Paul McCartney

[rockbassist]

I am old enough to remember when the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan (barely). I went to see Paul McCartney in Boston the other night and I was blown away. I had never seen him. I'm am so glad that I went. It was the best show that I have ever seen. There was no opening act. He played for 3 hours straight. No breaks. It was AWESOME! He has a great band. In fact his drummer Abe Laboriel, went to Berklee College of Music with my keyboard player Sean. I sometimes tease Sean that Abe got stuck playing with Paul and Sean has the privelege with me. (JUST A JOKE) But give me a break, I am smart enough to do something that McCartney doesn't, I play Alembic! Anyway, at one point it looked like Paul was going to cry. He was alone onstage with an acoustic guitar. He asked all of us to remember George, John and Linda. The crowd cheered very loudly for several minutes. Paul put up his hand in an effort to quiet us down but we just cheered louder. He went to the microphone and said Oh come one now and we continued to cheer. This went on for several minutes. He put his head down and wiped his eyes and sang Yesterday. When he was finished, he wiped his eyes again. I couldn't tell if he was crying but many of the people in the audience were. According to the newspaper, he played 38 songs. All sounded great. Whether you like him or not the fact is that we were all influenced by him whether we realize it or not or want to believe it. He was truly the first bass god. If you get the chance to see him, it is really worth it. Let's face it, he could have played for an hour and people would have left happy. That's not Paul. He gives people what they deserve. A great show. He is 63 years old and is better then most musicians 1/3 his age.

[mpisanek]

Kevin:
 
I am not an avid concertgoer, but had the exact same experience in Dublin last spring.  I have stopped going to all concerts except for those on my must see list.  This list included Paul McCartney.
 
It is no longer a mystery to me why he is considered to be a superstar.  Anyone who can stand at the edge of a piano and speak directly to every person in the audience like he is talking direct to each person is amazing!
 
At the time of the concert, it was the most expensive ticket I ever purchased.  When I walked out of the concert, I said that if there were another concert the next day, I would pay twice as much for a ticket!  
 
He is truly an amazing performer, whether you are a fan of his or not!

[gbarchus]

I, for one, would have never made a career out of music if it wasn't for Paul McCartney and the Beatles. They were somewhat easy to copy, but mysteriously difficult to reproduce. I learned how to play bass (and guitar for that matter) copying Paul McCartney's bass lines. As his lines developed, so did I. Even today, as I listen to his bass lines, I continue to be amazed at how much melody and rhythm he created on bass. For me, there are still lessons to be learned.

[bracheen]

Kevin
I was at the Miami show, 9/16, and had the same experience.  I would like to add that I've never seen an audience as a whole enjoy a concert more.  The place was sold out with everyone on their feet.  The only complaint that I would have the bass was not clear in the mix.  There was just this low rumbling throughout.  That was with whomever was playing bass. But overall that was a minor thing.  Amazing show. He did seem irritated at one point when someone called out for Yellow Submarine.  He just looked in that direction for a few seconds then started playing it so hard I'm surprised he didn't break a string.  He was on acoustic guitar at the time.  After one verse he stopped and said he was saving that for Ringo's tour.
Sam

[gare]

I've been lucky enough to see McCartney several times over the years, and he truely is one of the, if not 'the' best shows I've seen.  I especially like his live version of Live and Let Die.

[j_gary]

I've been fortunate enough to catch this old Englishman three times at his work. About two hundred years ago in Toronto with a little band called the Beatles, a hundred years ago in Detriot with Wings, then the last time he rolled through Michigan at the Palace in Auburn Hills. I can't think of another human being who can write, perform, and play anything in his hands with such style, grace, and humility.  
 
I am so weary of some flavor of the month musician(?) waxing on about how important the music is , how rough life is, and how the planet should be run. Mr. McCartney has somehow kept his ego in check and supplied us with songs, music and performances that entertain, inspire and make us think. He does so with a gentle touch that appears lost to most of mankind.
 
Just my opinion, I could be wrong. There is always the Gene Simmons and P Ditty shows on how to be a musician and form a band. After last weeks shows I've been practicing lip synching, getting a tongue extention, and learning how to twirl dance while setting my ass on fire.

[adriaan]

There's something about his attitude in interviews that you see on television ... perhaps it comes from having been treated like a demi-god for several decades ... but what he seems to think is everyday life is in fact the strange life that one may lead only when one is a superstar like Paul McCartney.
 
Just my 2?, of course - which also puts me in perspective financially (duh).

[bassman10096]

My wife and I have tickets to see Sir Paul in Milwaukee later in the month.  I can't wait.  I was just listening yesterday to the live compilation from his last US tour.  You all are helping remind me how important and how dear this musician has been to me and my music.  And how excited I am to finally get to see him perform.
 
Bill

[ox_junior]

To oversimplify things:
 
Paul wrote probably 60% of the soundtrack of my life.
 
Paul's music made me hear melody, harmony, and the bass guitar for the first time.  I never strayed from any of those three musical basics - anything without a strong melody, catchy harmonies, and a well-constructed bassline is just noise to me.
 
He always seemed so happy up there on stage.  His music has always been uplifting and positive.
 
Music would not dominate my life the way it has since I was 7 years old, if not for Paul.
 
One of my ex-bandmates is now Paul's lead guitarist (Rusty Anderson).  He was a musical genius back when I played in a band called Drive-Thru Church with him 10 years ago.  He has always been strongly Beatle-influenced and this is the perfect gig for him.  I am so proud of my friend Rusty.
 
My mother was also quite Paul-influenced.  I have a sister named Michelle and a brother named Paul.  
 
I am only one of millions who have been influenced by this man in this way.
 
Can I praise him enough?
 
Mike

[lbpesq]

And obviously Paul contributed to your name too.  After all, every time I saw him, starting with that historic Sunday night on the Ed Sullivan show, Paul sang through a mike!  LOL
 
Bill, tgo

[j_gary]

To all who were lucky enough to see him this tour, what kind of gear is he using now? I would think that he would have enough money now to afford an Alembic. Well, maybe not after the recent price increase. Maybe Mrs. McCartney will get a part time job to help the poor lad out, boo hoo, sob, sniff.

[ox_junior]

J Gary,
 
I believe that Paul is still using his Hofner 500/1 bass, through Mesa Boogie Amplification.  When he plays guitar I believe he uses his sunburst Les Paul through Vox amps.  At least that was his lineup on the last tour.  I have no doubt that he is still using the Hofner, and probably hasn't changed amps.
 
Bill, you crack me up!  Not only does Paul sing through a mike, his brother's name is Mike...and my brother Paul's middle name is Michael!  It's all bound together mysteriously somehow!

[bracheen]

Mike is correct about Paul's gear. The Mesa cabinets are four 1x15.  It's still the same.  Brian Ray plays a Guild M-85 bass. I couldn't tell what his amps where but he did have two Ashdown 4x10 cabinets.
 
Sam

[ox_junior]

Is that what that thing is?  I saw that Guild bass on the last tour...knew it was a Guild but couldn't find any data on it anywhere.  Thanks for the tip Sam.
 
And I'll grant that a Hofner is no Alembic, but Paul's Hofner is, I believe, considered to be one of the most valuable musical instruments in the world.  Net worth over $1 million - wouldn't be surprised if it was far, far over that.  I can't believe the guy takes the thing ON TOUR with him.  I believe Geoff (his tech) has it handcuffed to his body, like the President's nuclear football.

[j_gary]

I find it amazing that he still breaks out that old Hofner. It must be an English thing as my Father , an off the boat Englishman, keeps things forever, cars, clothes, tools, everything. When I would ask about updating, his mantra was, Why, this one works fine. I wish I was more like him. I'd be curious if our brothers accross the pond feel they keep their gear longer than us in the colonies.  
 
Thanks gentlemen for the equipment update. I own a Hofner and she can be a little tricky to play. I wonder what the reason is that he still uses the old girl, sound, emotion, comfort? Whatever the reason, it is cool to see him with her after all these years.
 
For giggles, what would you do if you ended up owning Sir McCartney's Hofner? Play it, sell it, hide it? I think I would be scared silly about something bad happening to her while in my care. I think a lot of pressure would come with ownership. I'd have to play the thing, YIKES!