Paul McCartney Goes Home for Christmas: Concert Review
It seemed somehow fitting that Paul McCartney chose to finally wrap up his mammoth “Got Back” tour in London at Christmas time.
He may not have graced the UK with his presence too much on this outing – this, the penultimate night of a 59-date run that started way back in April 2022, is only the fifth gig on home soil – but like any old friend, family member or Santa Claus, he is always a welcome guest at this time of year.
And just like your favorite uncle or the big red guy, McCartney always delivers. Faced with the same kind of raucous crowd of all ages that will gather around a turkey across the country this time next week, he happily played the part of the glitter-clad host, merrily serving up a feast to keep absolutely everyone happy.
And of course it came with all the accessories. Macca doesn’t cut his past into easily digestible eras, but they’re all great, from the Quarrymen’s very first recording (a wildly charming “In Spite of all the Danger”) to “Come on to Me” from 2018’s “Egypt Station”—or maybe “Now and Then,” the “newest” Beatles song, depending on which timeline you follow. Either way, “Now and Then” was played in such a beautifully poignant way that it seemed to leave McCartney misty-eyed as he leaned on his piano to survey the ecstatic reaction of the crowd.
It’s the bits in between the moments that most people were here to see, of course. The Beatles were, unsurprisingly, well represented, from the bouncy opener “Can’t Buy Me Love” to the humming “Got to Get You into My Life” and a lighthearted “Getting Better.” Meanwhile, “Drive My Car” was accompanied by some brilliantly literal footage of, well, cars being driven (though not babies, alas).
But elsewhere, McCartney used a little more imagination to give even the most well-worn standards a boost. He requested a “Beatles scream” before “Love Me Do” – the audience obliged so loudly that he muttered: “Trying to be heard over that – impossible!” – and required the crowd to take over in an uneasy “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” (they didn’t need much persuasion, to be fair).
But he also knew exactly when to calm things down, via heartfelt tributes to John Lennon (a duet on “I’ve Got a Feeling” with his former bandmate, even larger than life on the big screen) and George Harrison ( a version of “Something” that started sparsely on the ukulele and blossomed into a widescreen rock epic). A gorgeous acoustic “Blackbird,” meanwhile, saw McCartney standing clear of a big-screen moon on an elevated stage and recalled the time the Beatles refused to play to a segregated crowd in Jacksonville, Florida.
There was also a great Wings span throughout the show, with McCartney’s “other” band doing justice via an early volley of “Junior’s Farm” and “Letting Go” through to a stomping “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” in the middle section and thunderous renditions of “Jet” and “Band on the Run” as the set drew to a close.
There was even time for a relatively rare rustle through “Wonderful Christmastime,” complete with a Christmas tree, snow, a brass section dressed as elves and a chorus of children singing their carol straight across.
Such moments of relative spontaneity gave the evening a pleasantly relaxed feel. At one point, the brass section appeared in the crowd, “Love Actually” style, as McCartney forgot to play “My Valentine” in its allotted slot, but added it back later, after frantic urging from drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. Meanwhile, removing his jacket with a flourish before “Let Me Roll It”, McCartney said: “That’s the big wardrobe change tonight.”
The former Beatle really seemed to be enjoying every moment, giving himself a moment to soak up the atmosphere. And while his voice may have lost some of its power, he remained positively fresh compared to some other elder statesmen of rock’n’roll, still more than capable of a high (well, at least medium height) kick or two .
Unlike many stars of his vintage, there was no hint that this tour might be a farewell, but the closing section would be worthy of any send-off. A raucous “Get Back” was followed by a sumptuous “Let It Be”, a chaotic, pyro-heavy “Live and Let Die” and a huge “Na-na-na”-athon on “Hey Jude”, many of the audience held up homemade signs (“Long live Paul!”, “Your songs saved my life!”) as if to prove you’re never too old for Beatlemania.
He reappeared and waved a Union Jack for the encore (not in a Brexit way; Irish and rainbow flags also featured) before the show ended, as these things always should, with McCartney at center stage conducting a wonderful finale.
A gnarly “Helter Skelter” was followed by a sumptuous “Abbey Road” triptych of “Golden Slumbers” (practically a UK Christmas carol after Elbow’s version featured on the ubiquitous John Lewis festive ad a few years back), “Carry That”. Weight” and “The End”, providing the musical equivalent of a Christmas Day blowout to end all blowouts.
“There’s only one thing that needs to be said…” he smiled as he kissed the camera and left in a haze of confetti and admiration. “See you next time!”
Not even Sir Paul McCartney can go on forever. But in this form, his live shows remain the gift that keeps on giving, whatever the season.