Could there a better headliner for Glastonbury festival than Sir Paul McCartney?
When it was announced he would play the 50th anniversary of the festival, it just seemed right. Two years later, he finally took to the stage, this time making his own bit of history by becoming the oldest solo act to headline the festival.
Those who were ever in doubt that he would still be able to put on an incredible show were proved wrong, as the 80-year-old smashed out a performance that would put a musician half his age to shame.
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The former Beatle proved he is one of, if not the, greatest musician of all time, when he took to the Pyramid stage with his catalogue of timeless hits. Starting out with Can’t Buy Me Love, the crowd erupted and didn’t stop for the more than two-hour set.
Throughout, Sir Paul paid number of tributes to musicians who’ve died over the years, starting with a guitar solo dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. What followed was a the closest thing we’re ever going to get to a live Beatles concert, as Sir Paul treated crowds to familiar favourites such as Blackbird and Ob‐La‐Di, Ob‐La‐Da.
He even played the Quarrymen’s In Spite of All the Danger and told a story about how the band paid £5 to get the record, taking turns to share who kept the vinyl.
In the first of many surprises, Sir Paul pulled out a ukulele given to him by George Harrison and sang a stripped back version of Something, before the band joined in and finished it as George would have played it himself.
It was clear from here on out that Sir Paul was thinking of his lost friends on such a momentous occasion. Next Dave Grohl joined the stage, to help sing When I Saw Her Standing There and Band On The Run.
As if one guest wasn’t enough, Bruce Springsteen came out and gave the audience a chance to dance. The pair
sang The Rolling Stones' I Wanna Be Your Man, which was penned by Lennon and McCartney when they bumped into The Stones before they were "big."
For the next few songs the crowd lit up with flares, as Let It Be , Live and Let Die and Hey Jude were belted out. Without needing to be asked, the masses sang back Hey Jude in what they thought was going to be the final song of the set.
But Sir Paul had another surprise in store, in the form of an emotional encore. He bounced back onto the stage with a Ukraine flag, in support of the wartorn country. He didn’t say a word but instead held up a peace sign with his fingers.
In one last surprise , Sir Paul sang a virtual duet with John Lennon.
He explained how director Peter Jackson had isolated John’s vocals from former footage, so that the famous duo could sing together live once again. Teary-eyed, Sir Paul said “we’re back together.”
This was only his second time on the Pyramid stage and it was clear that he didn’t want to leave, inviting all his guests back, before a jam session with Springsteen and Grohl to tracks including Helter Skelter which rounded off a spectacular performance which captured the essence of what makes Glastonbury - and McCartney - so special.
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