McCartney Toronto. Bonus for Canada
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:20 am
I saw the show last night and was highly impressed. The show was virtually the same as the other shows people have posted about, with one huge addition. Here is what he played for the 2nd encore:
Please Please Me
Mull of Kintyre
Let It Be
Sgt. Pepper Reprise
The End
We were hoping for Mull of Kintyre, as he has done it for the last two visits to Toronto, during the Off The Ground & Driving Rain tours. Well, he didn't disappoint. Leading up to the song has been the same for all 3 times now that I've seen him do it. After Please Please Me, the stage crew came out to replace the bands' guitars with acoustics (this is the routine, and because it is the encore, we know we are home free.) He introduces the song in a way that says he always loves to play Canada because he has another song that he is able to play. They all start strumming away and the excitement begins to build from those strums. The whole crowd starts to gasp---you can actually hear and feel the anticipation build. Once it is time, the pipers and drums start marching out, approximately 30 in total, in full uniform. They form a wide U shape around 3 sides of the stage, with the opening at the front, where the band stay with their acoustics. While the pipers were playing, the drummer from the pipe band was singing the choruses. Phenomenal is an understatement here. There were chills going up and down my spine, and I think the same was happening to everybody else in the audience. At the end, the pipe band stayed on stage for a minute or so for the ovation and thanks from Sir Paul and then slowly disbanded, seeming to take it all in. McCartney's band seemed to do the same, taking a full minute or two to watch them disband and leave the stage.
So, if you are at a McCartney show and it is encore time, and then you see the acoustics brought out to replace the bass and guitars, you know what you are about to see. You will see something that is very hard to describe to others and also a sight that you will never forget!
At the very end of the show and after their bows, somebody in the front row tossed up a sign for him to autograph. He picked it up, along with a pen the person threw, autographed it and tossed it back. I'd never seen him do that before.
Fantastic show, about 2 hours 40 minutes, with not a slow spot in it. He was in great vocal shape. The band sounded great, but I agree with other reviews that the Hofner was low in the mix. The best it sounded was during Penny Lane. In most others, it was very hard to hear.
Please Please Me
Mull of Kintyre
Let It Be
Sgt. Pepper Reprise
The End
We were hoping for Mull of Kintyre, as he has done it for the last two visits to Toronto, during the Off The Ground & Driving Rain tours. Well, he didn't disappoint. Leading up to the song has been the same for all 3 times now that I've seen him do it. After Please Please Me, the stage crew came out to replace the bands' guitars with acoustics (this is the routine, and because it is the encore, we know we are home free.) He introduces the song in a way that says he always loves to play Canada because he has another song that he is able to play. They all start strumming away and the excitement begins to build from those strums. The whole crowd starts to gasp---you can actually hear and feel the anticipation build. Once it is time, the pipers and drums start marching out, approximately 30 in total, in full uniform. They form a wide U shape around 3 sides of the stage, with the opening at the front, where the band stay with their acoustics. While the pipers were playing, the drummer from the pipe band was singing the choruses. Phenomenal is an understatement here. There were chills going up and down my spine, and I think the same was happening to everybody else in the audience. At the end, the pipe band stayed on stage for a minute or so for the ovation and thanks from Sir Paul and then slowly disbanded, seeming to take it all in. McCartney's band seemed to do the same, taking a full minute or two to watch them disband and leave the stage.
So, if you are at a McCartney show and it is encore time, and then you see the acoustics brought out to replace the bass and guitars, you know what you are about to see. You will see something that is very hard to describe to others and also a sight that you will never forget!
At the very end of the show and after their bows, somebody in the front row tossed up a sign for him to autograph. He picked it up, along with a pen the person threw, autographed it and tossed it back. I'd never seen him do that before.
Fantastic show, about 2 hours 40 minutes, with not a slow spot in it. He was in great vocal shape. The band sounded great, but I agree with other reviews that the Hofner was low in the mix. The best it sounded was during Penny Lane. In most others, it was very hard to hear.
Which is why it is a special occasion thing...