​FROM STICKERS TO ​​SECRET GIGS

By Billy J Shears
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​Remember the 60's when the only way to promote your latest record was to send a copy to DJ's hoping they'd like it enough to give it a spin. If you were lucky it would be featured as record of the week on your local radio station.

Now, for the fortunate few, promotion of a new record has taken on a life of it's own. 
They'll always be the little freebies, pens, stickers, badges, postcards, promo singles/albums where we're ripped off on Ebay to add them to our collections but Paul McCartney has taken record promotion to another level for the release of his new album 'Egypt Station' due ​for release on 7th September 2018.

SATURDAY 09.06.18
Strangely, the promotion for the album began in Liverpool 13 weeks before the album's release.
Paul and James Corden visited Paul's hometown to film an episode of 'Carpool Karaoke'  visiting Beatles sites including Paul's former home at Forthlin Road where he performed 'When I'm 64' on the piano in the front parlour. 
After visits to Penny Lane and the waterfront Beatles statue where Paul and James posed for photos, they ended the day with a 'secret gig' at the Philharmonic Pub performing a 13 song set including new song 'Come on to Me' to the 50 strong crowd.

Set List: 
A Hard Day's Night, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Jet, Drive My Car, Come On to Me, I've Just Seen a Face, Love Me Do, I've Got a Feeling, I Wanna Be Your Man, Back in the U.S.S.R., Birthday, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude

​WEDNESDAY 20.06.18
The next move for his record label Capitol was to release a double A-side download single of tracks 2 & 3 from the album, mainly the rocker 'Come on to Me' and the piano/acoustic based ballad 'I Don't Know' giving Paul is highest placed hit for a while on the Billboard Hot 100.

Paul then gave an indication in a couple of interviews with BBC Radio 2 & 6 that two further secret gigs could be played before the beginning of August.

During July Paul's band, Paul 'Wix' Wickens, Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray & Abe Laboriel, Jr. arrived in London for rehearsals, there was definitely something in the air.

​MONDAY 23.07.18
Monday, 23rd July 2018, Paul McCartney walked across the World famous Abbey Road crossing and so began a memorable week for Beatles fans worldwide.
The first secret gig took place in front of a celebrity crowd including Johnny Depp, Kylie Minogue, Stella & Mary plus 10 fans who'd won a competition on social media to attend and watch Paul McCartney live in Abbey Road. 

Set List: 
Blues Jam, Matchbox, A Hard Day's Night, Junior's Farm, One After 909, Drive My Car, Come On to Me, I've Got a Feeling, I've Just Seen a Face, Confidante, Love Me Do, We Can Work It Out, My Valentine, 
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, Lady Madonna, Who Cares, Got to Get You Into My Life, Fuh You, 
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - Encore: I Wanna Be Your Man, Get Back, Back in the U.S.S.R.- Encore 2: Birthday, 
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise), Helter Skelter.

Tuesday proved a rest day in this hectic week for Paul.

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​WEDNESDAY 25.07.18
Paul McCartney appeared in 'Casual Conversation from LIPA' with Jarvis Cocker.
The hour long conversation was screened live on Facebook and included a mixture of stories old and new although always entertaining but the bombshell was that Paul was going to play another secret gig in Liverpool.

After the interview finished Paul & the band took to the stage to perform an acoustic set.

Set List: 
I've Just Seen a Face, San Francisco Bay Blues, Every Night, From Me to You, Mrs. Vandebilt, On My Way to Work, Love Me Do, Confidante, I Lost My Little Girl, Midnight Special, We Can Work It Out

THURSDAY 26.07.18
The day Paul McCartney returned to the World famous Cavern Club, his first gig at the venue since December 1999 when he appeared there to promote Run Devil Run.
The set list included four songs from his new forthcoming album 'Egypt Station' and a rocking ending performing Hi, Hi, Hi, I Saw Her Standing There, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) and a version of Helter Skelter that nearly took the roof off.

Set List: 
Band Jam, Twenty Flight Rock, Magical Mystery Tour, Jet, All My Loving, Letting Go, Come On to Me, Let Me Roll It, I've Got a Feeling, My Valentine, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, Lady Madonna, In Spite of All the Danger, Things We Said Today, Confidante, Love Me Do, Who Cares, Birthday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Fuh You, Get Back, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Band on the Run, Hi, Hi, Hi, I Saw Her Standing There, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise), Helter Skelter

​FRIDAY 27.07.18
No set list but Paul finished this breath-taking week attending the LIPA Graduation with fans in attendance to greet him and wave him off.

​Paul has played secret gigs before but the promotion for 'Egypt Station' has been unprecedented.
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• New songs released over two months before the albums release.
• Four new songs premiered  live before official release.
• Secret gig at Abbey Road.
• Secret gig at the Cavern Club.
• Casual Conversation from LIPA including a live gig in the Paul McCartney Auditorium.

The only memorabilia lacking in my collection now is a badge and a sticker to promote Egypt Station.
​If you see any let me know, good price paid for the right item:-) ...