Montreal

From Paul McCartney | News | Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025 Part 4:

Paul’s relationship with Montreal spans lifetimes, stretching all the way back to The Beatles’ historic stint at the Montreal Forum in 1964. Got Back’s November 17 and 18 doubleheader at Centre Bell would mark Paul’s fifth visit to Quebec’s largest city overall, having previously played the Montreal Forum as far back as 1989 and having played Centre Bell in 2010, 2011 and most recently 2018.

While the seven years that had passed since that 2018 Freshen Up tour stop represented a significantly shorter interim that the 21-year span between Paul’s 1989 and 2010 Montreal gigs, you’d hardly have known from the fervor that gripped the city’s snowy streets. Festooned with welcome murals and signage welcoming Paul, it was clear that Montreal was more than ready to get back.

The infectious local excitement over Got Back 2025’s first two Canadian dates may have been apparent from well before Paul touched down in Montreal, but it truly began hitting fever pitch as early as soundcheck, where “One After 909,” “Ram On” and a handful of other Beatles, Wings and Paul solo standards and beloved cover tunes would set the stage for two momentous nights in North American musical history.

The vibe inside Centre Bell as that first “Help!” rang out was the first in a succession of truly overwhelming moments that would defy — or at least challenge — verbal description, but as always we’ll give it our best. “Got To Get You Into My Life” and “Drive My Car” conjured the spirit of those 1964 Montreal Beatles screams, bringing them into the present courtesy of possibly the most effusive multi-generational audience Paul had ever drawn in 60-plus years of playing in Montreal.

On both nights, the joyous “Yeahs” of “Maybe I’m Amazed” and the jaunty skiffle of “I’ve Just Seen A Face” would be followed by a special surprise, especially and exclusively for the people of Montreal:

“Michelle, ma belle
⁠Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble
⁠Très bien ensemble”

If earlier moments in the Got Back 2025 setlist elicited over the top reactions from the jam-packed Centre Bell, the thousands of Quebecois voices singing along to every English and French lyric of the rarely aired Rubber Soul classic virtually rattled the arena to its very foundations. In truth, it was one of the loudest singalongs on this North American trek — thanks to the approximately 40,000 Francophones who gave it their all over two consecutive nights of unparalleled celebrations of life, love and music.

Along with notable guests in attendance including Elvis Costello and Diana Krall, the local critical community embraced Paul’s first Montreal shows in seven years with equal affection and wonder, with LE DEVOIR calling Got Back 2025 “an amazing evening,” LE DROIT describing the experience as “timeless,” and CANADIAN BEATS summing up succinctly and expertly “Paul McCartney didn’t just perform in Montreal—he lifted the Bell Centre straight into the stratosphere.”

Steve Martin – Paul’s US publicist – From Paul McCartney | News | Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025 Part 4