Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Paris
Concert • By Paul McCartney • Part of the European leg of the Got Back Tour
Last updated on July 4, 2025
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Concert • By Paul McCartney • Part of the European leg of the Got Back Tour
Last updated on July 4, 2025
Location: La Defense Arena • Paris • France
Previous concert Nov 17, 2024 • Corona Capital Festival
Concert Dec 04, 2024 • France • Paris
Article Dec 05, 2024 • Spotify Wrapped 2024 features a short Paul McCartney video
Concert Dec 05, 2024 • France • Paris
This day marked Paul McCartney’s return to France and his first concert in the country since 2018. He was scheduled to perform in 2020; however, the coronavirus pandemic of 2019-2020 led to the cancellation of the 11 dates of his 2020 Freshen Up European Tour.
This performance was the first of two consecutive shows at the La Defense Arena, the same venue where Paul had performed on November 28, 2018. As usual for his concerts in France, Paul included The Beatles’ 1965 track “Michelle” in the setlist.
Salut la France. Que c’est bon d’être de retour.
Paul McCartney – From Paul McCartney on Facebook, December 6, 2024
From Telerama, December 5, 2024 (auto-translated from French):
What is the intimacy of a concert in an arena of forty thousand people? A few notes strummed on a guitar before starting the song. A hesitation before playing a chord on the piano, a “one, two, three” exchanged, in addition to a look, between musicians who share the stage. To an impressive simplicity as well, a quality that has always seemed as natural to Paul McCartney as his genius for melodies. On Wednesday, December 4, the 82-year-old ex-Beatles, with a slender figure and a always bouncy step, gave the first of two French concerts of his Got Back world tour at Paris La Défense Arena.
It is past 8:40 p.m. when suddenly the silhouette of his legendary Höfner bass, with its all-female shapes, appears like a star on the giant screens. The appearance, almost supernatural, comes to an end to an amusing little pre-concert film. We saw an endless building parade to the sky, Jack and the Beanstalk, made of brick, then stones and finally very contemporary concrete, summing up an extraordinary life, from the childhood home in Liverpool to the trips with friends, John, George and Ringo, the separations and reunions, the new beginnings solo or accompanied by the Wings. The faithful foretaste of an evening that gives pride of place to his entire repertoire, from the oldest – In Spite of All the Danger, the first song ever recorded by the Beatles, in 1958, when they were still called The Quarrymen, after John’s band, and had pooled 1 shilling each to pay for the studio – to the most recent – My Valentine, song written in 2012 for his wife Nancy, present this Wednesday evening in the audience.
Thirty-six tracks, three hours of concert, which go by in the blink of an eye, Paul McCartney does not lack generosity. Would it even be possible to do less when you have composed so many classics? The case, of course, is well established. The band that accompanies him, united for several years now, with guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray (who looks like Steven Tyler, from Aerosmith), the mammoth drummer Abe Laboriel Jr, Paul “Wix” Wickens on keyboards and the brass trio Hot City Horns. To speak to us in French, Paul McCartney has not forgotten his cheat sheets stuck to his feet. “Hi France, it’s good to be back”; The rest of the exchanges will be mainly in English. But the playlist varies, at the margin, depending on the evening and the city.
Mexico City started with A Hard Day’s Night. In Paris, Can’t Buy Me Love, by the Beatles, opens the ball, followed by a Junior’s Farm written with the Wings, whose enthusiasm McCartney has often said he appreciates at the beginning of the concert. On the central screen at the back of the stage, animations scroll by, sometimes without much aesthetic coherence: a cartoon of the Fab Four with a rough line, moving archive images of John, George, Paul or Ringo captured in the exaltation of their early youth, 3D animations of Paris, his Moulin Rouge to illustrate Michelle’s romanticism,or flowers growing on ruins and Greta Thunberg’s face, a reminder of the ecological commitment of this long-time vegetarian.
But that’s not the main thing, which is in the air, in these songs that have been heard a thousand times but which reveal, listen after listen – and again tonight – their beauty, their treasures of ingenuity, mischief or grace, like Blackbird, played alone on the guitar by a suddenly strangely applied Paul McCartney, his voice fragile in the high notes, but the suspended time of his perfect picking. Or Let Me Roll It and its devastating and languorous riff, followed by the equally legendary one of Foxy Lady, signed by a certain Jimi Hendrix.
The Beatles had ended up giving up on the stage, simply unable to hear themselves there, in the middle of Beatlemania. Yet they had learned their trade there with joy, in the humidity of the Cavern of Liverpool or in the slums of Hamburg (Germany). With the Wings or solo, Paul McCartney would find the happiness of large gatherings. This is also the story told by the Got Back Tour, reducing the stage to a small club, its upright piano, its rudimentary drums for a few tracks (Dance Tonight, Lady Madonna or Now and Then, the last song restored thanks to artificial intelligence). Sometimes even a simple ukulele, a gift from George Harrison, with which he covers his sublime Something.
Then, returning to the stadium band on Jet, a Wings hit made for the crowds, or with Let It Be and Hey Jude, hits among the hits covered in unison, songs of comfort, therefore of hope, written in the most complete slump. He even dared to go on a pyrotechnic delirium on the James Bondian Live and Let Die, the only grandiloquent moment of a concert based on music more than effects, unlike many of today’s major tours. As if Paul McCartney was reminding us that success, to last, needs nothing but good songs. This is obviously the hardest thing to do.
From Telerama, December 5, 2024
From Paul McCartney | News | For Whom The Bell Tells: ‘GOT BACK’ Europe Tour 2024:
The night before the first show, Paul and the band rehearsed at the massive La Défense Arena. “Bonjour,” exclaimed Paul as he jumped out of his car, raring to get to work. This would be their first arena show since Adelaide last year, but its scale cannot be underestimated: over these two nights, Paul will play to over 80,000 people. It has been a few weeks since he and the band played together, but as they rehearse – going over the special addition of ‘Michelle’ especially for this crowd – they gel perfectly as if they’d never been apart. They play very well together – or, should I say, “tres bien ensemble!”
Watching from the side of stage as they practiced their first run through of ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ since 2018, which they plan to start playing when they get back to the UK, is Paul’s daughter, Mary. It’s all beginning to feel very festive and, after rehearsals, Paul invited us all to a little party kickstarting this little leg, where he made a heartwarming speech in which he shared his gratitude for having the gang back together in Europe, ensuring it all begins with the best possible vibe.
On the first night, December 4th, there was a wonderful throwback to that consequential trip to Paris in 1964, when Paul received a visit from the French singer Sylvie Vartan. Popping in to say hello, it wasn’t the first time Sylvie had been backstage with Paul – she had shared a bill with The Beatles throughout their residency that January/February at the Olympia, becoming good friends over the month.
“McCartney has nothing left to prove, no more speeches to make to present his work, because it is so immense, so impressive that it crushes everything else.” – Paris Match
There were other special guests that night, too. Also present was The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins. They were in Paris to present Paul with his own personalised coin, which went into circulation on December 6th. Celebrating his groundbreaking career, the coin features Paul’s Magic Piano and other symbols from his seven decades in music, from the Höfner bass guitar to the Wings logo. “This feels like a huge honour,” Paul said. “It’s not anything I would have ever expected to happen when I was a kid.”
Representing The Royal Mint were Director of Commemorative Coin, Rebecca Morgan, Project Lead Stephanie Morris, and publicist Amy James, all escorted by a security team who were tasked with protecting a one-of-a-kind 5kg gold coin they’d brought especially to show Paul.
“A stunning journey through the repertoire of an absolute genius of popular music.” – Le Figaro
The excitement in the air at Paul’s concerts here is palpable, and it is testament to his enduring legacy. The audience is a dynamic blend of generations, from children who weren’t even born the last time Paul played here, let alone the first time he played here, to those who actually witnessed The Beatles’ shows at the Olympia. All are ignited by the awesome power of Paul and the band, who take the audience – which also included Mary’s sister, Stella, and Get Back director Peter Jackson – on an adventure soundtracked by those most classic songs from his astounding canon.
As Paul continues his Got Back tour, Paris will remain a pivotal city in his journey. The warmth and support from his Parisian fans, the historical significance of his early encounters with the city, and his own personal connection to its musical and cultural heritage make these concerts feel like a homecoming. Whether it’s the unveiling of his commemorative coin, the celebrations with family, or the emotional performances on stage, it’s clear that Paul McCartney’s relationship with Paris goes beyond music: it’s about shared moments, memories, and the timeless connection between artist and audience.
Stuart Bell – Paul McCartney’s UK publicist – From Paul McCartney | News | For Whom The Bell Tells: ‘GOT BACK’ Europe Tour 2024
This was the 2nd concert played at La Defense Arena.
A total of 3 concerts have been played there • 2018 • Nov 28 • 2024 • Dec 4• Dec 5
Instrumental Jam
Written by Carl Perkins
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
See soundcheck statistics for “Got Back Tour”
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Medley
Written by Jimi Hendrix
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Written by John Lennon
Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney
Written by George Harrison
Encore
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