“This opening is fairly good,” says Paul McCartney, having already burned by “A Onerous Day’s Night time”, Wings double “Junior’s Farm” and “Letting Go”, plus “Drive My Automobile”. “I’m going to take somewhat second to get pleasure from it for myself.” Arms clasped in entrance of him, leaning again as if to admire a murals in a gallery, McCartney has each proper to take pleasure in a spot of jocular self-appreciation. Tonight’s present in Manchester – his first UK gig since headlining Glastonbury in 2022 – is a triumph on each stage.
He’s right here on the 23,500-capacity Co-op Stay (taking part in the primary of two sold-out performances) as a part of the European leg of his world Obtained Again tour, having wound by Latin America over the past couple of months. This week, two nights at London’s O2 beckon. “It’s good to be again,” he declares, clearly within the temper for a celebration.
And a celebration is strictly what we get. A jubilant “Obtained To Get You Into My Life” performs out in opposition to a backdrop of animated scenes from The Beatles’ profession, a flash flood of cultural revolution. It’s simply certainly one of so many songs acquainted sufficient to function waymarkers of our personal lives, not simply McCartney’s, lending the present – regardless of its measurement and scale – the texture of an intimate communal expertise.
The tributes come thick and quick, too. Jimi Hendrix will get a nod after a very fiery climax to “Let Me Roll It”, McCartney riffing freely on his Gibson as the entire band (keyboardist Paul Wickens, guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray, all-action drummer Abe Laboriel Jr and the three-piece Sizzling Metropolis Horns) leaning into an prolonged jam. Nearer to dwelling, the intro spiel to “Love Me Do” – “the primary music we recorded with George Martin” – is the sign for home lights to dim and cellphones to torch up.
The latter lands between “In Spite Of All The Hazard” and the mandolin-led “Dance Tonight”, forming a through-line from The Quarrymen to early Beatles to 2007’s (i)Reminiscence Virtually Full(i), with McCartney and the band huddled shut in an approximation of a skiffle band busking for spare change.
The Obtained Again setlist has seen the introduction of “Now And Then”, the restored Beatles tune that John Lennon first demoed round 1977. It makes its UK debut tonight, full with Peter Jackson’s AI-assisted video, that includes clowning Beatles previous and current. Coming after 1982’s “Right here At this time”, written about McCartney’s relationship with the recently-deceased Lennon – and performed solo on acoustic guitar right here – it’s a becoming, poignant tribute to his outdated buddy.
After which there’s George. Whipping out a ukulele, McCartney remembers Harrison’s membership of the George Formby fan membership as a youth. “He used to go as much as Blackpool, hundreds of them in a single room,” he marvels, earlier than strumming the opening verse of “One thing”. The band strike up behind him on cue, elevating the entire thing superbly.
It’s social gathering time from thereon in. “Stay And Let Die” – the best ever Bond theme, no query – is a pyrotechnic spectacle, fireworks popping and flames bolting upwards. Bouncing gleefully, “Ob La Di, Ob La Da” places us in mass singalong territory. However that is nothing in comparison with “Hey Jude”, McCartney taking his place behind his multi-coloured piano, all the crowd misplaced in “na-na-na na” rapture.
The 82-year-old’s power reserves nonetheless appear totally intact as he leads an unstoppable encore of “I’ve Obtained A Feeling” (duetting with Apple-rooftop John on the display behind him) and a “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band” that segues into the white noise of “Helter Skelter”. Over two-and-a-half hours since he began, all of it involves an in depth in the one method it could actually: the Abbey Highway triptych of “Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight” and “The Finish”. “And ultimately / The love you are taking / Is the same as the love you make,” sings McCartney, beaming. Tonight gives absolute proof.
SETLIST
A Onerous Day’s Night time
Juniors Farm
Letting Go
Drive My Automobile
Obtained To Get You Into My Life
Come On To Me
Let Me Roll It
Getting Higher
Let ‘Em In
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty 5
Perhaps I’m Amazed
I’ve Simply Seen A Face
In Spite Of All The Hazard
Love Me Do
Dance Tonight
Blackbird
Right here At this time
Now And Then
Woman Madonna
Jet
Being For The Profit Of Mr Kite
One thing
Ob La Di, Ob La Da
Band On The Run
Great Christmas Time
Get Again
Let It Be
Stay And Let Die
Hey Jude
ENCORE
I’ve Obtained A Feeling
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band / Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The Finish
