Tuesday, 3rd October 1989
PAUL MCCARTNEY LIVE - DER EX-BEATLE IN HAMBURG 1989 |
SPORTHALLE, HAMBURG |
The following article has been taken from Issue 9 of a fanzine I used to publish in the late eighties called 'Beatles'
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SET LIST: Figure of Eight, Jet, Rough Ride, Got to Get You Into My Life, Band on the Run, Ebony and Ivory, We Got Married, Maybe I'm Amazed, The Long and Winding Road, The Fool on the Hill, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Good Day Sunshine, Can't Buy Me Love, Put It There (with "Hello, Goodbye" outro snippet), Things We Said Today, Eleanor Rigby, Saw Her Standing There, This One, My Brave Face, Back in the U.S.S.R, .Twenty Flight Rock, Coming Up, Let It Be, Ain't That a Shame, Live and Let Die, Hey Jude
Encore: Yesterday, Get Back, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End |
Since Paul McCartney's tour dates were announced, there was always the temptation to see one of his continental gigs before the tour finally arrived in the UK in January 1990.
Cavern City Tours managed to organise a trip to Hamburg for Paul's concert on the 3rd October for the first of a two night stint at the Sportshalle, Hamburg. Travelling overland we arrived in Hamburg at 4.30pm on the day of the concert, unfortunately, for us anyway, Paul had held a press conference in the Kaiserkeller at 2.30pm just around the corner from our hotel set in the middle of Hamburg's notorious Reeperbahn.
The Sportshalle has a capacity of 6,000-8,000, (depends which paper you read) and after being subjected to the obligatory search for cameras/cassettes in the Sportshalle, anybody caught with a camera could be fined and either their film or camera confiscated. We were then handed our free programme.
The Sportshalle seemed an ideal venue for rock concerts with seating down either side of the venue and standing in the stalls, with the benefit of no reserved places we made our way downstairs to get as near to the front of the stage as possible.
I'd seen Paul play live in 1973, 1975 and twice in 1979 but for ten years I'd waited patiently for his concerts, and now, here I was in Hamburg, the stage in darkness and in a few seconds the waiting would be over.
Cavern City Tours managed to organise a trip to Hamburg for Paul's concert on the 3rd October for the first of a two night stint at the Sportshalle, Hamburg. Travelling overland we arrived in Hamburg at 4.30pm on the day of the concert, unfortunately, for us anyway, Paul had held a press conference in the Kaiserkeller at 2.30pm just around the corner from our hotel set in the middle of Hamburg's notorious Reeperbahn.
The Sportshalle has a capacity of 6,000-8,000, (depends which paper you read) and after being subjected to the obligatory search for cameras/cassettes in the Sportshalle, anybody caught with a camera could be fined and either their film or camera confiscated. We were then handed our free programme.
The Sportshalle seemed an ideal venue for rock concerts with seating down either side of the venue and standing in the stalls, with the benefit of no reserved places we made our way downstairs to get as near to the front of the stage as possible.
I'd seen Paul play live in 1973, 1975 and twice in 1979 but for ten years I'd waited patiently for his concerts, and now, here I was in Hamburg, the stage in darkness and in a few seconds the waiting would be over.
The response of the German crowd as the band opened with "Figure of Eight" was electric.
It had been 23 years since Paul last played in the city of Hamburg and during the show he made references to the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten Club and the legendary Star Club.
After "Rough Ride", "Band on the Run" and "Jet" the first Beatles number to be performed was "Got to Get You Into My Life", the floor nearly gave way!
The band comprises of:
The stage lighting and effects add considerable impact to the show, especially during "Sgt Pepper", although I wouldn't have been happy with Paul & piano flying over my head during "Fool on the Hill".
Highlights? Well, it was tremendous to hear so many Beatles classics. "Here's one you can dance too", "Can't Buy Me Love". the treatment of "Eleanor Rigby", the stunning "Sgt Pepper/Sgt Pepper (Reprise)" "Get Back", "Let It Be", ''Back in the USSR" and Paul announcing their's a British crowd in the audience and asking the German crowd to give us a warm welcome!
But for me the greatest song ever recorded was 'Hey Jude' and to hear it live and get the opportunity to join in, was quite an emotional experience.
The band finished with the Abbey Road medley "Golden Slumber, Carry That Weight and the End".
The concert and the preceding film left me spellbound for two and half hours and make no doubt about it Paul McCartney is back on the road, it may be a long and winding one, but he's coming your way, don't miss him!
It had been 23 years since Paul last played in the city of Hamburg and during the show he made references to the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten Club and the legendary Star Club.
After "Rough Ride", "Band on the Run" and "Jet" the first Beatles number to be performed was "Got to Get You Into My Life", the floor nearly gave way!
The band comprises of:
- Paul McCartney
- Linda McCartney
- Hamish Stuart
- Robbie McIntosh
- Paul "Wix" Wickens
- Chris Whitten
The stage lighting and effects add considerable impact to the show, especially during "Sgt Pepper", although I wouldn't have been happy with Paul & piano flying over my head during "Fool on the Hill".
Highlights? Well, it was tremendous to hear so many Beatles classics. "Here's one you can dance too", "Can't Buy Me Love". the treatment of "Eleanor Rigby", the stunning "Sgt Pepper/Sgt Pepper (Reprise)" "Get Back", "Let It Be", ''Back in the USSR" and Paul announcing their's a British crowd in the audience and asking the German crowd to give us a warm welcome!
But for me the greatest song ever recorded was 'Hey Jude' and to hear it live and get the opportunity to join in, was quite an emotional experience.
The band finished with the Abbey Road medley "Golden Slumber, Carry That Weight and the End".
The concert and the preceding film left me spellbound for two and half hours and make no doubt about it Paul McCartney is back on the road, it may be a long and winding one, but he's coming your way, don't miss him!
Eddie M