour, Paul McCartney returned to his stomping ground of Liverpool, England on Dec. 20 for a sold-out, three-hour performance at the Echo Arena. During the show, McCartney played more than 30 Beatles and Wings songs, as well as some of his recent solo material. McCartney dusted off 'Penny Lane' for the special performance, and between numbers he spoke about growing up in Speke, his fondness for Liverpool and his friendship with late Beatles guitarist George Harrison.
The concert opened with 'Hello, Goodbye' and 'Junior's Farm' and closed with 'Hey Jude.' Other highlights included 'Drive My Car,' 'Paperback Writer,' 'The Long and Winding Road,' 'Eleanor Rigby,' 'Band on the Run,' 'Back in the USSR,' 'Day Tripper,' 'Helter Skelter' and 'A Day in the Live/Give Peace a Chance.'
McCartney played bass, guitar and piano during the night and enhanced the performance with fireworks and flames for 'Live and Let Die' and falling snow and the Scottish Pipe Band for the Christmas song 'Mull of Kintyre.'
Two four-song encores capped the night. The first began with a medley of 'The Word' and 'All You Need is Love' and the second concluded with a compilation of 'Golden Slumbers,' 'Carry That Weight' and 'The End.'
The UK paper The Sun reported that McCartney fell down a set of stairs at the end of the show, but even that couldn't dampen the spirit of the 69-year old legend, who was allegedly uninjured by the tumble.
Before the show, the venue's chief executive Bob Prattey presented McCartney an Echo Arena Icon award.
The Set List From Paul McCartney's On the Run Liverpool Show:
Main Set:
Hello, Goodbye
Junior’s Farm
All My Loving
Jet
Drive My Car
Sing the Changes
Night Before
Let Me Roll It
Paperback Writer
Long and Winding Road
Come and Get It
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
Maybe I’m Amazed
I’ve Just Seen a Face
I Will
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs. Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Penny Lane
Band on the Run
Ob La Di Ob La Da
Back In The USSR
I’ve Got A Feeling
A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude
Encore 1:
The Word/All You Need Is Love
Wonderful Christmastime
Day Tripper
Get Back
Encore 2:
Yesterday
Mull of Kintyre
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End