Los Mesoneros session

In late 2025, the Venezuelan rock band Los Mesoneros was recording in Abbey Road Studios in London, when Paul McCartney walked in.

From How Paul McCartney Ended Up Listening to Los Mesoneros | Caracas Chronicles, March 16, 2026:

Almost 20 years ago, when we were 15, five friends started a rock band. Something pretty unusual these days. We got together to write songs, play at school, and like almost every band when they’re starting out, we copied. We copied the Beatles. We had a song that was probably about 85% “Let It Be.” We were learning, imitating the most influential band in modern culture. And that reference never went away. When we worked on arrangements (from the very beginning until not long ago with my brother) the Beatles always came up. […]

I’m not someone who believes in energies or sacred places. But [Abbey Road] feels different. Like the walls have memory. Making a record there nowadays makes no practical sense. It’s expensive. It’s complicated. The logistics are terrible. Nobody does it because it’s convenient. And that’s exactly why it’s unique. There’s nothing more magical than doing something that makes absolutely no sense.

That day we were getting ready for the session. I was upstairs in the control room, listening to how everything sounded before we started recording.

Suddenly Andrea, the wife of my brother Juanchi, came up and said: “Come down now!”

My first thought was that I’d broken something. That I had destroyed some sacred piece of the temple. I went down the stairs and from the top I saw Paul McCartney walking into the studio.

I went straight up to him and shook his hand. His hand was extremely soft, random detail of course. He was wearing a Patek Philippe on his wrist. My first thought: I’m taller than Paul. I’d always imagined him bigger.

He looked at me and asked, “Are you the producer?” In those few seconds I had to figure out how to explain to Paul McCartney that I was the band’s original drummer but that I’m not active anymore. I ended up saying: “Band member.”

“Band member. Nice!” And then he started telling stories.

He was in the building that day by pure chance, listening to a remix of some Wings records. Normally he goes straight to the technical rooms. He doesn’t pass by Studio 2. But he heard a rock band playing live. And that’s not common anymore. So he peeked in. He stayed. He listened. He was even headbanging.

At one point, very politely, he mentioned that back in the day people lived more in the moment and there weren’t so many cameras. A classy way of saying: “Don’t film me.” Inside I was like: sure, whatever you say, Paul.

He told us stories from when he was young. He mentioned John. He was speaking in his Liverpool accent in the same room where everything had happened.

For that moment to exist, too many things had to line up. The band’s schedule, Abbey Road’s schedule, Morat’s schedule, the producers’. And that Paul, on that specific day, decided to poke his head in because he heard live rock. Even the Abbey Road engineers, the ones who work their normal 9-to-5 there, told us: “This never happens. Never.”

While Paul was telling stories, I thought about Juanchi. My brother. The one who deserved this moment the most. He was in the bathroom. Paul left just as Juanchi came back. We told him: “Paul McCartney just left.”

Luckily he didn’t think it was a joke. Andrea yelled: “Go now!” And he ran after him. That’s how Juanchi had his moment with Paul. No cameras. Just the two of them.

He told him: “The reason we’re doing this is because of you.”

And Paul replied: “I know.”

Andrés Sucre – Co-founder and former drummer of Venezuelan rock band Los Mesoneros – From How Paul McCartney Ended Up Listening to Los Mesoneros | Caracas Chronicles, March 16, 2026

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