Paul McCartney appeared overcome with emotion when performing the “last Beatles song” live during a recent concert in Manchester.
At the first of two sold-out shows - part of his celebrated Got Back tour and his first UK gig since 2018 – the veteran artist “duetted” with the isolated vocals of his late bandmate, John Lennon.
Billed as the final Beatles song, “Now and Then” was released in November 2023 with the help of AI technology, which separated Lennon’s vocals and piano playing from a recording made at his home in New York around 1977.
The 82-year-old musician had previously debuted a live version of the song at a concert in Uruguay but playing it to a UK audience looked to have conjured up memories and emotions for McCartney who, in footage captured at the concert, was visibly moved.
Fans have since rallied around McCartney and shown their support for The Beatles star, offering their support in the comments for the video by Far Out magazine, which has been viewed more than 50,000 times.
One person said: “We will never see another like him. Not just the greatness of the songs but the sheer volume of great songs. A true genius.”
A second fan added: “A man with the talent of a million people and more!! The greatest singer songwriter of all time imho!! Long live and illuminate the world Paul!! Loads of love.”
A third person wrote: “Everyone was crying for that one.”
Speaking to The Mirror about performing the song live, McCartney said: “It’s really great. When you introduce a new song, even though it’s an old song, like ‘Now and Then’, the first reaction is, people aren’t quite sure what it is or what you’re doing.“
“But during the run of the concerts, they get the idea. The word gets out on the internet, you know. So now the reaction is really strong, and for us it’s great to play because it’s a nice song to play, and for me, it’s particularly great because it’s a John song. And so it’s very emotional for me. I love it. I love doing it, and the audience seem to love it too.”
