Chicago • Sunday, July 29, 1990

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From Club Sandwich 55/56, Winter 1990/91:

Soldier Field, Chicago; Sunday, July 29th.

8.30 pm and Clive Dunn shouted “Showtime” for the last time.

Reluctantly this time, the band shuffled from their dressing room; almost unwilling to play, not wanting to start the show because this was The Last Time and you wanted to delay it forever.

The normal backstage banter of the crew was hushed. Friends avoided each other. No-one looked you in the eye. What could you say?

Outside, the crowd was going berserk; 50,000 of ’em waving lighters, matches, torches to welcome Macca’s last stand on stage with the greatest show of light we’d seen all year.

Fireworks blew up the skyline during Pepper and Live and Let Die and between songs you could hear one or another of us pine “Oh God, I don’t want this to end…”

As the crowd’s roars loudened, tour staff who at other gigs would be busy backstage drifted to the front; almost disbelieving it was really over. And when Paul launched into The Long and Winding Road, a tour anthem for many who’d been there since Oslo a lifetime ago, guys’ heads bent as they didn’t want Paul to see the tears.

But… mark the last words of Soldier Field “Thank you… we ‘II see you all again next time”.

Geoff Baker, Paul McCartney’s publicist

Last updated on November 11, 2022