12 June 2010 (gig)
13 June 2010
There really are only a handful of people that can be labelled living legends without the term seeming contrived. Paul McCartney is one of those rarities.
As he takes to the stage, the overwhelming feeling is 'Wow! I’m actually watching a Beatle'. This fades rather quickly though, as you become embroiled in these songs that you’ve heard a million times before. They seem familiar, yet fresh and you can’t help but fall in love with them all over again.
The man is a genius; pure and simple. He can still hit the high notes, he can still shred a guitar/bass solo and maybe most importantly he’s still the ultimate showman. He delighted the Irish crowd with snippets of native gaelic and moved around the stage with the swagger and energy of a man three times his junior.
It’s not only McCartney that makes this a fantastic performance however. His backing band is nothing short of inspired. So many times an artist that’s gone solo has a band behind them that is by the numbers to fill out the instruments. Here the guys add an extra layer to the already inspired performance.
It nearly doesn’t matter what McCartney plays in his set. There are so many classics, that it’s almost impossible to fit them all into a 2 hour 45 minute set. But when the crowd belts out 'na na na na hey Jude', or 'speaking words of wisdom, let it be' it’s impossible not to be moved. The highlight of the set, however, is 'Live and Let Die’ with fireworks and pyro timed to perfection while the chorus blows you away.
As much as people hate to think it, the chances of seeing Sir Paul play are becoming fewer and fewer as the years pass by. But the great thing is that when I’m older not only will I be saying to my children that 'I saw a Beatle', I’ll also be saying 'I saw a legend put on one of the best shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing'.
