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Friday, April 18, 2003

London

Concert • By Paul McCartney • Part of the Back in the World tour

Last updated on May 16, 2019


Details

Location

  • Location: Earls Court

Timeline

Band members

Line-up Discover Backing band 2001-2018

Some songs from this concert appear on:

From The Macca Report:

All the Earls Court shows had earlier start times because of a neighborhood noise curfew that requested the show be over by 10:45pm. The pre-show started at 7:40pm but the room lights were left on ruining the effect. The setlist was the same as the previous show.Backstage the VIP room had about 50 to 75 people including Wix and Brian. Very elegant hors d’eouvers were served; stuffed grape leaves, veggie burgers, spiced olives, canapes, pastries, etc. Waiters poured all the the liquor you could drink.

Paul wore the purple Nehru jacket, red long-sleeved T-shirt and Diesel blue loose fitting jeans. Paul’s singing voice sounded a bit hoarse at the beginning of the show but got better after the first few songs.

David Frost was spotted in the audience.

The London audience kept their British reserve until two-thirds of the way into the show where they finally let loose. “Back in the USSR” got the audience rocking.

There was a lot of interaction going on between Paul and the audience in the first couple of rows. A group of fans did the “Let Me Roll It” arm roll during the song and Paul participated by making circles with his right index finger.

There was a sign in the audience that read “Foxy Paul” and Paul acknowledged that with a wide-eyed smile right after the “Foxy Lady” ending (which was extended) to “Let Me Roll It.”

After the changing acoustic guitars, Paul’s guitar strap accidently hooked onto the microphone stand knocking it over with the microphone. Paul caught it and placed it back and muttered, “It attacked ME!” 

After “Calico Skies” Paul mentioned the charity album (“Hope”- War Child Charity) that the song was recorded for. He said, “If you like that, (“Calico Skies”) it’s on a new album brought to you by the Mirror Group, and all the money raised goes to relief for the children in Iraq.”

Paul did the usual ‘mass-sage’ stories, and donned a southern American accent when he imitated the New Orleans masseuse who told him to “Please sit upright on the table….” 

During the intro to “Michelle,” after the Paul mentioned the black polo neck shirt, everybody screaming. Paul said “Now you guys are screaming for items of clothing,” and added, that he was wearing a black polo neck shirt AND pink polka-dot boxer shorts!

When he told the George Formby story for the “Something” intro he said that in America only one person at the back of the arena would know who Formby was. The audience laughed. 

He flubbed the second verse to “Hey Jude” and mumbled the words.

At the encore Paul carried a large Union Jack flag which he waved around walking from one side of the stage to another nearly tripping and falling over it as it dragged on the floor causing him to misstep. Then he mimed falling off the stage.

A fan (Lady Brent) tossed a bouquet of tulips to Sir Paul which he picked up and shoved down the neck of his “no more landmines” T-shirt. He pulled them out and then he and his bandmates did their “gorilla dance” dragging their knuckles on the floor and jumping around like apes.

After “The End” he signed one vinyl “Driving Rain” album (congrats to Masahiro Sendai) before he left the stage. 


Earls Court

This was the 4th concert played at Earls Court.

A total of 8 concerts have been played there • 1993Sep 11Sep 14Sep 152003Apr 18Apr 19Apr 21Apr 222008Feb 20

Setlist for the concert

  1. Medley

  2. Medley

  3. Encore

  4. Second Encore

See song statistics for “Back in the World tour”

Paul McCartney writing

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