Dumb question but I'm gonna ask anyway
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So I am seeing on Paul's FB posts that the crowds for various shows are all bringing the same thing (balloons, masks, etc...). How does everyone know what to bring? I'm sure I should know or know where to look but I'll just say it's been a long week and that's my excuse.
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kimgunkel:
So I am seeing on Paul's FB posts that the crowds for various shows are all bringing the same thing (balloons, masks, etc...). How does everyone know what to bring? I'm sure I should know or know where to look but I'll just say it's been a long week and that's my excuse.
I guess you'd find out right here in this bulletin board. Just follow thread of whatever show you're attending, and I'm sure you'll know about it.
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Depends on who is organising the surprise for Paul and how they are organising it. Besides the concert threads hosted here on this message board, many local venue groups have their own facebook groups or other social networking where such things are debated and plotted. Sometimes these are closed groups as their plans are kept secret to ensure the surprise remains exactly that. Some of the more recent ones were plotted in the pre-show queues - the improvised tented villages ahead of last years South American shows where paper, colours and the idea were circulated while they waited. Sometimes it's just one or two key plotters that attend a show with bagfuls of balloons/glow sticks/paper sheets distributing them in the pre-show moments. Remember it's not only what is to be used that matters, but when - which song will see the items displayed - the power of the moment is that the "event" occurs in a synchronised manner. One long-term regular McCartney show favourite which you can reliably bring is the pink glow stick which have been waved by fans regularly since the passing of Linda - a dignified way of showing continued respect for a very special lady. The first one song special moment was the idea of Paul's own tour staff who filed into the audience to display red hearts during the last show of that particular tour and that almost choked Paul up as he sang. Most of the similar displays seen since then have grown from that idea. That particular moment was captured and featured on the tour video serving as a lasting prompt to other such ideas. Paul seems to like audience participation in this manner as he's talked about these moments in interviews since. Has anyone here been involved in planning anything of this type? Or are planning something along these lines this tour? Please share.... It doesn't take many necessarily - I recall a line of flashing Christmas Hats appearing at the O2 Arena in London when Paul broke into Wonderful Christmastime - the cameramen were quick to feature them on the big screens so everybody in the arena saw the "moment" besides Paul. Martin
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martinput:
The first one song special moment was the idea of Paul's own tour staff who filed into the audience to display red hearts during the last show of that particular tour and that almost choked Paul up as he sang. Most of the similar displays seen since then have grown from that idea. That particular moment was captured and featured on the tour video serving as a lasting prompt to other such ideas.
Ah yes. I was at that show. The 2nd show in Sunrise, FL (Ft. Lauderdale area) on the 2002 tour. That was definitely a standout moment of all the shows I've been to. You could tell he was really moved by seeing all those hearts. And I was pleased to see it make it to the DVD.
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rlj1010:
martinput:
The first one song special moment was the idea of Paul's own tour staff who filed into the audience to display red hearts during the last show of that particular tour and that almost choked Paul up as he sang. Most of the similar displays seen since then have grown from that idea. That particular moment was captured and featured on the tour video serving as a lasting prompt to other such ideas.
Ah yes. I was at that show. The 2nd show in Sunrise, FL (Ft. Lauderdale area) on the 2002 tour. That was definitely a standout moment of all the shows I've been to. You could tell he was really moved by seeing all those hearts. And I was pleased to see it make it to the DVD.
actually, I was there Martin...that was Liverpool 2003 "Home is Where The Heart Is" in heart signs.. I have one of those it's a great moment....
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harleyblues:
rlj1010:
martinput:
The first one song special moment was the idea of Paul's own tour staff who filed into the audience to display red hearts during the last show of that particular tour and that almost choked Paul up as he sang. Most of the similar displays seen since then have grown from that idea. That particular moment was captured and featured on the tour video serving as a lasting prompt to other such ideas.
Ah yes. I was at that show. The 2nd show in Sunrise, FL (Ft. Lauderdale area) on the 2002 tour. That was definitely a standout moment of all the shows I've been to. You could tell he was really moved by seeing all those hearts. And I was pleased to see it make it to the DVD.
actually, I was there Martin...that was Liverpool 2003 "Home is Where The Heart Is" in heart signs.. I have one of those it's a great moment....
Yes, but the Ft. Lauderdale show was first; I heard later that idea came from the preshow dancers, because it was the final show of that leg so they wanted to say "thank you" to Paul. So it's many of them who are holding up the hearts in the audience and they handed out hearts to the people at the front rows, too. I had a side-stage seat so from my angle, I could see what Paul saw, it was quite wonderful when they all held them up at the same time. So I think someone got the idea to do the same thing at Liverpool 2003; I had a friend who was there who also got one of the hearts.
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The report on the first show at Belo Horizonte carries a story and photo of the local "surprise" for Paul: http://www.paulmccartney.com/news-blogs/news/27530-new-out-there-tour-launched-in-belo-horizonte As suggested earlier it appears to have been organised locally via Facebook. Martin
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Just a passing thought... The best "surprises" recently have occurred at Stadium venues where the field has been sold as General Admission tickets - i.e. no seats. Those events naturally have long queues where fans wait for best positions and it's seems to be these "surprises" can be better organised while fans wait. Belo Horizonte was indeed GA:
Fans camped outside the stadium in the days running up to the show in order to secure the best position when the doors opened.
South American fans seem to love camping out ahead of shows
Martin
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martinput:
Just a passing thought... The best "surprises" recently have occurred at Stadium venues where the field has been sold as General Admission tickets - i.e. no seats. Those events naturally have long queues where fans wait for best positions and it's seems to be these "surprises" can be better organised while fans wait. Belo Horizonte was indeed GA:
Fans camped outside the stadium in the days running up to the show in order to secure the best position when the doors opened.
South American fans seem to love camping out ahead of shows
Martin
Yeah, that makes sense. But wouldn't it be great if we could get a facebook group together or something to put together a surprise? Maybe just bring heart cutouts or something and agree upon a time to hold them up?
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harleyblues:
rlj1010:
martinput:
The first one song special moment was the idea of Paul's own tour staff who filed into the audience to display red hearts during the last show of that particular tour and that almost choked Paul up as he sang. Most of the similar displays seen since then have grown from that idea. That particular moment was captured and featured on the tour video serving as a lasting prompt to other such ideas.
Ah yes. I was at that show. The 2nd show in Sunrise, FL (Ft. Lauderdale area) on the 2002 tour. That was definitely a standout moment of all the shows I've been to. You could tell he was really moved by seeing all those hearts. And I was pleased to see it make it to the DVD.
actually, I was there Martin...that was Liverpool 2003 "Home is Where The Heart Is" in heart signs.. I have one of those it's a great moment....
Nope... Martin's right. It started in Ft. Lauderdale at his final show in 02. Liverpool 03 was a copy of that.
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Well Paul just handed someone a gift... Surely it must be placards reading "Hi Harold" during The Long And Winding Road .... Maybe a grasshopper picture?
Just a thought.... Martin -
JayJay:
harleyblues:
rlj1010:
martinput:
The first one song special moment was the idea of Paul's own tour staff who filed into the audience to display red hearts during the last show of that particular tour and that almost choked Paul up as he sang. Most of the similar displays seen since then have grown from that idea. That particular moment was captured and featured on the tour video serving as a lasting prompt to other such ideas.
Ah yes. I was at that show. The 2nd show in Sunrise, FL (Ft. Lauderdale area) on the 2002 tour. That was definitely a standout moment of all the shows I've been to. You could tell he was really moved by seeing all those hearts. And I was pleased to see it make it to the DVD.
actually, I was there Martin...that was Liverpool 2003 "Home is Where The Heart Is" in heart signs.. I have one of those it's a great moment....
Nope... Martin's right. It started in Ft. Lauderdale at his final show in 02. Liverpool 03 was a copy of that.
OK thought it started in Liverpool 03
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Many of us brought pink glow sticks to honor Linda for one tour. That was organized here.
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Anyone knowing anyone posting on social websites - that's what was reported of the way that the Brazilian fans got together.
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That would be funny if we started singing that at every U.S. show! (the tune is from 'Bye, 'Bye Birdie' where they sang "We love you Conrad, oh yes we do...")
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Hi guys, I'm from Brazil. The first surprise organized in Brazil was in Sao Paulo in 2010, when the fans brought white balloons for A Day in The Life/Give Peace a Chance. It was organized through "Orkut", which was still quite popular in Brazil at the time. For the concerts in the following years, these surprises were organized through Facebook. They're supposed to be "tributes" to Paul, something the fans do "in honor" of Paul. And they're fully organized by the fans, not the staff or the concert promoters. Also, they were all planned in advance, not at the lines. But of course, while waiting in line, you can always let your "neighbour" know what's gonna happen and even distribute the balloons, the masks (Recife, 2012, for Obladi Oblada), the "Na" signs (Rio, 2011, Hey Jude, of course) or the "Thank you" signs (Belo Horizonte, 2013, Hey Jude again). The grasshoppers, on the other hand, weren't planned at all!! They just showed up!