Sunday, December 20, 2009
Dublin
Concert • By Paul McCartney • Part of the Good Evening Europe Tour
Last updated on July 20, 2024
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Concert • By Paul McCartney • Part of the Good Evening Europe Tour
Last updated on July 20, 2024
Location: The O2
Concert Dec 16, 2009 • Germany • Cologne
Concert Dec 17, 2009 • Germany • Cologne
Concert Dec 20, 2009 • Ireland • Dublin
Concert Dec 22, 2009 • United Kingdom • London
From Independent.ie, December 19, 2009:
LEGENDARY singer Paul McCartney will have an emotional reunion with a former member of his ’70s super group, Wings, in Dublin this weekend.
The former Beatle has invited guitarist Henry McCullough to attend the concert, in what will only be their second meeting in 36 years.
In the early ’70s, McCullough performed around the globe with McCartney as a member of Wings. However in 1973, he walked out of the band, following a disagreement with McCartney, just as Wings were about to record their million-selling album ‘Band On The Run’. Since then they have made up. McCullough said he was delighted to receive an invitation from McCartney for his show at the O2 this weekend.
It’s been 36 years and both myself and Paul have tramped a few roads since then, but it will be great to see him again. I want to shake Paul’s hand and give him a hug. This meeting is something that has to be done and what better place to do it than in Ireland
Henry McCullough
Growing up in Portstewart in Derry, McCullough (66) said it was a dream come truefor him when in 1972 he got an invitation to join McCartney’s first post-Beatles’ group.
“I’d grown up on The Beatles and here I was in a rehearsal room jamming with Paul McCartney,” he said. “The funny thing was once you got used to Paul, he was like everyone else, a lovely man but the strange thing was for the whole time I was in Wings, Paul never once mentioned The Beatles.”
From Independent.ie, December 22, 2009:
HAMBURG, Berlin, Arnhem, Paris, Cologne, London, Dublin. Thank God we got a look in on this short ‘Good Evening Europe’ tour as this was more than a little bit special.
Shortly after eight, Sir Paul McCartney, pictured left, and his band take to the stage with the magical words, “Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.” Three hours of a magical musical mystery tour follows that includes some of the greatest songs ever written.
It’s hard to comprehend the fact that McCartney is 67, still possessing a boyish Peter Pan streak and boasting an impressive Beatles mop top after all these years.
The most successful musician and composer in popular musical history delivers a set of back to back Beatles classics. The only bone of contention after the show is whether this was better than the RDS in 2003 or not. I’d plump for tonight without hesitation.
Some of my favourite Beatles songs that didn’t get aired back then are pure gold tonight. ‘I’ve Got a Feeling’, ‘Back in the USSR’, ‘A Day in the Life’, ‘Paperback Writer’, ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘Let it Be’, ‘Drive My Car’, ‘Day Tripper’ ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ and many, many more make this one of the finest live performances of recent memory. ‘Hey Jude’ is one of the most euphoric, uplifting and thrilling experiences ever.
Macca is as ever the consummate entertainer, showing off a very respectable grasp of Irish with his cúpla focal and charming stage manner. Former Wings member Henry McCulloch gets a shout out from the stage — incidentally, the only Irishman to play Woodstock.
McCartney looks like he’s having the time of his life and the audience are certainly high on emotion. After a bumper set of encores and nearly 40 songs, McCartney sadly has to go. It really doesn’t get any better than this.
From For Whom The Bell Tells, February 19, 2010:
‘If there was one member of the audience who went home in a grumpy mood, they truly were the Christmas Grinch.’ The Irish Times
‘….he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand……the timeless star even staged TWO encores – proving he still has the stamina to outlast many of his young rivals on stage.’ Irish Daily Mirror
‘McCartney looks like he is having the time of his life and the audience are certainly high on emotion. After a bumper set of encores and nearly 40 songs, McCartney sadly has to go. It really doesn’t get any better than this.’ Irish Independent
‘Overall, this was an astonishing performance, and a late – but by all means, welcome – contender for gig of the year, if not the decade.’ Evening Herald
In the last interview I did with Henry he told me despite both Paul and him not quit seeing eye-to-eye some thirty odd years earlier, a channel of commutation was left open between the two. Henry would always send Paul a copy of his latest album along with occasional written corresponds. Fortunately, both expressed the same sentiment desire to re-unite at some point if only for short chat.
Just before Christmas 2009 Henry received a message from McCartney’s London Soho office inviting both Henry and his partner Josie to McCartney’s up-coming Dublin Concert in December 2009. McCartney had arranged not only for VIP seating for the couple but an opportunity for the couple to meet McCartney backstage shortly before the concert.
Held in a private setting, both Henry and his partner were made very welcome and greeted with champagne, although Henry no longer drank alcohol the couple did enjoy Paul’s hospitality. Paul asked; ‘were they pleased with their arrangements for the night?’ The couple thought Paul had been very generous.
This was the first time both men had met face-to-face in over 35 years. Although Henry had met Paul’s late wife Linda the odd time in the 1980s when both Linda and Henry found each other on connecting trains in the south east of England. Sadly Henry passed away in 2016.
Damian Smyth – From Facebook
This was the 1st and only concert played at The O2.
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Encore
Second Encore
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