Okay- So I went both Friday and Saturday- I was really feeling very sick Saturday... spent all day in bed with a fever and upset stomach but then my wife sort of pushed me to go and of course I wanted to as well and I am glad I did. I felt much better by the end of the concert. Here are my thoughts on both:
Paul was in great voice both nights... My wife , Anna thought he sounded a little hoarse..but I must say I didn't really notice it. I think his voice was far better than in 1990. I also thought the sound in person is far better than on the new Back in the US cd. I think they could have mixed it better. I put the set lists for both below. The first night we were on the opposite side of the hall from the stage (thank God, for the screens) in the last row in the lower tier. The second night I was off to the side about a quarter of the way back from Paul. Could sort of make out his facial expressions. So the first night the crowd we were around were sort of more laid back more relaxed, the second night the crowd I was in was a bit more rambunctous and clapping. Both were very good. His band was very good.. very hard rocking for only 5 people. Let Me Roll It was fantastic, really rockin hard... and as a tag to it, they broke into Foxy Lady by Hendrix (instrumental only) but McCartney really wailed on the guitar. It was great. Overall, McCartney was looser on Saturday than Friday but on Friday they did the Foxy Lady bit much better... or maybe it was just because I wasn't expecting it the first night. Getting Better was really nice to hear, but I found the mix of the guitars a bit too high both nights... wanted to be able to hear more of the voices. Blackbird was great both nights.. I was really glad he did that song. Every Night was fantastic, it makes that song which I previously thought was just a good song fantastic with just Paul's voice and guitar. I really wish in the same vein, he had done I Will from the white album. We Can Work It Out on by himself was also great! Fool on the Hill was very good... but I still like the interpretation he did in 1990 in which he included Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech. That really added something. then. Here Today was very good both nights... Saturday, he didn't quite hit the top note on his first "Here Today" part... maybe he was thinking of John... or maybe he just wasn't ready... but it was the only vocal part that I noticed where he made a mistake. I like to think he was thinking of John. Something on Ukelele was good.. but there was no way he was gooing to beat the Tribute to George Harrison concert on that one. Really wanted him to start on Ukelele and finish in a full blown version like at the Tribute... but alas was not to be. I loved Here, There and Everywhere... love that song anyways, and then on Friday he followed with Things We Said Today. (He dropped that on Saturday.) I'm glad he did it on Friday... This is the one you really noticed his voice was better than in 1990 on. Calico skies, I think they did too fast both nights... missing an opportunity to really make this good song shine. Two of Us was fantastic- really glad to they included this one on tour... you could just imagine him in Let It Be doing this song and yet he was doing it in front of us! On Saturday when He did Band On The Run, He added the BBC commercial avant guarde open to it, It was a nice change.. then they did the whole real version, so we didn't lose anything by them doing the different open. Back in The USSR, Birthday, Can't Buy Me Love, and I Saw Her Standing There were great! He proved he can really rock! On Saturday, After Back In The USSR, he did Maybe I'm Amazed.... That made my going a second time totally worth it! She's Leaving Home, they did really well, and it is a great song... but next time he can do something else. And really missed John's voice on that one. All the rest of the songs were great! All in all fantastic... He did 38 songs or parts of songs both nights (is this guy really nearly 61?). I paid £45 for my ticket, that's a little more than a pound a song.... and you know that can't be bad.
SETLIST:
Hello Goodbye
Jet
All My Loving
Getting Better
Let Me Roll It (Foxy Lady tag)
Lonely Road
Your Loving Flame
Blackbird
Every Night
We Can Work It Out
You Never Give Me Your Money/Carry That Weight
Fool On The Hill
Here, Today
Something
Eleanor Rigby
Here There And Everywhere
Things We Said Today (FRIDAY ONLY)
I've Just Seen A Face
Calico Skies
Two of Us
Michelle
Band On The Run (Saturday night they opened with the BBC commercial avant-guarde open)
Back In The USSR
Maybe I'm Amazed (SATURDAY ONLY)
Let 'Em In
My Love
She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love
Birthday
Live And Let Die
Let It Be
Hey Jude
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The Long And Winding Road
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
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Yesterday
Sgt. Pepper/The End