Paul's Past Tours— Reflections
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1976 when he first played Yesterday and the crowd went NUTS!!! (that, and getting stoned from the 2nd hand smoke!)
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There are many people in the world who have seen more Paul McCartney's concerts than I have. And yet everyone's list of Macca's rockshows is equally personal and important just like a track of a lifetime which is unique in each separate life. Let's recall my modest list: 1. The PAUL McCARTNEY WORLD TOUR, London, Wembley Arena. January 11th. 1990 You know this story for it has been presented here. 2. PAUL'S SURPRISE XMAS SHOW, Limehouse Studios, 128 Wembley Park Drive, London, December 13th, 1990 I and the then greatest Paul's fan Marian Rushby (sorry Mr Hamilton but "in spite of all the danger" I had to mention her in the end) among 50 selected fans who have been ivited there to watch Paul singing and recording "Let It Be", "The Long And Winding Road" and "All My Trials" for a satellite TV show bound for Italy. I was standing in front of the stage and holding a big board that read "PAUL-LAND '91". So no you know who invented this "Pauland" - later copied by a number of copycats. For a couple of minutes - it was a short break I think - Linda gave an unusual performance playing drums!! Really once in a lifetime experience it was to see the Lady in Action. When I asked Paul if he would ever come to Poland he said: "Maybe Poland". He wasn't sure. 3. PAUL McCARTNEY. THE NEW WORLD TOUR, London, Earl's Court, September 15th, 1993 I was there with my brother-in-law John Aumord. We were standing in the first raw and again I was holding a board whic this time read: "Paul I wrote your first Polish biography. I want to give it to you". Boys from security didn't like my idea and politely asked me to drop it. And the time has come for historic answer to the historic question - "Did you give your book to Paul mcCartney". yes. After the show a nice bloke with a beard came up to me. His name was John McGraw. He handled the engineering side of the stage design. "May I help you" - he asked. "O yes. this is my book about Paul McCartney, could you give it to him?". "Yes I promise to give it to him when I see him after the show". The book had my handwritten dedication to Paul. So far no British engineer has ever let me down. In Earl's Court it was the only time I ever saw any of Paul's children - Mary McCartney, the then personal assistant to Linda McCartney, passed me by near the stage. The distance between me and her must have been less than 15 metres. I am sure she looked into my eyes. She looked gorgeous! 4. THE WORLD PREMIERE OF PAUL McCARTNEY'S STANDING STONE", London , Royal Albert Hall, October 14th, 1997 The last time I saw Paul and Linda trogether. I also recognized Sir George Martin in the audience. After the premiere, sitting in the arm-chair in my sister's London flat I had a long professional conversation about "Standing Stone" with the Polish radio journalist the late Andrzej Jaroszewski. It was broadcast live to Poland with fragments of McCartney's amazing symphonic poem. 5. PAUL McCARTNEY. SUMMER TOUR 2004, Praha 9 - Kolbenova, T-Mobile Park, June 6th, 2004 Rain and storm in Warsaw before I departed. Night train journey to Prague. A famous Canadian singer Garou - who also wanted to see Paul in Prague - was not allowed to get on my train in Katowice due to lack of Czech currency. Before the concert the men from the Czech security asked me to leave my umbrella outside T-Mobile Park because they classified it as a dangerous thing. Definitely I didn't need it during Paul's concert when the Sun dominated over a screaming crowd. Paul' s joking drummer Abe Laboriel Jr welcomed everybody referring to the audience as to "CZECHOSLOVAKIA", a non-existent country which I remember from my childhood. To my surprise reaction was enthusiastic. 6. PAUL McCARTNEY, THE UP AND COMING TOUR, HARD ROCK CALLING, London, Hyde Park, June 27th, 2010 I spent some 6 hours standing motionless in the open air, exposed to the boiling hot Sun before Paul McCartney appeared in the end. Even in such conditions I was a lucky man for I could hear Elvis Costello singing John Lennon's "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" and Crosby, Stills and Nash performing legendary "Ruby Tuesday". And then the Master turned up.
