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June 29, 2008 -- The Guardian

Paul McCartney: 'I'm a sport wimp and proud of it'

He was useless at football, worse at cricket - but luckily he had other talents to draw on in a city obsessed with sport and music. Now he's leading a campaign to help the British Paralympic team.

It has sometimes seemed that Sir Paul McCartney is one of only four Liverpudlian men (the others being John, George and Ringo) who have never shown much interest in sport. However, the 66-year-old Beatle is soon to become the unofficial face of the British Paralympic team, fronting a cinematic TV ad campaign that aims to showcase our top disabled athletes and raise £2 million($4 million) to send them to Beijing. He agreed to do one interview, exclusively with Observer Sport Monthly, on why he wanted to be involved - plus whether his loyalties are with the red or blue half of Liverpool, and whose idea it was to put Albert Stubbins on the cover of Sgt Pepper's.

OSM: We understand that you wanted to be involved with the British Paralympic team after meeting a disabled equestrian rider, Sophie Christiansen. How did your paths cross?

PAUL: I like the Olympics, I like that it stands for the unification of people through sport. So I was looking for something to do connected to the Olympics, then it occurred to me that there might be more to do with the Paralympics, because the Olympics is sponsored by all sorts of big companies. I just gave them a ring and on our first meeting Sophie came along and I was knocked out to hear that we have gold medallists that we don't know about. She's one of them, she's got an equestrian gold.

Did you know much about the Paralympics?

PAUL: A little bit, but not as much as I now know. That's one of the things: most of us know the Paralympics exist, but I thought it was probably a good idea to raise awareness of it. Also to raise some money, because they are pretty underfunded and, of course, with someone like Sophie it takes quite a lot to get her and her horse and her support team to Beijing.

Were you surprised by the dedication and level of preparation of our disabled athletes?

PAUL: Well, I admire it, you know. It's a great human effort when you are faced with something as devastating, or potentially devastating, as illness or injury. To be able to overcome it and make something of it, I think it's a good metaphor for a lot of things that happen in the world. It makes you think: 'Whoa, if they can overcome that, what am I moaning about?'

So, you decided you would like to help, but did you have an immediate idea for what you could do?

PAUL: My concept for the ad was pretty basic: you see great sportspeople, looking great and doing great, and it's gradually revealed during the film that they are disabled. It's glamorous, but very meaningful. Not only would people get to know about it, but then they would get to know the extra effort that has to be put in over and above normal sportspeople.

You must have met a lot of athletes during the process - were there any individuals who particularly made an impact on you?

PAUL: There was a guy, Matt Skelhon, with a kind of mohican cut, going for the groovy look. The idea that I picked up was: 'Look just because this has happened to me, I'm not going to shrink away. I'm going to be bold.' He's got a look that identifies him and he's a very positive guy. I am a great believer that if you can put a positive spin on things, it can attract luck back into your life. One of the guys said: 'Oh, I'm going to Beijing, I've qualified.' Oh, who is the competition? 'Well there's a couple of guys, but I've beat them so I'm not worried.' It's a sporting attitude, which I think most of us admire anyway, but coming from this place it's perhaps even more inspiring.

You grew up in one of the most sport-obsessed cities in the world - has sport always been a passion of yours?

PAUL: No, actually. I was terrible, pretty hopeless, really. I used to enjoy football in the street, but by the time it got a bit more formalised, I wasn't very good at it. That puts you off, there are always guys mightily bigger or better than you are. And that's how it was with the Beatles; none of us was very sports-minded. I like watching the football on the telly, I go to the occasional match, but I'm not a massive fan.

Can you settle the argument once and for all - Liverpool or Everton?

PAUL: Against all the laws of sport and supporters, I support them both. Here's the deal: my father was born in Everton, my family are officially Evertonians, so if it comes down to a derby match or a crunch or an FA Cup final between the two, I would have to support Everton. But a great thing happened to me when Kenny Dalglish was leading the Liverpool team, and we had a concert in Wembley Arena. I always said to my promoter: 'If we don't sell out all the seats, go out on the street and give them away. Ring your relatives, I don't care, just fill the place.' And I opened this concert with Wings and I noticed right in front of me - on the second or third row - a whole line of empty seats and I thought: 'I'll kill that promoter!' It's just so demoralising.

After the second number, a whole group came in, crouched down to not cause a fuss, and it was the Liverpool team led by Kenny. They were all in light grey suits, white shirts, red ties and they looked really cool and I got a bit of a friendship with Kenny and I thought: 'You know what? I am just going to support them both.' Because it's all Liverpool and I don't have that Catholic-Protestant thing. So I did have to get special dispensation from the Pope to do this but that's it, too bad, I support them both, they are both great teams. But if it comes to the crunch, I'm Evertonian.

Isn't it unusual for four guys from Liverpool that none of the Beatles was particularly into football?

PAUL: Yeah, you would think we would be rabid fans, but we weren't. I think we had been those kind of guys who didn't really like sport at school. In cricket I was always happy when they stuck me in the outfield, the ball hardly ever reached me and I could just sit around dawdling about. It's not my idea of fun. And we were on tour the whole time and we never became mad sports fans. It's the same story with the pub; that little bit of our lives was taken out by our early success, because all of our mates at home grew into the habit of going to the pub after work. We just didn't do that. They were a couple of things that we probably would have got into if we had stayed in Liverpool. We were sports wimps and proud of it.

Whose decision was it to put Albert Stubbins - the red-haired centre forward who played for Liverpool after the war - on the cover of Sgt Pepper's? There's a rumour that he's on there because John Lennon liked his name...

PAUL: The idea originally was for all of us to name our heroes because we were going to become this fictitious group, Sgt Pepper's, so we wanted to give ourselves some background, like somebody like Mike Leigh does. You give your character a story, and everyone came up with their favourites, who their character loved. Of course, being the Beatles this was only taken half seriously and I think John eventually came up with Albert Stubbins. I know Dixie Dean was also mentioned; it was really names we had heard when we were growing up, we really didn't know very much about them. It's just a funny name, isn't it? [Adopts voice] 'Albert Stubbins! Aye.' I think it was done more for the humour than anything.

You've just played Anfield in front of a sell-out crowd and you said: 'Every time I come back to Liverpool, the memories come flooding back.'

PAUL: Well, I land at the airport that used to be Speke Airport but it's now John Lennon Airport, so right there the memories have to come flooding back. I lived in Speke and we'd cycle out to the airport, which used to seem a long way and now looks like 20 yards. We would plane-spot, just watch the planes and occasionally take down a number or two.

So I start there when I land and invariably I will drive past a couple of houses where I used to live as a kid. If I just take the normal route there are two that I pass quite easily and this time, for example, I was with my kids and it was great; we stopped at 72 Western Avenue, and we had our picture taken outside it. The people from the house came out: 'All right Paul, how are you doing?' It was quite funny.

And after that I went through Allerton, which is the house we moved to two houses after Western Avenue, and I was going to stop and have my picture taken, but there was a coachload of tourists, so I just went round the block. I thought that might get a bit out of control. And I will say: 'Oh, I remember us coming along here, me and John, dressed in black with drainpipe trousers and our guitars slung over our backs...' It reminds you because you are in the same place and it's only time that's changed. Then when we got to Anfield and it was like: 'Wow, this is the hallowed ground' - one of the hallowed grounds, anyway.

You became famous very early - do you crave normality because of the short period of your life when nobody knew who you were?

PAUL: I do, but of course the grass is always greener. So I crave that, but then I remind myself that I was really fed up that no one noticed me back then. And girls wouldn't go out with me. So I remind myself of that and I think: 'You are all right where you are, be happy.'

What other sports did you enjoy?

PAUL: One of the reasons that I love the Olympics is that I love athletics; on telly that's probably my favourite thing. I love the condensed effort of sprints; I like the 400, the 800, the longer ones, but by the time it gets to the marathon I'm a little bit bored because I have got a short attention span.

Sean Connery said that he would cry when he watched athletics on TV. Do you understand what he means?

PAUL: I do, the distance events particularly can be emotional. I remember Jim Peters when I was a kid - God, that was harrowing [Peters collapsed from dehydration in the stadium at the 1954 Commonwealth Games marathon while well clear of the next runner]. He looked like he'd won and then he was staggering in and someone touched him and he lost. All that effort come to nothing. All that effort and I'm watching the pay-off moment live. With the Paralympians, it is even more emotional because you just know they have been through what other athletes have and more.

And do you ever shed a tear yourself?

PAUL: I've been known to.

· The campaign launches on July 2, with an advertisement during 'Location, Location, Location'. Alternatively, you can view it at bt.com/paralympicsGB or donate directly by calling free on 0800 111 4321

It's been claimed...

Sir Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan are among the names set to appear on a new charity album, it's been reported.

Brian Wilson has also been linked with the new Warchild covers project, which will be the follow up to the 1995 'Help Album'.

According to the Sun, the artists will cover a number of contemporary songs, including one by Beck.

The original 'Help Album' featured Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller and Sinead O'Connor, and sold over 1 million copies.

But instead of rehashing the obvious successes he'd had with The Beatles or Wings, he traveled further back ­ all the way to the music that first sparked something inside the hearts of a young John Lennon and Paul McCartney: The records of the 1950's, of Chuck Berry and Larry Williams, of Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent.

Each played an important role in shaping the early Fab sound.

So, while he holed up in Abbey Road (site of so many brilliant Beatle recordings) and with Chris Thomas (who had co-produced "Back to the Egg," the 1979 finale of McCartney's band Wings), he went about things in an older old-fashioned way.

That meant none of the decades-old studio-craftsmanship so closely associated with McCartney. Instead, the resulting "Run, Devil Run" was fast and loose, and ­ because of its early-rock leanings ­ almost nothing like the bulk of his 28 other previously issued solo recordings.

McCartney tears through Ricky Nelson's "Lonesome Town," and Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up," and Berry and Perkins and the rest. A number of the songs were obscure favorites from his youth ­ and three were brand new McCartney compositions.

None was perhaps more difficult to place than "No Other Baby," originally issued in the late 1950s by Bobby Helms (who had a hit with "Jingle Bell Rock") and then by the now-forgotten British skiffle group The Vipers. But it fit perfectly within the context of these sessions: There is a neat connection here, in that the Vipers were signed with Parlophone, several years before that became the Beatles' home label, and they were a key local influence on Lennon and McCartney.

That this was the first time Paul had recorded following the Linda's death (after years of battling breast cancer) also gives added heft to the final refrain on "No Other Baby": "I don't want no other baby but you!," McCartney sings, with a menacing then melancholy emotion. "I don't want no other baby," he then sings, quieter still.

Among his bandmates here is David Gilmour, who worked on McCartney's 1979 "Rockestra" concept for "Back to the Egg" as well as on the hit single "No More Lonely Nights" from 1984's "Give My Regards to Broadstreet." He provides an elliptical, though nicely understated, guitar underpinning on a Fender Esquire.

Deep Purple's Ian Paice is at the drums.

A bootleg of this tune, written by Dick Bishop and Bob Watson, had been bouncing around -- made during a concert soundcheck at the Toyko Dome in December 1993 and issued on "Magical Mistery Tokyo," but this was the first official recording. Released in October of 1999, the single only reached No. 47 in the United Kingdom, and failed to chart at all in America. (Anybody heard of the Vipers? Anybody?)

Yet, we find on this album, in this song, some solace for the heartbroken McCartney ­ and some catharsis for us.

There is so much to like about McCartney, despite his obvious missteps, and recordings like this one bear that out. This is the music of his youth, of many people's, but sung through the prism of adulthood ­ with all of its many losses.

That makes "No Other Baby" simultaneously shattering and uplifting. This kind of depth, unpretentious and real, is hard to find in a McCartney record. He captures it here.

MaryMcCartney: "I talk too much. I cut in when I'm overexcited and then see the person's face and realise how irritating I've been"

The house/flat I grew up in... was quite busy and fun and always full of life. I have fond memories of a lot of noise and hectic goings-on.

When I was a child I wanted to be... my grandmother was a maternity nurse and I had romantic notions of following in her path, until I had to have my tonsils out and realised how much hard work is involved. I have a tremendous respect for nurses but it's not my chosen path.

The moment that changed me for ever... in my late teens and early twenties I didn't know what I wanted to do. Then I worked with my mum (the photographer Linda McCartney on her archives and contact sheets. This made me realised I wanted to do that as well.

My greatest inspiration... are my parents. They're both very artistic and encouraging and interesting. I really appreciate that they showed us artists and places and took us to interesting places, really broadening our horizons.

My real-life villain... big global polluters, who are wrecking our planet. Particularly large industrial parts of the meat industry, which drains the world resources.

If I could change one thing about myself... I'd stop interrupting people mid-sentence all the time. I talk too much. I cut in when I'm over-excited and then see the person's face and realise how irritating I've been.

At night I dream of... the things I haven't taken on board or have avoided thinking about during in the day.

What I see when I look in the mirror... I see more and more of my mother; the mannerisms and expressions in particular. It's also in my nose, jaw line and shape of face.

My style icon.... is Renée Lartigue, who was married to the French photographer Jacques-Henri Lartigue. She looked like fun and wore big straw floppy hats, loads of bangles, with perfect hair and makeup and classic clothes. It was a French Riviera look; very feminine and very effortless-looking.

My favourite item of clothing... are jeans, because they're so versatile. Skinny cuts more so, particularly Superfine jeans.

I wish I'd never worn... big shoulder pads in the eighties. There are some very embarrassing photos.

It's not fashionable but I like... thick-cut granary toast and marmalade, granary from a local farmhouse. I get a late-morning craving.

You wouldn't know it but I'm very good at... whistling. I can do the loud two-finger wolf whistles that you can stop cabs with. It took two days to teach myself how to do it.

You may not know it but I'm no good at... maths. I did enough so that I could pass at school, and promptly started avoid any situatation where I had to use it. I still dream of having a maths exam that I haven't revised for.

All my money goes on... photographic prints.

If I have time to myself... I watch TV in bed. Complete trash mainly, I just flick around until I find something. Anything but sport, which makes me feel like I should get up and do some exercise.

I drive/ride... I walk a lot or drive an old Mercedes. I much prefer walking. I saw a document about Van Gogh and how when he lived in Vauxhall and worked at his uncle's gallery in Covent Garden, he walked there and back each day. You see more of what's going on that way.

My house/flat is... very homely and relaxed, with comfy sofas, books and toys. I like somewhere that can be lived in.

My most valuable possession is... my bed, definitely. You can tell that I'm obsessed with beds. Mine is big and comfortable and quiet.

My favourite building... are the Houses of Parliament. I love that gothic style and each time I pass it there is always something new to see. It's so intricate and sculptural.

Movie heaven... I love Shirley MacLean movies, particularly Sweet Charity: the plot, the clothes, the music. I'm not usually into musicals but this one's got Hey Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now, and ttyling and set design is brilliant.

A book that changed me... was Far from the Madding Crowd. I studied it at school and it opened my eyes to world of complicated relationships and things not being perfect but learning to working through problems.

My favourite work of art... is Van Gogh's Starry Night, which is at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. You can physically feel him in his paintings. The bold brush strokes, it's all quite intense, and makes you feel passion when you look at it.

The last album I bought/downloaded... was MGMT's new album Oracular Spectacular. I heard their song on the radio and it made me want to look them up.

The person who really makes me laugh... is Chris Rock. His comedy is very observational and I like way he presents himself in his live acts.

The shops I can't walk past... are usually bric-a-brac shops, and Alfie's antique market on Lisson Grove is always quite an adventure. You never quite know what you're going to get.

The best invention ever... is the alphabet.

In ten years time, I hope to be... content, that's what I'm working towards. It seems to be a process of having good relationships and doing work projects that you can feel proud of.

My greatest regret... is not having taken more pictures of my mum when she was alive. We spent a lot of time together, I don't have enough pictures of us just hanging out..

My life in seven words... pictorial, demanding, diverse, fortunate, flavoursome, physical and domestic.

A Life in Brief

Mary McCartney was born in London on August 28, 1969, the first child of Linda and Paul McCartney. Following in her mother's footsteps, Mary became a photographer, specialising in fashion and portrait photography. In 2000, she photographed Tony and Cherie Blair with their new son, Leo. She has two sons from her previous marriage to TV producer Alistair Donald and is expecting a third child with her partner, the film-maker Simon Aboud. Mary McCartney has photographed Leona Lewis for Teenage Cancer Trust's summer sun safety campaign, Shunburn. For more details, go to shunburn.co.uk

During and after his stint in the Beatles, Paul McCartney was one of the most important rock musicians in the world. Songs written by McCartney alone were hits for other artists (see our post from May 26, "With A Little Help For Their Friends") and any time he showed up at someone else's recording session it was an event.

But those Beatle boys were rascals and more often than not they would get into some tomfoolery; McCartney was no exception. Some of his cameos could be called bizarre at best. Nevertheless, today we'll count down his top 10 guest appearances on record (and video).

10. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was recorded at Abbey Road studios in 1972-73, and among the people who were interviewed for the dialogue between songs were Paul and Linda McCartney. Their answers were too dull to be included on the final album, although McCartney's Wings bandmate Henry McCullough uttered the line, "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time." However, McCartney did appear on Dark Side of the Moon - sort of: when the album was remastered for CD in 1992, one could hear a version of the Beatles'"Ticket To Ride" after "Eclipse," faintly over the heartbeats that close the album.

9. British comedienne Tracey Ullman made her first big splash in the U.K. with a hit song, "They Don't Know," in 1983. The video for the song features Tracey as a housewife whose fantasies keep her going through life, and one of her final fantasies toward the end of the video involves Tracey driving down the highway, with Paul McCartney.

YouTube: "They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman

8. When Tracey Ullman had a hit TV show on Fox, producer James Brooks hired a little-known cartoonist to create animated skits to use as segues. These shorts became "The Simpsons," the most successful animated TV series ever. The voices of Paul and Linda McCartney appeared on the episode "Lisa The Vegetarian" during Season 7.

7. The Steve Miller Band's Brave New World album from 1969 features some of Miller's trademark tunes including "Space Cowboy" and the title track. "My Dark Hour," which closes the album, was co-written with Paul McCartney, who also sings backup and plays bass (as Paul Ramon).

6. "We Love You," a 1967 single from the Rolling Stones, features backing vocals by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. With the B-side "Dandelion," the single went to No. 8 on the U.K. pop charts but only managed to reach No. 50 in the United States.

5. It's not so strange that McCartney would appear on solo records by his ex-Beatle bandmates. You might think this sort of thing would have happened more frequently, but sadly it did not. Nonetheless, McCartney wrote and sang on "Six O'Clock" for Ringo's all-starr Ringo album in 1973. He also played kazoo on "You're Sixteen," which was a big hit for Ringo. And in 1981, when George Harrison recorded "All Those Years Ago" as a tribute to the fallen John Lennon, he invited McCartney and Ringo to sing harmony. "All Those Years Ago" was a No. 2 hit in the United States.

4. Mike McGear is Paul McCartney's younger brother. After knocking around as lead singer for British group The Scaffold, McGear went solo and in 1974 recorded McGear for Warner Bros. Produced by brother Paul and with instrumental backing from Wings, the album was still a flop. McGear retired from show business in 1980 and went back to going by Mike McCartney.

3. As he did with some of the ex-Beatles, McCartney helped out his Wings partner Denny Laine on a couple of his solo albums. Holly Days, his second solo LP from 1977, was co-produced by McCartney, who also obviously sang and played most of the instruments on this crudely recorded effort. A tribute to the music of Buddy Holly, the album was cheap to produce because McCartney owned all of the publishing rights to Holly's music at the time.

2. When McCartney recorded Ram in 1971, he also hired someone to write orchestral arrangements for all of the songs on the album. McCartney produced and recorded all-instrumental big-band versions of the songs on Ram, and called the album Thrillington after a pseudonym he created, Percy "Thrills" Thrillington. Percy was supposed to be some kind of U.K. socialite and bandleader. Anyway, the album wasn't released until 1977 and dropped out of sight quickly due to its limited appeal.

1. In the mid-1960s, the Beatles' rivals in the United States were the Beach Boys. Brian Wilson's concept masterpiece Pet Sounds apparently inspired McCartney to have the idea for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Wilson intended to follow up with an even greater epic, Smile, but he melted down due to drug abuse and mental illness. The Beach Boys instead put out a pasted-together version called Smiley Smile. One highlight was the oddball tune "Vegetables," with celery chewing sounds and drinking noises from one of the most famous guys in the world at the time - Paul McCartney.

Ex-Beatle scheduled for multi-million dollar September show, final details still in works

The most famous (living) Beatle of them all, Sir Paul McCartney, will perform in Israel this summer.

Forty-three years after the Israeli government prevented the fab four from holding a concert in the Holy Land; McCartney's mangers have confirmed that arrangements are being made to include Israel in his upcoming tour.

Should everything go according to plan, McCartney will hold a one-time extravaganza in Israel this September. The concert will be held either in Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv or the Ramat Gan Stadium; either on the 18 or the 25 of September. Details are to be finalized within the coming days.

Producer David Zarzevski is said to be the man behind the venture. Zarzevski, who produces the annual Eilat Jazz Festival, has been able to bring prominent performers such as Erika Badu and Lauryn Hill, to name a few, to Israel in the past.

McCartney's production team, which comes in at just over 100 staffers, has extensive demands; heightened security, a special sound system, a huge stage and two vegetarian kitchens at the venue's location topping the list. McCartney is expected to stay in Israel for two days, but his crew will be here for four.

The production costs are estimated at several million dollars, but the performance is expected to do more than just break even.

McCartney, 66, is considered one of the most influential musicians in the past 100 years.

The former Beatle alleges United Nations officials have declared eating less meat helps to slow climate change - and McCartney is taking advantage of the claim to promote vegetarianism and save the world.

He says, "A meat-free Monday is like going to the gym - with the advantage of protecting the planet."

As part of his visit to the Cleveland area to celebrate the opening of his photography exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Mike McCartney will discuss and sign copies of his book that features incredible images through Mike's unique perspective on Liverpool life ­ an intimate and dramatic tale of the city he loves and its people during the era that changed music history. Copies of several other McCartney books, (adult and children's titles) will also be available in limited quantity for the avid collector.

For more information about this and other community programs or author events at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, call 216.691.7000 or visit www.josephbeth.com.

Mike McCartney photographed Gene Vincent at Liverpool's famous Cavern club, where he shared a bill with the Beatles in the early 1960s.

"Gene Vincent -- he's coming to Liverpool. There he is. So I, of course, took my camera. Our kid and the Beatles were in their leather suits. Not leather jackets. Their leather-suit period, a bit like Marlon Brando. . . . He was just singing Be Bop A Lula.' Wow! I can't miss this. So there I am with a camera -- CLICK! Bloody Gene Vincent must've been blinded. . . . You can see the fans in the audience, they're not as enamored . . . of our great rock 'n' roll hero. They aren't that excited about Gene Vincent because they were waiting for our kid and his group to come on."

McCartney was a member of the British comedy troupe Scaffold, along with Roger McCough, and John Gorman.

"We were a satirical comedy group. We got known in England as a pop comedy group with songs. We had three Top 5 hits, one big No. 1 in England [Lily the Pink']. But that wasn't our forte. What we used to do was satirical humor, poetry, stuff like that. It had nothing to do with music at all. Music was last on the agenda."

Nash Takes a Nap

McCartney captured Graham Nash catching a few winks.

"Doesn't Graham look good? We were on a train from Scotland down to Liverpool. We were on a tour with the Hollies. Graham Nash and Allan Clarke were the lead singers of the Hollies. . . . We'd heard about this thing called Newcastle Brown, which was a drink, a beer called Newcastle Brown. We'd heard it was very strong. And we used to drink beer. So we had to test this beer."

George Harrison was eager to show off his new Jaguar for McCartney's camera.

"If you look, you can actually just make George out. . . . He had a Ford Anglia first. That's all he could afford. We had a Ford Classic, a bit better than his Anglia. Our kid had one, which was like a hand-me-down. George had an Anglia. But his next one after the Anglia was this British racing green Jag, that Jag in the photograph. Beautiful car. . . . He said, Quick, Mike, photograph my new Jag.' I said, George, look at the state of the night -- it's nearly dark.' He said, Bring your flash.' I said, Look at the weather -- it's stinging rain.' He said, Bring your umbrella.' He was determined to have that photograph taken."

2 Number 1's

McCartney calls a candid shot of his Uncle Albert and Auntie Milly "2 Number 1's" because Paul McCartney had a No. 1 hit with "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," and Mike McCartney mentioned Milly in "Lily the Pink," a No. 1 hit for Scaffold.

"They were fast asleep, having worked all day. I just sneaked in. They looked so peaceful and so nice, I went for it. . . . Uncle Albert worked with my dad in the cotton exchange. Dad sold cotton. He was very clever. By getting a bit of cotton in his hand, he would feel it with his index finger and his thumb and would be able to tell you, Right, that came from Kentucky' or That came from Egypt.' My mum died when I was 12. Alternating each week, my Auntie Milly or my Auntie Gin would come to our house. Lads don't know anything about cooking or cleaning, anything like that. So Auntie Milly used to get on the bus, then get a ferry cross the Mersey -- it did exist and it still exists now. . . . and come to our house and do all the cleaning, the ironing and dinner."

MORE...

Mike McCartney's Liverpool Life Photo Exhibit

Opens at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland

June 26 - Sept. 21, 2008

Mike McCartney's Liverpool Life features incredible black-and-white photographs documenting the origins of the British Invasion. "It's the story behind the story, of that magical era," said Mike McCartney. A self-taught photographer, McCartney perfected his art through years of practice and experimentation, using books from the local library for inspiration. His pictures include playful self-portraits of the artist experimenting with his first camera and intimate, informal scenes of family life in McCartney's modest childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road.

Thursday, June 26
10 a.m. - noon
Circular Gallery
Check out the debut of the Rock Hall's newest exhibit and meet Mike McCartney who will be signing copies of his new book in the exhibit from 10 a.m. - noon. (Museum admission is required.)

A guitar amplifier signed by Sir Paul McCartney has sold for £3,900 ($7,800) in a charity auction on eBay.

Proceeds from the sale of the hand-wired Vox AC15H1TV amp went to the campaign group No More Landmines.

Sir Paul has led a host of celebrities in signing a petition calling for a ban on cluster munitions.

The former Beatle said: "Cluster bomblets and anti-personnel mines are unacceptable when they kill and injure innocent civilians including children.

"I call upon individuals, organisations and politicians to do all they can to remove and reduce the impact of these weapons for future generations.

"When a war is over I think it's a cowardly thing to leave the war behind you in minefields that hit women and children and the most vulnerable.

"Imagine the war is finished and you go to work, going through the traffic and there's snipers shooting at you.

"Imagine taking your kids to the beach and you find that the beach is blowing up beneath you. Like there's nowhere safe. That's what I think is insidious about landmines.

"Landmines take or wreck three lives an hour, every hour of every day. We have to come together now to stop that."

Vox amplifiers have been used by bands including the Beatles for more than five decades.

From a cherub faced Beatle and rock n' roller, to a dapper gent known also as Sir Paul McCartney (Paul was knighted on March 11th, 1997), McCartney, who turned 66 yesterday, June 18th, is a single man again.

Ladies, you better act fast or he'll be snatched up faster then you can say the lyrics to any one of McCartney's numerous songs.

McCartney is listed as the most successful musician and composer in popular music history by Guinness World Records with 60 gold discs and 100 million singles sold. McCartney is an animal rights activist, writes songs for movies, and is, well, Paul McCartney.

I hate to admit I've never seen McCartney in concert, but I have friends and relatives who haven't hesitated to plan their entire vacation around one for any price!

Rules of the game: take the last letter from the song title posted before yours to come up with the next song title. Words such as A, The, And, may be used - or not- as you need in coming up with the title. Allow someone to post between your posts - no posting twice consecutively. Be fast, fair, and don't get upset if you are buzzed, which happens if you post a song that someone else already posted, or you aren't following the rules of the game.

Songs from the Beatles, Wings, etc. that McCartney wrote or co-wrote may be used.

Today's game begins with: "Blackbird" Looking for a D....

PLAY (Scroll down)

Ex-Beatle healthy, happy, ready for the road

As the two remaining Beatles approach 70, Ringo Starr has a healthy attitude about aging.

Paul McCartney turned 66 yesterday -- Starr left him a phone message wishing him well -- and the one-time Beatles drummer will turn 68 on July 7 while he is out on tour with the latest edition of his All-Starr Band.

"(I feel about 68 the) same as I felt about 28. It's another birthday. I love birthdays. I love gifts," Starr said in an interview with Sun Media backstage at Fallsview Casino Resort's Avalon Ballroom following a media conference leading up to tonight's launch of his 31-date tour.

As for McCartney, who just went through a horrible divorce with Heather Mills, Starr said: "He's doing a lot better now. It's been a hard year. Divorce is difficult for everybody. But when it's so public, it's harder."

Full article on Ringo Page

By BLAIR R. FISCHER Contributor

One could argue The Pond Hawks and Paul McCartney have some sort of karmic connection. And while the latter likely doesn't know the former exists, that won't stop The Pond Hawks from believing it does or in carrying McCartney's torch. The River Grove troupe even went as far as to torch the ex-Beatles' ex in song that earned radio play in England.

Members of the local pop-rock band The Pond Hawks have caught the attention of Paul McCartney fans with their song, "Crying Hyena."

"Crying Hyena" -- a toe-tapping, Wings-esque screed directed at Heather Mills -- was put in the hands of London area DJs in November 2007 right as news McCartney's divorce from Mills was making headlines on a daily basis. "I had names of (London programmers) who would be playing this stuff," says Jorie Gracen, Pond Hawks' keyboardist/percussionist/vocalist. "When they hear American accents in England, they just open the door."

Pond Hawks singer/guitarist Mario Novelli has never fully admitted that the song is about Mills (and she's never mentioned by name in the lyrics) but does concede it's "a generalization about all the rip-off artists out there, and if the shoe fits..."

The modest buzz surrounding "Crying Hyena" has earned the Pond Hawks -- rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Michael Gillespie, multi-instrumentalist Tony Melnick, bassist/vocalist Bob Graff, vocalist/guitarist Roger Burden and drummer/vocalist John Rivera -- has helped boost the confidence of the jaunty pop-rock band that's influenced more by McCartney's solo career than his work with the Fab Four. Currently, The Pond Hawks are in the studio putting the finishing touches on their debut album which has the working title "The Pond Hawks Have Landed."

The members of The Pond Hawks all have day jobs: Novelli owns an eponymous barber shop in River Grove, two members work at O'Hare, one's in the car parts business, one's in medical supplies, and another sells furniture. Gracen has perhaps the most interesting day job and one that connects her further to her muse. For years, Gracen's been a professional rock photographer and, of course, she's had ample opportunity over the years to focus her lens on McCartney. During McCartney's 1989-90 tour in support of "Flowers in the Dirt," she was able to give an intermediary of the legendary musician a booklet of photos she'd taken of him and his band during the tour. One particular photo of McCartney with his late wife, Linda, on stage caught McCartney's eye. He liked it so much he asked if he could include it amidst the liner notes on the 1990 live album "Tripping the Live Fantastic."

'From Me to You'

At a London party celebrating the release of "Fantastic," Gracen was able to meet McCartney in person. She told him, "I'm just so honored that you chose my photo for the album." She says, "He looked at me and said, 'No, I should be thanking you. I saw a thousand photos and yours was one of the best.'" Later, Gracen penned a book about McCartney entitled "I Saw Him Standing There".

The Pond Hawks name is a euphemism for a dragonfly and its logo prominently features McCartney's signature Hofner bass guitar. Further enabling the connection to McCartney, Gracen owns and operates a fan site, www.maccareport.com, that she says garners 4,000 hits a day.

Whether or not The Pond Hawks can aspire to more than McCartney fans isn't a top concern for the band. Novelli swears members of McCartney's inner circle are aware of the band and, according to Novelli, "that's payment enough."

Hitting the auction block on June 18th, at Bonhams of London, is a lock of hair from one Sir Paul McCartney. A 44 year old lock of hair at that. According to the Bonhams lot 260 detail:

This lock of hair was won by the vendor's mother, who was a 12-year-old schoolgirl from Annandale at the time. The competition was organised by Sydney's 'TV Week' magazine. An article in the issue included in the lot gives the background to the competition, in which readers were asked to '...give the best and most original 25-word reason for possessing it (the hair).

The winning entry stated that she '...would like to win a lock of Paul McCartney's hair to prove to my father that the Beatles really do have their hair cut.' The article continues: 'She is now the only teenager in Australia with a lock of hair cut from Paul McCartney's mop-top during his fantastic stay in Australia...Catherine will keep her souvenir by securing it in a blue bow.'

The auction house estimates the lock of hair will fetch between £7,000 to £10,000.

Paul McCartney took lover Nancy Shevell on holiday with his daughter Beatrice without telling ex-wife Heather Mills - who was furious when she found out.

The Beatle legend took Nancy to Morocco for a week to get to know Bea, four. Heather, 40, even helped plan the trip - and faxed the five-star La Gazelle d'Or hotel eight pages of instructions on Bea's vegan diet.

But she was not told Paul, 65, was taking new love Nancy, 47, for the holiday in April - and was angry when she later found out. A source revealed: "Paul had a lovely time.

He was keen for Bea to meet Nancy and for them to get to know each other. Paul kept Heather happy over the food issues, although he was more than capable of sorting it himself. The nanny came too, so Bea was well looked after.

"But he did not spell out to Heather that Nancy would be there. He felt it was none of her business who he chooses to be with.

"Heather made it clear later that she was not happy that he had kept her in the dark."

Sir Paul took Bea and Nancy to the hotel near Taroudant after spending a romantic week with his lover in Antigua. Since the Morocco trip their romance has blossomed.

Last night Nancy, first spotted enjoying a kiss with Paul in November, was expected to be by his side for a free concert in Kiev.

The source added: "Nancy is increasingly part of Paul's life. She's been welcomed into the family. He's getting more relaxed about being seen out with her. We're getting close to them posing for an official photograph."

The concert took place in Kiev's historic Independence Square. The crowds filled all the roads surrounding the square and the concert was shown all around the city on screens that were specially put up for this event. The concert was also beamed live to six major cities (Harkiv, Dniepropetrovsk, Sevastopol, Lviv, Donetsk and Odessa) across the Ukraine where over 195,000 people came out to watch the show. The show was also broadcast live on Ukraine TV. It's estimated that the total amount of people that watched the Independence Concert in the Ukraine was more than 20 million.

Paul and his band played 33 songs including some of the world's most popular hits that have become the soundtrack to so many people's lives. Paul played hits by The Beatles including 'All My Loving', 'The Long And Winding Road', 'Good Day Sunshine' and 'Hey Jude'. He played Wings hits such as 'Jet', 'My Love' and 'Band On The Run' and solo songs including 'Flaming Pie' and his most recent hit single 'Dance Tonight'. Show highlights included a version of the Wings track 'Mrs. Vandebilt', which fans had petitioned for Paul to play and of course a storming version of 'Back In The USSR'. The audience spanned generations and sang along with every word, the massive crowd made an overwhelming sound when they joined in with Paul on 'Hey Jude' and the elaborate stage featured some of the biggest screens ever used for an outdoor show as well as lasers and fireworks.

After the audience had thought the show was over, Paul returned to the stage waving a Ukrainian flag before ending the night with an emotional performance of 'Yesterday' and rocked up 'Sgt. Peppers'.

Throughout the day Paul spent time meeting locals and fans that had waited over 40 years for their hero to come to this part of the world. He was given a special performance by a choir of children that perform Beatles songs and presented with a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument, the kobza, by the Ukrainian Beatles fanclub.

The former Beatle's gig is Ukraine's biggest ever

Paul McCartney performed in front of 350,000 people in Kiev tonight (June 14), the largest audience for a gig Ukraine has ever seen.

The former Beatle and his band performed a mammoth 33-song set in the capital's Independence Square, playing songs including 'Drive My Car', 'Blackbird', 'Penny Lane' and 'Hey Jude'.

McCartney also performed a number of songs from his solo career and his time with Wings, such as 'Jet', 'C Moon', 'Dance Tonight' and 'Mrs Vanderbilt', the latter of which fans had petitioned for.

The gig was simultaneously broadcast on giant screens in six other Ukrainian cities and on television, with an estimated 10 million people watching.

After performing a number of encores, McCartney finished the set with 'Yesterday' and 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.

Paul McCartney played:

'Drive My Car'
'Jet'
'All My Loving'
'Only Mama Knows'
'Flaming Pie'
'Got To Get You Into My Life'
'Let Me Roll It'
'C Moon'
'My Love'
'Let 'Em In'
'The Long And Winding Road'
'Dance Tonight'
'Blackbird'
'Calico Skies'
'I'll Follow The Sun'
'Mrs Vandebilt'
'Eleanor Rigby'
'Something'
'Good Day Sunshine'
'Penny Lane'
'Band On The Run'
'Birthday'
'Back In The USSR'
'I've Got A Feeling'
'Live And Let Die'
'Let It Be'
'Hey Jude'
'A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance'
'Lady Madonna'
'Get Back'
'I Saw Her Standing There'
'Yesterday'
'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'

Drive My Car
Jet
All My Loving
Only Mama Knows
Flaming Pie
Got To Get You Into My Life
Let Me Roll It
C Moon
My Love
Let 'Em In
The Long And Winding Road
Dance Tonight
Blackbird
Calico Skies
I'll Follow The Sun
Mrs. Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Penny Lane
Band On TheRun
Birthday
Back In The USSR
I've Got A Feeling
Live And Let Die
Let It Be
Hey Jude

ENCORE
A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance
Lady Madonna
Get Back
I Saw Her Standing There

ENCORE
Yesterday
Sgt Peppers/ The End

Tens of thousands of people braved heavy rain and thunder Saturday night to see Paul McCartney perform a charity concert on Kiev's central Independence Square.

The outdoor show, the first in Ukraine for the former Beatle, was billed as the biggest concert ever in the former Soviet republic. It was broadcast live on national television and on giant screens in five cities.

After a half-hour delay because of the weather, McCartney, who turns 66 next week, came out on the stage and greeted the crowd in Ukrainian, before diving into the Beatles hit "Drive My Car."

He followed up with a series of Beatles songs, including "Hey Jude," "Let it Be," "Back in the U.S.S.R.," and "Penny Lane."

He returned for his encore waving a Ukrainian flag and finished off the two-hour show with a rendition of "Yesterday" and a musical finale, which was followed by fireworks.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was in attendance.

Before the concert, fans in five major cities sang Beatles songs in a live TV linkup with the capital.

The square where McCartney played was the site of the Orange Revolution in 2004, when peaceful mass protests overturned a fraudulent election and brought a pro-Western opposition leader to power.

Organizers said the money raised will be spent on diagnostic equipment for Ukraine's National Cancer Institute's children's department. Many children now seek treatment abroad because Ukraine lacks the necessary equipment.

The concert was free but the organizers were asking for donations from Ukrainian businessmen and others.

More than 500 people have contributed a total of about $600,000 and donations were continuing to come in, said Tatyana Overina, spokeswoman for the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, which organized the concert.

Pinchuk, a billionaire businessman and Ukraine's richest man, established the foundation in 2006 to contribute to the modernization of Ukraine and bring forward a new generation of Ukrainian leaders.

Former Beatles band member Paul McCartney waves to fans prior to his concert in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, June 14, 2008.

---

June 13, 2008 -- PM.com

Deadline extended to donate to get McCartney track

The availability of "Lifelong Passion", the track that Paul McCartney made available exclusively through the Adopt A Minefield "Night Of A 1000 Dinners campaign" has been extended until June 19th.

The track was originally only available from June 5th - 12th, however due to demand the track is now downloadable for an extra week.

Click here to donate and download "Lifelong Passion".

Paul McCartney will take a lesson of the Ukrainian language shortly to the concert which the legendary musician will play in Kiev on June 14.

McCartney will study Ukrainian backstage with the help of a tutor, Interfax reports with reference to organizers of the show.

Sir Paul McCartney hopes to learn a little of Ukrainian during one hour to be able to talk to the audience during the show. "Paul likes talking to the audience in its native language. He introduces a song and then gives a short monologue in the language of a country where he performs. This makes the atmosphere friendlier, warmer and more personal for every person in the audience. Paul is a musician he has good ear for music, which helps him study foreign languages on the phonetic level rather quickly," the press service of the organizers of the concert said.

Independence Concert will become the biggest show that has ever been held in Kiev. The stage, where the show will be held, will be one of the largest stages Paul McCartney has ever performed on.

Organizers of the concert say that the show that will last for 150 minutes will be made of the songs by The Beatles, Wings, and Paul McCartney himself. The former Beatle will reportedly perform 30 songs during the show.

In May of 2003 Sir Paul McCartney played his first concert in Russia. The show was held in the heart of Moscow and All Russia, on Red Square. Thousands of Russians packed the square to see the rock legend for the first time live.

McCartney received a hearty welcome in Moscow. Then President Vladimir Putin gave the legendary musician a personally-guided tour of the Kremlin.

One may say that McCartney's performance on Red Square became the biggest music event in 2003. Many fans traveled hundreds of kilometers from their native towns to Moscow to see their idol performing live. Putin himself admitted that The Beatles music used to be considered propaganda of an alien ideology in the USSR. However, he added that The Beatles had been "a breath of fresh air" for millions of Russians during the Soviet era.

At the time, the youngster was playing the role of Paul in The Beatles-inspired Elstree Youth Theatre production John, Paul, Ringo and Bert.

Now, a quarter of a century later, Mr Davey has revealed he was one of the youngsters shown with Sir Paul in an exclusive Borehamwood & Elstree Times picture.

The photo was taken at Elstree Studios and featured in film historian Paul Welsh's column last month, where he appealed for the original actors to get in touch.

Mr Davey, now 40, said: "I could not believe it when I saw the picture.

"Everyone got a copy of it at the time and a contract was signed saying that the Borehamwood Times would be the only newspaper that could publish it."

Sir Paul had been visiting the town with his wife Linda to film Give My Regards to Broad Street at the studios, and met the actors from the amateur production.

"They were both lovely to us," recalled Mr Davey. "Paul was really kind and very jokey as I turned up with the other three boys in our costumes and he loved that.

"He turned to us as we walked in and said, 'Oh, it's The Beatles', and then had a guess at which member of the band we each were.

"It was a fantastic opportunity to meet him and he was great fun."

Now Mr Davey is part of a five-piece jazz band called the Fabulous Lounge Swingers, which he formed with Borehamwood resident Scott Baker.

Mr Baker, who was not in the original picture with Sir Paul, said: "For Patrick it is fantastic to look back at a memory like that with Paul.

"We both went to drama school and in 2006 we decided to create the band.

"We are really excited this year as we are playing at the summer festival Bestival, which is being headlined by Amy Whitehouse. It is all going really well for us."

Film historian Mr Welsh said Sir Paul had many connections with Elstree Studios and had at one point rented out a sound stage for his group, Wings.

"Paul was a very pleasant and chatty man and we were lucky to gain access to him," he recalled.

"I imagined that the key figures of that play would have moved away by now, but it is nice to see that they stayed in the area," he added.

"It will be a fantastic memory for them and, with the success of the band, it will be a great story for the members of the play to tell their grandchildren."

Sir Paul McCartney has been getting keep fit tips from The Cheeky Girls. The girls have bumped into the former Beatle many times down their local gym in East Sussex, and have been giving him advice about stretching excercises (The Independent).

Legendary musician Sir Paul McCartney will bring to Kiev three cooks. Besides, a number of Ukrainian aides will help the British cooks to buy the freshest and ecologically clean products in Kiev. Representatives of the Victor Pinchuk Fund claimed this at a press conference in Kiev.

Sir Paul has already ordered nuts and soya-based milk. At present, organizers of the concert are busy with choosing dishes of the Ukrainian cuisine to propose the famous singer. The main menu of McCartney and his group will be based on vegetables, fruits, and dairy products.

On demand of McCartney, who is vegetarian, no leather furniture and even pictures with animals must be present in the hotel. Instead, he asked to install a piano and several palms in his rooms.

Concert organizers also informed fans that McCartney likes flowers very much. His most favorable flowers are white lilies, white roses, and wild flowers.

Besides, Sir Paul asked to provide him with a bicycle. He has intent to cycle around Kiev, and asked to show him the most famous and outstanding places of the Ukrainian capital.

Sir Paul McCartney will arrive in Kiev on June 13, and will depart on June 15. He is also due to open his personal exhibition of works in Pinchuk Art Center.

At present, Maydan Nezalezhnosti, the central square of Kiev, is being actively prepared to the Independence Concert of Paul McCartney, which will begin at 9pm on June 14.

According to the information of the concert organizers, this show is unmatched in the world, and, probably, will never repeat. Everything that is prepared at Maydan now is "exclusive".

The Independence Concert will be broadcast in several cities of Ukraine simultaneously: in Odesa, Donetsk, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk.

On the whole, around 500 people from different world countries are engaged in preparing the show.

Sir Paul arrives in Kiev by an invitation from Viktor Pinchuk Foundation. It is a special performance named "Independence Concert".

The concert will be free for the public and it will be broadcasted in live air on the TV Novyi Channel.

"Paul McCartney's arrival is unique for the Ukraine. A show, and the largest stage ever constructed in the Ukraine, 1,100 square meters, are being prepared in the main square of the capital for the legendary musician's performance," said, Mykyta Poturayev at a press conference today.

Concert organizers predict, about 500,000 Beatles fans will be able to hear McCartney's live performance.

On the square and in Khreshchatyk Street ,eight monitors 6x4 meters wide will be set up. Live broadcasting of the performance will be watched on the squares of Lviv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa. Results of an online voting list of songs that the Ukrainians want to hear was sent to Paul McCartney.

Paul McCartney arrives in the Ukraine on June 13 by private jet, and leaves on June 15. On the arrival day he will open an exhibition of his artistic works in the Pinchuk Art Centre.

Night Of A 1000 Dinners is the annual, global initiative of Adopt-A-Minefield that encourages people to host dinners and collect donations to help landmine survivors and their families and allow communities to return land to productive use.

From June 5 - June 12, people can donate to be a guest at Paul's virtual Night of a Thousand Dinners Celebration by making a minimum donation of $25. Registered guests will receive a special gift via email from Paul.

All registered dinner guests have the opportunity to download and keep a previously unreleased Paul McCartney song as a thank you for their donation.

This special Paul McCartney track, "LifeLong Passion" is a track Paul recorded under the name The Fireman, the result of collaborations between Paul McCartney and respected producer Youth.

Paul has teamed up with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to celebrate the theme of 'Dining to Demine'. Jamie has offered exclusive free recipes that are available for download from June 5-12th.

Click here to donate and download "Life Passion."

Frog fans, art enthusiasts and concerned conservationists are invited to bid on eBay, www.ebay.co.uk, to win one of the coveted pieces of work. These include watercolours, sketches, photography and signed memorabilia by celebrities including Paul McCartney & Geoffrey Dunbar, Linford Christie, Paul Daniels, Chris Tarrant and Adam Hart-Davis.

The 'Year of the Frog' campaign is championed by The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and Sir David Attenborough, who are urging zoos and animal centres to step up efforts to improve global amphibian conservation programmes. By Geoffrey Dunbar, director and animator.

Geoff Dunbar (animation sketch, signed & framed) and Paul McCartney, musician and composer signed memorabilia by Paul McCartney

This auction lot includes:

(1) Original animation cell (from Paul McCartney's Rupert and the Frog Chorus, animated featurette BAFTA Winner 1984), signed by Geoff Dunbar, director and animator. Framed, approximately 13.25" wide x 14.5" tall.

(2) Paul McCartney, Geoff Dunbar & Philip Ardagh, 2005 (2006 edition). High in the Clouds, a delightful adventure story from Paul McCartney, one of the world's best-loved writers and performers. Signed by Paul McCartney and Geoff Dunbar.

Donated by Paul McCartney and Geoff Dunbar to The Living Rainforest (UK registered charity 1085057) in aid of the 2008 'Year of the Frog' campaign, supporting amphibian conservation, research and education.

The Year of the Frog campaign is championed by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) and Sir David Attenborough.

The Living Rainforest wishes to thank all the celebrities involved for generously donating their time and artistic skills, and Framemakers of Hungerford for framing the artworks.

The Living Rainforest is dedicated to education, conservation and sustainable living. The charity's flagship visitor centre in Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire provides a home to over 650 species of rainforest plants and animals of global biodiversity value.

The Celebrity Frog Art Auction is a special charity auction on eBay, www.ebay.co.uk, Thursday 5th June ­ Saturday 14th June 2008.

The Living Rainforest's target fundraising amount is £10,000 ($20,000)

Wombats wowed by Sir Paul's offer

The Wombats say they are "ridiculously flattered" that Sir Paul McCartney wants to produce an album for them.

The former Beatle made the offer during an interview with BBC 6 Music before his Liverpool Sound concert on June 1.

He said: "I don't do much production now but it might be very tempting. I'm not sure they would want me."

Wombats drummer Dan Haggis said: "It's ridiculously flattering to have a Beatle like Sir Paul even mentioning us in a sentence."

"We were laughing about it, like it would be an interesting collaboration.

'More hi-hat'

"I think we'd be up for doing a demo and seeing what it was like.

"Imagine kicking back with Sir Paul? Like, 'Yeah, I think we need a bit more hi-hat there Paul.'"

The Liverpool-based band already have a fledgling relationship with Macca, having attended the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

McCartney said: "I had one of the guys in one of my classes. It was great. Now, years later they're doing great."

Eyebrow piercing

Haggis admitted his one meeting with Macca, during his graduation, was particularly memorable.

He said: "He hands out the diplomas and degrees so I did get to shake his hand.

"I had an eyebrow piercing in at the time and he said, 'We'll have to get a screwdriver for that.'

"I was like, 'Okay, whatever you say!'"

Paul and the band have just finished up their preparations for the show in Kiev on Saturday. They did however have just enough time to record a special video message just for PM.com.

Paul plays Independence Sqaure in Kiev this weekend, Saturday 14th June.

1) Congratulations on your Liverpool show. Great show, great reviews. How was it for you?

Paul McCartney: It was a great day. We had a lot of fun. The audience was fantastic too. It's always great playing to a home crowd. Playing in Liverpool brings back a lot of great memories for me.

2) Are you looking forward to Saturday? The UK press said that if Anfield had a roof you would have blown it off. Well if Independence Sq had a roof would you blow that off too?

Paul: We definitely hope to. Perhaps this time we will knock their socks off instead! Saturday's going to be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to it. Every time I speak to someone who has been to Kiev before they keep telling me what a great place it is with lots of history.

3) Playing to 36,000 people is one thing but to hundreds of thousands is something else! How do you prepare for a show of this size?

Paul: Well in the same way really. You pick the setlist and what you think will work as a starting point and take it from there. We have to rehearse this one as we would for any out-door or stadium show. Everything is on a slightly larger scale.

4) How is your Ukrainian?

Paul: Fabulous. Ha! No, I'm taking lessons.

5) The Ukraine media have been voting for their favourite all time Paul McCartney song. Do you have an all time favourite Ukrainian song?

Paul: I heard a Ukrainian cover of She Loves You, which I thought was pretty cool.

6) 'Dance Tonight' went down really well in Liverpool. Can we expect anything else from Memory Almost Full on Saturday?

Paul: I'm keeping the setlist close to my chest at the moment. We don't want to give anything away ahead of the performance otherwise there will be no surprises. So I'm not telling anyone!

7) We know you can play many instruments but can you play the Kobza?

Paul: Yes, I play it every night (joking)

The kobza (is a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument, of the lute family)

8) 'The Ukraine Girls really knock me out', discuss...

Paul: They leave the west behind...

9) First Liverpool, now Kiev, there are plenty of rumours about a tour, any truth in the rumours?

Paul: A tour is being talked about but there is no definite news at the moment.

10) You have just donated a new track, recorded as The Fireman to the Adopt A Minefield charity - any further Fireman plans?

Paul: We have recorded an album and hope to release it sometime later this year. Watch this space.

Representatives from ex-Beatle's school of music to arrive in Israel next week, to search for talented musicians looking for big break in music biz

Paul McCartney may have missed seeing Boaz Mauda compete in the Eurovision competition, but he plans to more than make up for that by unleashing his own version of a musical competition in Israel.

Next week representatives from McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) are scheduled to land in Israel in order to audition young people who dream of making a splash in the international music business.

McCartney founded the school 12 years ago, in an effort to seek out musical talent on a global scale. 40% of its students come from outside the UK, and each year only 300 applicants are accepted out of around 5,000. The last Israeli to receive a degree from the school was Dror Mohar, a recording engineer in New York City who has already worked with Bjork, Gwen Stefani, Patty Smith, and Jennifer Lopez.

According to McCartney, his dream of creating an international school of music has succeeded. In his opinion, the school's contribution to the world of music is significant because, he claims, a good performance can reach anyone, wherever they may be.

Darren Murphy, the school's international manager, is one of the representatives scheduled to arrive next week. According to him, the school has noticed a growing demand for auditions in Israel over the past two years. And with two excellent Israeli students heading towards graduation, he said, now seemed like a good time to search the country for new talent.

Paul McCartney's next world tour will be his last - so he can spend more time with daughter Beatrice.

The former Beatle is about to announce plans for a colossal two-year tour. The huge string of dates, starting this autumn, will be one of the biggest rock tours of all time. Macca is expected to make £110million ($220 million) from the planned 100 gigs - more than £1million ($2 million) per show.

It will be his biggest tour since 1989-90 when he played 108 shows in Europe, the US, Japan and Brazil.

The tour will be in stages, taking in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. The first dates will be announced in the next few weeks.

Beatrice, four, will join her dad - 66 this month - for sections of the tour. Macca revealed his plan to close friends and family last weekend at his triumphant City Of Culture gig in his home town of Liverpool. A source said: "Paul explained that this tour will be the last big one. He wants to settle down and enjoy Beatrice's childhood.

"The tour will be the last time he performs in many parts of the world. Beatrice and his family life are going to come first. He does not want to be away for months at a time."

The other woman in Macca's life - his new love, American socialite Nancy Shevell - will join him for much of the tour, aides have been told. Nancy, 48, will see Paul play a free concert in Kiev, Ukraine, next Saturday.

Paul had long planned to make a final world tour but was waiting to get his divorce from Beatrice's mum Heather Mills out of the way. The two reached a £25 million ($50 million) settlement in March.

Macca's last major tour, in 2002, netted him £63 million ($126 million) for just 58 shows. Paul will get more than £1million from each of the planned 100 performances on one of the biggest rock tours ever. Four-year-old Beatrice will fly out to join her dad for parts of the tour. Go-ahead had to wait for end of divorce proceedings.

Hello friends near and far! As promised, here is my report from the stage, backstage, in transit and rehearsal for and at Liverpool's great Anfield Stadium..

It was like going from 0 to 160 in 4 seconds, to go from rehearsals in a modest place to playing before 36,000 in a packed football stadium in the Beatles home town or Liverpool. It was raining for a day and a half and all during our sound check onstage with our gear being covered while we rehearsed... with the crowd pouring in and the show set to start, the clouds parted and it stopped raining just at the Zutons [great home team band] took the stage followed by the fab Kaiser Chiefs..

The kindest, warmest audience ever...
We had a fantastic show there... the people of Liverpool are the kindest, warmest audience ever and they were as much a part of the show as the lights and sound were. [GREAT singers too!!] Paul was in great form, even as he seemed at a loss for words at times, trying to express his gratitude for the city which informed his musicality, humour and personality.

4 new songs & a special guest appearance
As many of you know by now, Paul added in 4 new songs to the set, opening with the very early Beatles "Hippy Hippy Shake" [& my solo] and a new song he wrote with lyrics about his beloved home town, "In Liverpool". Late in the show we then added a new version of "Something" with the band entering at the guitar solo [Rusty!!] and it was very touching to watch the faces in the crowd..

Later on, Paul made a brilliant and brave move to play "A Day In The Life" with the ascending orchestra [WIX!] bits and then finished it up with "Give Peace A Chance"... a moment that was a pure act of love and respect, a loving tribute to his fallen brother, John. Then, Paul announced our special guest, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighter who played 3 songs with us, one on guitar, 2 with Abe on double drums [hammers of the GODS!!]

We had a blast... what can I say??

Next stop - performing for 360,000 people in Kiev!!!
The next day we drove down south to rehearse [for our upcoming show in Kiev in the Ukraine] for 4 more days.. THIS is gonna be off the HOOK!! 360,000 people are expected in the Square [10 TIMES the huge crowd in Liverpool] and we will be ready to rumble..

It's so good to be hanging together, the five of us again, for full length big shows, as much fun as the smaller shows over the last year and a half have been. Paul is in GREAT form and sounds toppermost of the poppermost right now, singing his ars off!

The Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium
Last night we were invited to go see the Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium.. What a show!!! And what cool guys they are.. they built an amazing career from the rubble of one of the best bands to come along in 40 years, from clubs and theaters to headlining Wembley for 2 nights.... 86,000 per night!

On their encore, Dave Grohl announced 2 special guests... Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones~ they tore into "Rock and Roll" like 4 guys at a banquet who hadn't eaten in days... Dave on Drums, Taylor singing. the "Ramble On" to a crowd of freaking fans... there it was.. just for us 86,000 peeps.

So..indulge me in a little story..
After the show we went backstage to hang and I was looking for the Zep guys because as a young lad on my first trip to Europe with Etta James at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival , John Paul Jones was set to play bass for Etta at the fest.. Me, skinny little 19 year old kid with blond hair halfway down my back was the bandleader, teaching Zep's bassist Etta's songs..

Well, at the end of our first rehearsal, who walks in but Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.. !! Page pulled me aside and asked to play my '57 Les Paul and told me he thought he had met me in a past life [wow!!].. Then they invited me to dinner, Racqlette in a chalet in the Alps.. with Led friggin' Zep!! All this was made better when 2 of my friends from LA had witnessed the show there and came back to LA to tell the stories for me.

So, back to Wembley... I see Page and shake his hand, reminding him of our meeting and he smiled broadly as his eyes flipped back through the memory banks to remember... then, I saw JP Jones and we talked and talked.. he said he still watches the tape of that show from 1975 in Montreux playing with Etta James and me..

And finally...
It's Sunday, day off in London, first in 11 days and I'm glowing.. throat is sore but, hey.. sometimes you gotta shout it out and go for it, right?

We will have news of my new recording sessions and some contests coming up on my site brian-ray.com.. please come in and make yourselves comfortable. Join my mailing list to get all the news first!

All the best to you all!

Love,

Brian

The star-studded event will feature performances by some of the most celebrated artists in the world. Multi- GRAMMY Award-winning producer and former GRAMMY Foundation Board member David Foster will serve as the evening's musical director. To purchase tables or tickets to the event, contact Dana Tomarken at 310.392.3777 or dana@grammy.com.

June 7, 2008 -- Macca Report News Exclusive - Paul in Liverpool
by Macca Reporter Miguel Carrera

The Liverpool Sound concert observations:

Mike McCartney was taking concert photos from the stage for most of Paul's show, but by the time Paul shared the stage with Dave Grohl Mike moved down to the photo pit and started taking photos (in front of me in the first row) during Band on the Run and Back in the USSR.

Mary and Stella were watching the show very near the stage- in the left side (watching the stage) or at the right side of Paul-Stella had a videocamera and was taping her dad and the crowd.

SOUNDCHECK SATURDAY MAY 31, 2008
NOTE: I was not present for the electric set but was there from the bass set until the end of the soundcheck. Someone reported that Paul played Yellow Submarine during Saturday's and Sunday's soundcheck-Paul didn't played it on Saturday during the Acoustic Set .

Soundcheck started at aprox 5:30 pm and lasted more than 70 minutes

(Electric Set Reported as...)
JAM
MATCHBOX
HONEY DON'T
LET ME ROLL IT
Bass:
COMING UP
GET BACK
Acoustic:
IMPROVISATION
IN LIVERPOOL (instrumental practice)
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
SAN FRANCISCO BAY BLUES
IMPROVISATION
CALICO SKIES
IMPROVISATION
Piano:
CELEBRATION
C MOON
LADY MADONNA
Ukulele:
SOMETHING
Mandolin:
DANCE TONIGHT
Acoustic:
YESTERDAY

SOUNDCHECK SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2008
The soundcheck started after 3:15 pm. C Moon was heard around 4pm (Doors opened early around 4:50pm) AGAIN- NO evidence of Yellow Submarine being played today (I was in the queue, where there was too much noise - so not sure about that)

Electric:
IMPROVISATION (Lasted more than 6 minutes)
MATCHBOX
HONEY DON'T
LET ME ROLL IT
Bass:
COMING UP
BAND ON THE RUN (With Dave Grohl)
BACK IN THE USSR (With Dave)
Acoustic:
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
SAN FRANCISCO BAY BLUES
(Unidentified acoustic renditions due to crowd noise waiting in queue)
Piano:
CELEBRATION
C MOON
LADY MADONNA

Concert For George, Stella's LIPA fashion show, Paul McCartney at Anfield...

Friday 5/30/08
I arrived in Liverpool Lime St station after visiting Dublin, Edinborough, Glasgow and Loch Ness. I immediately went to the Capital of Culture 08' office on White Chapel to pick up my tickets for the show. Of course when I got there, the tickets were not there. They told me that although they had said they wouldn't mail the tickets to international customers, they did! So after several trips to the 08' Store, the ticket situation was not solved although they promised that when they arrived at Anfield Stadium at 12 pm on May 31st that they would print another set and have them delivered by courier to my hotel.

With that, I checked into my hotel and began to walk around the city. Having been to Liverpool many times already, I must say that this trip was quite different as the city was abuzz about the upcoming concert. Liverpudlians already a chatty people as is, when they found out where you were from they wanted to know if you were here for the big show. Definitely a lot of pride along the Mersey that one of their own was back in town for a huge event. Also very noticeable were the predominant pink banners all over the city with large pictures of Paul McCartney with the 08' Capital of Culture and Liverpool Sound concert on it. They were everywhere and it was absolutely great to see Paul all over. I even passed a few murals on some buildings with large pictures of Paul.

Friday night was the World Premier of "All Together Now" at the FACT on Woods St. I was unable to get tickets but quite a few of my friends went. Those who attended the event were Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison and Michael McCartney who expressed Paul's condolences for missing the show (due to getting ready for the concert). The 2nd showing added George and Giles Martin to the guest list.

Saturday 5/31/08
Well again, I walked around the city as I heard that the Liverpool Echo building had a showing of John Lennon's art. So I went over and checked out a nice collection of John's art on display on the 2nd floor. Beatle music played in the background. All the newspapers had Paul on them talking about the show on the next day. Luckily upon my return to the hotel, I found that my tickets had arrived.

Unfortunately the tickets that were labeled as premium seats were all the way to the very back of the stadium. Now while I was away, my friends had all experienced the same problem and through a friend I got an upgraded ticket much closer to the stage even though I had no idea where my original seats were. A lot of the international customers were complaining about the location of their seats and they certainly were not premium to anyone's thinking. My original seats did turn out to be at the far end and my new one was the first section stage left. A much, much better view. The only answer from the venue was their offer to refund the ticket.

Saturday night brought the Liverpool premiere of "The Concert for George". This was again at FACT on Woods St. My friend had an extra ticket so I tagged along. The 1st show had Olivia Harrison say a few words and then the movie played. We found out that there was a 2nd show and stuck around. The 2nd show was once again brought out the Beatle family. Joining Olivia was Yoko Ono, George and Giles Martin. We then left the theater after the movie began.

Sunday 6/01/08
Woke up and got ready for the Stella McCartney fashion show at Paul McCartney auditorium at LIPA. While having some champagne in the reception area, we saw Mark Hamilton walking around so we knew that Paul was around. We watched as Peter Blake, Michael McCartney, Abe Laboriel Jr, Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray, Wix Wixens, George Martin, Giles Martin and ultimately Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison arrive and enter the auditorium. I figured that after a few minutes that no more celebs were coming and made my way up to my seat in the balcony. Upon reaching the usher and him pointing to my seat, I received a big surprise. Sitting in the row in front of my was the band (Rusty,Brian,Abe and Wix). They were all in great spirits and in a very goofy mood. Brian and Abe recognized me and we chatted for a few minutes. A few friends that were in my row and I decided to take advantage and ask for a pic with the boys which they gladly agreed to. They also all signed my Stella McCartney program and my other friends back of his ticket. We settled into our seats as the house lights dimmed and the rest of the crowd came into their seats. It appeared like Abe was texting Paul throughout the show as I would see him text, and then shortly after see Paul pull his phone out of his pocket and look down at it during the show and then with no facial response put it back into his pocket. Although Paul was not reacting, the boys seemed to all be in on the joke laughing.

As the front row filled, I could see (from left to right) John Hammel, James McCartney, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, an unidentified woman, George Martin, Giles Martin and Mrs George Martin. In the third row, I could see Beatrice standing on a chair. The show started with Candie Payne singing a few slow songs. During the second song, Beatrice ran around the chairs to the front row where she gave dad a big hug and kiss. Paul was very attentive and could be seen talking to her. Yoko leaned over and it looked like Paul was introducing them to each other. After a few minutes, Beatrice returned to her seat. Then a dance crew called "flava" came out to some high powered dance music and pumped the crowd up. After two songs, they left the stage and as they left, they lines up 11 chairs on the stage. All but two of the crew left the stage area. Then 12 models came out wearing Stella's fall line. They walked around the chairs three or four times and then the music stopped and the models scrambled for an empty chair. The model who was left without a chair then exited the stage. With this, all in attendance laughed and realized that a game of models musical chairs was about to be played. The game went on until only one model was left standing. She then strutted across the stage as a bunch of metallic heart balloons came falling from the ceiling.

Stella came walking out from the backstage area and stepped up to a microphone and thanked everyone and then announced a band called Palladium. As Stella left the stage, Paul yelled "let's hear it for Stella" and raised his right fist in the air to everyone in attendance cheering Stella. As the band came out and prepared to play, Beatrice once again walked over to Paul and on the way picked up a metallic balloon heart and gave it to Paul. Paul took it and held it over his heart. She then picked up a smaller heart and handed it to dad again who placed it on his lap. She then grabbed one for herself and took her place on dad's lap. The band began to play the first of three songs. During the 2nd song, Beatrice made her way back to her seat. During the whole show, Paul and Yoko were engaged in a lengthy conversation with Olivia joining in here and there.

When the band finished, Paul could be seen chatting to all of the Beatle family in attendance and quickly the people from upstairs began to flood the lower room. The VIP's were quickly rushed out a back exit and everyone was invited downstairs for lunch and cocktails. Paul and band left quickly for Anfield as they still had to do their sound check. Stella remained upstairs where she did a meet and greet and signed autographs and posed for pictures with the fans who wanted them. After a short time, we exited and went back to our hotel to prepare for the concert. We ate a quick dinner and were joined by Sam Leach. He was on his way to the show and stopped to chat with one of my friends. He said he was supposed to see Paul at the show and was waiting for his call and invited us all down to the Grapes for a few drinks and stories.

Made it to Anfield as the Zutons just got on stage. They played several songs with the last being their UK hit "Valerie" also later recorded by Amy Winehouse. Then the Kaiser Chiefs came on and were well received. The stage was huge with the 08' Capital of Culture full mural on it with large letters on top spelling out "LIVERPOOL" Paul was announced and started the show, set list was

01. Hippy Hippy Shake
02. Jet
03. Drive My Car
04. Flaming Pie
05. Got To Get You Into My Life
06. Let Me Roll It with the Foxy Lady outro (played a guitar designed like the large guitar he signed for charity)
07. My Love "This one's for Linda"
08. C Moon
09. The Long And Winding Road
10. Dance Tonight
11. Blackbird
12. Calico Skies
13. In Liverpool
14. I'll Follow The Sun (3 repeat endings)
15. Eleanor Rigby
16. Something (tribute to George) played first half on ukulele and electric for other half
17. Penny Lane (forgot the words off the bat and had a false start)
18. Band On The Run with David Grohl on guitar
19. Back In The USSR with David Grohl joining Abe on drums
20. Live And Let Die with stage pyros and fireworks
21. Let It Be
22. Hey Jude
band bows and leaves the stage

Encore
23. Yesterday
24. A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance (messed up his middle part on Day In The Life)
25. Lady Madonna
26.I Saw Her Standing There (with David Grohl joining Abe on drums)

The three big surprises, "Hippy Hippy Shake" done a break neck speed. He then did "In Liverpool" talking about how being here brought back memories of him being on a double decker bus with a man talking to himself naming old comedians. He added that it's never been released. Of course the final surprise during the encore brought the house down "A Day in the Life" into "Give Peace a Chance". What a great concert moment !!!

The show was awesome, the 37,000 Liverpudlians were in fine voice and loudly sang with the more popular songs played. While David Grohl was on stage, he had a gaping smile on his face and you could see that he was truly excited to be there. Paul played a half hour past curfew. During the reception after the concert, Sam Leach got his time to visit Paul in the trophy room. Sam was tickled as he is a big Liverpool soccer fan and he was thrilled to see all the trophies.

Prior to Paul taking the stage, the Freelance Hellraiser remixes (Twin Freaks) were playing. Also several re-mixes on "Nod your head" could be heard over the PA.

As far as the crowd, they were great singing loud and late into the night. Even after the last song, they continued to sing while emptying the arena.

Monday 6/02/08
While on my way to meet Sam Leach, I was talking to my taxi driver who was chatting on about how great the show was. While we talked, he commented on how I must be a big fan and asked me if I was going to the Denny Laine show at the Cavern tonight. I told him that I did not know about it and after getting out of the cab went down to the Cavern to see about getting tickets for myself and some friends. I was told that it was a private party and by invite only. We got to the Grapes and Sam was chatting on about the show and seeing Paul at the reception. He showed us a picture of the two post show. He said that Paul was in great form and told him how great he looked. Sam said that he had about five minutes but that Paul had a lot of family visiting and that his time was limited with him. I told my friends about the Denny Laine show and they told Sam who made a call and got us on the VIP list. Just before I left, Sam signed a photo for me of his engagement party in the early 1960's which the Beatles attended. He showed me the picture that contained George and Paul who had a shoe in his left arm. Sam explained that Rory Storm had gotten very drunk at the party and had passed out on the floor. While they were posing for the picture, he woke up and demanded to be in the picture, not being able to get up....Paul grabbed his leg and lifted it holding his foot and show so that at least Rory's foot was in the picture!

Arrived at the Cavern as Denny took the stage. Lots of friends seemed to have found their way into the show. Denny played some classic wings songs..."Time to Hide", "Deliver your children", "no words", "mull of kintyre" and "again and again and again". Plus a few others before doing a meet and greet with the crowd. Denny recognized me and we chatted for a few minutes.

See more of Bill Greenberg's photos HERE

Pau McCartney's love fan

Sir Paul McCartney's new girlfriend Nancy Shevell cheered on the star at his homecoming show June 1st (as first reported on The Macca Report)

Multi-millionaire heiress Nancy Shevell watched Paul perform his 'Liverpool Sound' concert at Liverpool soccer club's Anfield Stadium.

Nancy cheered on The Beatles legend as she stood with his children Mary, 38, Stella, 36 and James, 30.

Paul, 65, also took Nancy on a tour of his beloved city and introduced her to some of his family and friends, including his brother Mike, John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and George Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison.

A source said: "This is a huge step for Paul to take. Introducing Nancy to his hometown, showing her around all the places he grew up and meeting the people he loves the most is a big sign of his commitment to her."

The pair made their first public appearance together last week when Paul was awarded an honorary doctorate in music from Connecticut's Yale University.

The couple's public debut came just two weeks after Paul's divorce from Heather Mills was finalised after a bitter 18-month battle.

Yoko Ono's outfit was particularly eye-catching - but Sir Paul McCartney was at the fashion show to give his attention to his daughter's latest creation's.

The former Beatle whooped and clapped for Stella's autumn/winter designs.

At one point, he showed his approval by gesticulating wildly across the catwalk at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

Though he and Miss Ono, 75, have not always seen eye to eye, they chatted quite happily before the show. John Lennon's widow was wearing a daring low-cut top and white trilby.

Sir Paul had to rush off afterwards to headline a special concert at Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium, part of the city's Capital of Culture festival.

The 65-year-old began his set with Hippy Hippy Shake, followed by Jet and Drive My Car.

Dressed in a black, sixties-style suit, he said to the crowd: 'Thank you for coming tonight - in the city of culture -at the centre of the universe.'

The show, called Liverpool Sound, was opened by The Zutons, with a set list including ' Valerie' and 'Why Won't You Give Me Your Love'.

The audience were then treated to the Kaiser Chiefs, whose songs included 'Ruby' and 'The Angry Mob'.

Lead singer Ricky Wilson joked with the crowd of Paul McCartney fans: 'Now a new song, though I realise they'll all be new to some of you.'

Comedian Peter Kay welcomed Paul McCartney onto the stage, saying 'It's my duty to reveal that Britain has got talent.'

All 45,000 tickets to the Capital of Culture 2008 showpiece event were sold out, and the audience filled the Anfield pitch and three stands, including the Kop.

Sir Paul finished his energetic 1hr 45min set with The Beatles classic I Saw Her Standing There, alongside Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl.

The former Beatle told the crowd: 'You've been brilliant tonight. I knew you would be."
He added: "Thank you all you Liverpudlians for showing up.'

One of the highlights of the show was a performance of Live And Let Die, which was accompanied by an impressive firework display.

On stage Sir Paul spoke of his happiness at coming back to his home city.

'Every time I go back to Liverpool all the memories come flooding back. My time with the lads,' he said.

The conclusion of the concert was marked with a large firework display outside the stadium.

Before the event he said that Sunday would be a busy day, but joked: 'What's a dad to do?'

Sir Paul was at the stadium as part of Liverpool's Capital of Culture festival

The self-styled world capital of pop music is in the middle of its Capital of Culture celebrations, a year-long jamboree which, after a troubled start, is ­ to bemused acknowledgement from the the city's cynics ­ rekindling Merseyside's self-confidence as it edges its way back on to the road to prosperity. This imperative was brought home to the 34,000-strong crowd ­ few of whom make this trip each Saturday to watch Rafael Benitez (himself observing the show from the stands) and his team perform ­ as they snaked their way through Anfield's crumbling terraces. These homes, the kind that Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starkey would have recognised readily in their youth, are now earmarked for demolition.

This was Liverpool FC's gift to the people this year, a final concert before the team moves to Stanley Park, and McCartney's presence certainly helped the job along, with the city's hotels sold out for the first time in years. But deep down, this was all about the past rather than the future.

So what did the faithful get? There were generous tributes to George Harrison, McCartney stage patter, replete with touching references to his birth in nearby Walton hospital, vignettes of 1950s bus travel, and all those indelible early memories of a place where the band which fashioned pop music as we know it was born.

After the tedious headlines which have dogged the 66-year-old during his divorce from Heather Mills, it was pleasing to be reminded that, above all, McCartney is an outstanding performer and musician and a genius songwriter.

Clad in retro Beatle jacket, he charted his way though rock'n'roll by way of the best of Wings ("Jet", a pyrotechnic "Live and Let Die", and "Band on the Run" with Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters) and ­ he would not dare disappoint the faithful ­ Beatles classics, "Eleanor Rigby", "Drive My Car", "Got To Get You Into My Life", "Long and Winding Road", as well as a deeply moving version of "Blackbird" and a lovely, tender "Something", which included a rare mistake from McCartney who, himself moved, was forced to start again.

There was even a smattering of new songs ­ well received ­ but the best was saved for last, with "Hey Jude" and "Yesterday" lifting the roof. But true fans could not have failed to have been choked by his encore version of "A Day In The Life", a rare, if not unique, live nod to his late songwriting partner, John Lennon, which even extended to "Give Peace a Chance".

Finally a word for the support acts Kaiser Chiefs and The Zutons, both of whom paid heartfelt homage to the great man coming in their wake.

The Kaisers, perhaps somewhat oddly gatecrashing the Liverpool Sound week from across the Pennines, paraded their distinctive style of anthemic, air-punching pop with trademark efficiency ­ a useful preview of what the crowd at this month's Isle of Wight Festival can expect.

Local lads The Zutons, due to embark on a typically idiosyncratic tour of the nations' woodlands later this week, were rewarded for their manful warm-up routine with a generous ­ and justified ­ ovation.

Groundbreaking Online Event Features An Exclusive Offering Of A New Paul McCartney Track 'Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)'

A Menu Provided By Chef Jamie Oliver (Download recipes)

McCartney Track Available From 5th June 2008 (World Environment Day) To 12th June 2008

Paul McCartney will play host. Revered chef Jamie Oliver has set the menu. And the whole world is invited to, a special Night of a Thousand Dinners. The groundbreaking event invites people to join Paul's dinner to raise money for Adopt-A-Minefield's effort to resolve the global landmine crises and help put land back into productive use. To take part in the event, 'guests' are invited to log on to www.paulmccartney.com. on 5th June, World Environment Day.

People from all over the world will be able to sign up and register as a guest and join Paul's virtual dinner party. Jamie Oliver has specially provided some vegetarian recipes for the occasion and Paul McCartney has donated the music, both of which will be available from www.paulmccartney.com.

Any registered guest who has donated a minimum of $25.00 USD to Adopt-A-Minefield will receive a special thank you from Paul McCartney - access to a one-time only exclusive download of a previously unreleased track 'Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)'.

This special Paul McCartney track, 'Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)', is a track Paul recorded under the name The Fireman, the result of collaborations between Paul McCartney and respected producer Youth. They released two albums in the 90's and have been working on a follow up in recent months. More news to follow on this project but 'Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)' gives you a taste of what is to come. The track, along with Jamie's recipes, will be available from 5th-12th June.

Paul McCartney, who has been a committed long-term supporter and Goodwill Ambassador for Adopt-A-Minefield said, "The Night of a Thousand Dinners is not only a great way to raise money for a just cause, it's also a good way for friends and families to have fun together." He added, "With the growing concerns about world hunger, it should be a priority to clear arable land of landmines so that communities can once again use their land to grow their own food. Some music, some fantastic recipes from Jamie and hopefully, with your help, we'll be able to raise the much needed funds for the cause."

About Night of a Thousand Dinners
Started as a grassroots effort, Night of a Thousand Dinners looks to individuals, corporations, and communities across the globe to raise funds for landmine removal and survivor assistance by hosting dinners. Participants host dinners in homes, schools, churches, restaurants for friends and families and in lieu of flowers or wine, they ask their guests to donate to Adopt-A-Minefield. Night of Thousand Dinners events are held in over 50 countries and have raised more than $4 million for mine action since 2001.

The global landmine crisis is one of the world's most pervasive problems, with an estimated 70 countries considered to be mine-affected. Landmines are indiscriminate weapons that continue to maim or kill tens of thousands of civilians every year. They cost as little as $3 to produce, but as much as $1000 to remove.

The presence of landmines not only threatens people's lives, but they also contribute to hunger by preventing arable land from being used for farming and economic development.

Proceeds from N1KD are forwarded to the United Nations for mine clearance and to select partner organizations to support survivor assistance projects. AAM currently works in six of the most heavily mined nations in the world, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Mozambique and Vietnam. Adopt-A-Minefield is a global fundraising and awareness-building initiative working with partner campaigns in the UK, Canada and Sweden.

About Adopt-A-Minefield
Adopt-A-Minefield is a campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA in partnership with the United Nations and Ted Turner's Better World Fund. With partner campaigns in the UK, Canada, and Sweden, Adopt-A-Minefield engages individuals, community groups, and businesses in the United Nations effort to resolve the global landmine crisis. Visit www.landmines.org to learn more.

Stella McCartney to support Lucy event

Fashion designer Stella McCartney today promised her support to Liverpool's Field of Women event.

Uniting with the campaign against breast cancer, the daughter of Sir Paul McCartney and wife Linda, who died from the disease, met organisers at Lipa at the weekend and offered her backing.

The Field of Women event at Liverpool Cricket Ground on Sunday July 6 promises to be this year's biggest charity event in the region.

Liverpool's Linda McCartney Centre is calling for 10,000 people to register.

It is intended to be a show of strength for people affected directly or indirectly with breast cancer.

People will stand side by side to form the silhouette of a woman dubbed Lucy ­ an acronym for Listen Up, Check Yourself, designed to help raise awareness of breast cancer.

Sir Paul McCartney's stunning Anfield show was today hailed as his best gig ever.

His management team said they had never heard him perform better.

And the fans in the 36,000 sell-out crowd agreed after his emotional two hour homecoming concert set up a spectacular 08 summer.

Sir Paul told the ecstatic crowd that he was in: "The city of culture at the centre of the universe."

The ECHO's top team was on hand to watch the historic show.

Paul McCartney's Liverpool One show

"LIVERPOOL I love you," said Sir Paul taking to the stage for his triumphant homecoming.

And the feeling was entirely mutual.

The city's favourite son delivered his gift to his hometown in person, with a spectacular centrepiece concert in its Capital of Culture year.

"In the city of culture at the centre of the universe," he grinned. "I was born just down the road from here in Walton hospital."

And Sir Paul certainly pulled out all the stops for the city he holds so dear.

With a set-list reading like a greatest hits from heaven, he powered through everything from Hippy Hippy Shake to The Long and Winding Road.

Along the way he packed in Blackbird, Eleanor Rigby, Penny Lane, Live and Let Die, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Yesterday and Lady Madonna.

It was a performance packed with emotion.

From the quiet, heartfelt dedication of My Love to his adored wife Linda, to the tribute to George with Something ­ on the ukulele no less ­ this was a show from the heart.

And his hometown is something that will always mean the world to Sir Paul.

"It's great for me because every time I come to Liverpool my memories come flooding back," he said.

"Me and the lads. I remember there was this thing that me and George used to do. JS Bach. He got it right, I got it wrong." And launched into Blackbird. The crowd sang along to every word.

And Sir Paul clearly felt at home.

"Ok, let's hear it for Speke," he laughed. "Let's hear it for Garston."

Not forgetting the other acts ­ before Sir Paul took to the stage there was a taste of Liverpool's current sound, with The Zutons.

On the eve of the release of their third album, the Merseyside quintet delighted the crowd with Zuton Fever, Why Won't You Give Me Your Love, and new single Always Right Behind You.

But the biggest cheers came for Valerie. After Amy Winehouse covered it the band went from indie favourites to a global phenomenon.

Add in a warm-up set from Kaiser Chiefs and the mood was all set for Sir Paul. Ruby and I Predict A Riot got the crowd dancing.

Nevertheless, it was Sir Paul's night.

It's a rare thing that an act can take you from standing on your feet whooping with joy to close to tears within moments, but then that has always been his gift.

But best of all, this was his gift to us. And it came from the heart.

Macca rocks the Capital of Culture

Sir Paul McCartney rocked Liverpool in a thrilling night for Capital of Culture.

And if Anfield had a roof, Macca would have blown it right off.

The former Beatle played almost 30 songs from across his five-decade career during almost two triumphant hours on stage at last night's Liverpool Sound.

He told the ecstatic 36,000-strong crowd: "Thank you for coming here to the city of culture, epicentre of the universe."

Sir Paul was introduced by comedian Peter Kay, whose surprise appearance sparked roars of delight from the stadium.

The Bolton-born comedian joked: "He's a local lad who's done very well for himself. He's played with them all, Stevie Wonder, Rupert the Bear and the Beatles.

"It's Sir Paul Mildred McCartney."

Wearing a black 'Beatles-style' jacket, trousers and white shirt, Macca appeared on the stage ­ a 200ft wide platform with Liverpool spelt out in giant letters overhead ­ and broke into a breakneck speed version of Hippy Hippy Shake.

Each number in turn prompted a mass sing-a-long from the crowd, with Beatles' hits such as Eleanor Rigby, The Long And Winding Road, Penny Lane, Hey Jude, Lady Madonna, A Day In The Life, and Let It Be making the stadium shake with sound.

The 65-year-old dedicated My Love to late wife Linda, and spoke dabout his love of his home city, saying: "Every time I come back to Liverpool all the memories come flooding back."

Many of his family were in the crowd, along with Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, Sir George Martin and Sgt Pepper cover artist Sir Peter Blake.

Among others at the sell-out gig were Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin, Rafa Benitez, Mel C, Kenny Dalglish, former BBC boss John Birt, Claire Sweeney, and senior cabinet ministers.

Macca's cousin Kate Robbins said: "We sent a message to Paul this morning saying how much the family were all looking forward to the concert and he said Liverpool was buzzing."

The ex-Beatle was joined by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl for rip-roaring versions of Band On The Run and Back In The USSR.

Macca's Wings days were also marked with favourites Jet, and James Bond theme Live And Let Die ­ complete with stage-front pyrotechnics.

He also played John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance in front of a CND symbol.

Liverpool favourites the Zutons opened the four-and-a-half hour spectacular with a set which included crowd favourites such as You Will, You Won't, Valerie ­ which lead singer Dave McCabe joked was "an Amy Winehouse cover", and their new single Always Right Behind You.

They were followed by Leeds indie rockers The Kaiser Chiefs who also drew huge roars of appreciation for hits including Ruby, Every Day I Love You Less And Less, and I Predict A Riot.

The evening ended with a giant firework display over the stadium.

Macca told the crowd: "People have come from all over the world to come to Liverpool tonight and thank-you to all the Liverpudlians that have shown up.

"You've been brilliant."

Fans flocked to Anfield

MUSIC fans from across the world flocked to Anfield last night to see the four-and-a-half hour Liverpool Sound concert.

Lisbeth Jensen Verpe and her 14 year-old daughter Eve Victoria, travelled from Oslo, Norway, for the concert.

Lisbeth said: "We came to Liverpool because Eve was playing violin at the cathedral. But we heard about the concert and wanted to come.

"It has been a fantastic night. We have never been to Liverpool before but we would come again."

Sisters Rachel, 31 and Elizabeth White, 29, from Crosby, said: "We had a fantastic night. We did not know what to expect but Paul McCartney put on a really good show.

"We heard him say beforehand that he had a real treat for us and he certainly did.

"The Kaiser Chiefs and the Zutons were great as well."

Dean Jones, 30, from Maghull and Emma Thompson, 35, from Kirkby, said: "It was fantastic. I just wish it could have gone on for longer.
"Everything was great from start to finish including the organisation.

"Paul McCartney has done Liverpool proud. We definitely had our money's worth."

Lynn Berry, 46 and Dan Davies, 52, from Anfield, said: "It was brilliant. We were up singing and dancing all night."

Theresa Molloy, 60, from Tuebrook, said: "It was marvellous. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"I used to go to the Cavern so I am an old fan of Paul McCartney.

"It was great to see a band like the Zutons, one of our own, starting the concert."

There were some complaints about queuing for last night's concert.

One person said: "They only had one entry point to the ground and the queue to get in went on for ages.

"It took everyone around the back streets of Anfield which does not give a great impression to people from outside the city."

Fan's 7,000 mile trek to see Paul

ONE dedicated fan spent 48 hours travelling 7,000 miles to make it to Macca's concert last night.

Milenka Reyes-Baquedano, 18, was fulfilling a lifetime's dream of seeing her hero perform in his home town.

Her trip was made possible by the Make a Wish Foundation which grants wishes to children and young people battling life-threatening illnesses.

Milenka, from Chile, has Von Hippel-Lindau disease which is a rare inherited genetic condition.

Vin O'Brien, whose day job is in the PR department of Liverpool FC, helped arrange the trip.

There were a few surprises for Milenka including a guided tour of John Lennon's childhood home by his widow Yoko Ono.

Sir Paul McCartney has celebrated his home city's year as European Capital of Culture and been celebrated himself by 36,000 fans at a concert in Liverpool.

The crowd at Anfield football stadium gave him a hero's welcome as he played almost two hours of highlights from The Beatles, Wings and his solo career.

"Thank you for coming here in the City of Culture, at the centre of the universe," he said to cheers.

The audience was in full voice for classics like Let It Be and Hey Jude.

The stadium sing-a-longs were at their most enthusiastic for Beatles hits such as Drive My Car, Eleanor Rigby and Yesterday.

Sir Paul also covered his Wings days with Live and Let Die and Jet, and his solo career was represented by songs like Flaming Pie and Dance Tonight.

And as Yoko Ono looked on, he also played John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance in front of a CND symbol.

Favourite son

Sir Paul was joined by Foo Fighters star Dave Grohl, who played guitar for the Wings hit Band on the Run plus drums on Back in the USSR and the final song I Saw Her Standing There.

"You've been brilliant tonight," Sir Paul told the crowd. "I knew you would be."

'We're just going to take a moment to take this all in,' he said at one point, clutching his chin in mock serious mode and looking out at the masses

Macca's magic night

Sir Paul had earlier described playing to his home crowd as playing to "my mates", and the fans received him as the city's favourite son.

He reminisced about his childhood on several occasions.

"I was born just down the road and I lived not far from here," he told the audience.

At another point, he said: "Every time I come back to Liverpool all the memories come flooding back."

The Beatles legend performed on a stage proclaiming the city as the "world capital of pop".

The elaborate design included the word Liverpool in giant letters dominating the arena, alongside outlines of city landmarks such as the Liver Building.

Sir Paul was introduced by comedian Peter Kay, who described him as "a local lad who's done very well for himself in the music game".

The crowd included football figures such as Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, player Jamie Carragher and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.

The concert-goers who spoke to the BBC were mostly positive about their experience.

Roy Skelhorn, from Liverpool, bought tickets for his wife's 60th birthday.

He said: "It was fantastic. We paid a lot of money. We paid £75 ($150) each but the show was brilliant. It was great to see him back and we couldn't fault his show - he's an icon."

Another fan, Joseph Ong, 26, from Liverpool, said it had been a "big event" for his home city.

Praising the ex-Beatle, Mr Ong said: "He's probably the biggest superstar in the world. As someone who was born here, you can't help but appreciate him."

Meanwhile, Irene Mackay, 49, from Cumbria, enjoyed the gig but was frustrated about the time it took to enter the stadium after queuing with her husband, Rob, for an hour.

She said the lengthy queuing process was "embarrassing for Liverpool", but added: "Once you're in the ground it was brilliant."

Sir Paul McCartney on the creativity of his hometown

The Liverpool Sound concert came exactly five years after the Beatles legend's last home city show.

And it was exactly a month after Sir Paul's classical work Ecce Cor Meum was performed at Liverpool Cathedral as part of the culture celebrations.

The gig raised money for the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), which Sir Paul set up in his old school, and the Nordoff-Robbins music charity.

Local favourites The Zutons opened the concert, followed by the Kaiser Chiefs.

Wet weather threatened to dampen the atmosphere, but the rain stopped before the show.

It was the last concert to be held at Anfield before Liverpool move to a new stadium.

In January, Ringo Starr kicked off the Capital of Culture celebrations at the opening ceremony on St George's Plateau and Echo Arena Liverpool.

The Leeds rockers performed with McCartney at the Liverpool Sound Concert at Anfield yesterday.

Speaking about their admiration for the former Beatle, bassist Simon Rix said: "I've said this before that I think Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are up there, if not the most influential people who are still alive.

"I don't know who is more influential than those two really, because I think that the influence of The Beatles, the impact that they had on everything at the time, not just music, you know your shoes and clothes and your hair and moustaches, everything, furniture - if The Beatles had never happened then we'd be living in a parallel universe."

McCartney was joined by Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl during Sunday's gig for renditions of 'Band On The Run' and 'Back In The USSR'.

It was Sir Paul McCartney's big homecoming night ­ but the crowd was the real star, says Alan Weston

ANFIELD stadium has witnessed many amazing spectacles down the years, but few to compare with this.

On this occasion, however, there wasn't a football in sight, nor was it a Champions' League semi-final against Chelsea.

Sir Paul McCartney last played in Liverpool exactly five years ago to the day, on a specially constructed set that was assembled in the car park at Kings Dock.

How times have changed.

The Kings Dock is now home to the brand new Echo Arena, while Sir Paul McCartney last night played to nearly 40,000 people during Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture.

It was the kind of line-up that would have graced any major rock festival stage in the world ­ The Zutons, Kaiser Chiefs, and special guest Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame.

Before the gig, Liverpool had been deluged with rainy weather, but the power of rock and roll made sure that the Liverpool Sound concert took place in dry weather, albeit under leaden skies.

Anfield stadium witnessed an amazing transformation from theatre of dreams to a fully fledged rock festival venue, such as Glastonbury, or Reading and Leeds.

Anticipation was running high before the gig, with hundreds of people snaking around the narrow streets of Anfield as they waited patiently to get into the stadium.

The Zutons and the Kaiser Chiefs both did a fantastic job of warming up the crowds as they shivered in the unseasonably cool June weather.

Sir Paul himself took to the stage close to 9.30pm wearing a dapper modern-day version of the famous button-up Beatle suit.

He never once forgot that he was playing before a local crowd, making reference to the fact he was born just down the road from Anfield, at Walton hospital.

He asked members of the crowd if they were from places such as Speke and Garston.

The set itself covered the whole spectrum of his amazing career, from the height of Beatlemania to his most recent solo work.

But the real star of this extraordinary show, as always, was the audience itself.

Although the vast majority were from Liverpool, it was a truly multi-national gathering with people from all over Europe and the far East in the crowd.

Indeed, at one point, Sir Paul even made a greeting in Japanese. Addressing the crowd between numbers, and clearly overcome with emotion, Sir Paul said: "I don't know what to say. Every time I come up to Liverpool, all the memories come flooding back."

It was a simple but highly effective stage set, with the word Liverpool spelt out in huge letters at the top and facing the Kop end of Anfield.

At points, the Anfield roar was well in evidence as Sir Paul played songs such as Something on ukulele -- as a tribute to George Harrison -- and as Dave Grohl took to the stage for rocked-up versions of Band on the Run and Back in the USSR.

As always with any home-coming appearance by Sir Paul McCartney, the adoring crowd did not want to let him go, and he crashed through his scheduled finish time to end with a rousing version of I Saw Her Standing There, with Dave Grohl once again taking to the stage, and finishing off with a spectacular firework display.

Among the thousands of people attending was Alan Roberts, 30, a senior manager at the Liverpool Guild of Students, who said: "It's great every time Paul McCartney comes to play in Liverpool. He turns up and shows his face in the city, when he could probably make more money doing a gig somewhere else."

Macca's hometown show

SPEAKING of the gig, Sir Paul said: "When I was asked to do something to celebrate Liverpool being European Capital of Culture 2008, I accepted immediately. It's a great thing for the city.

"Over the last 10 years or so especially, Liverpool has really come back to its rightful place amongst the cool cities of Britain, so I think it's the icing on the cake that it got voted Capital of Culture.

"It's great to be playing Anfield because it's such an historical ground.

"My dad was actually born in Everton, but I love the Liverpool football team as well, so I say I like them both and let people complain if they want to!

"I just love Liverpudlian audiences because they're my people. We've got so much in common. To them, it's one of their lads coming to play and, for me, it feels like I'm playing to my mates.

"It's like family."

1. Hippy Hippy Shake

2. Jet

3. Drive My Car

4. Flaming Pie

5. Got To Get You Into My Life

6. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady ending

7. My Love ("This one' for Linda" Paul sounding a bit choked up as he sings. Stella seen crying.)

8. C Moon

9. The Long And Winding Road

10. Dance Tonight

11. Blackbird (audience singing along)

12. Calico Skies

13. In Liverpool

14. I'll Follow The Sun (3 repeat endings)

15. Eleanor Rigby

16. Something (Paul on ukelele talks about George Harrison) song morphs to electric guitar version...

17. Penny Lane (false start... Paul starts over)

18. Band On The Run with Dave Grohl on guitar (Foofighters)

19. Back In The USSR with Dave Grohl joining Abe on drums (Grohl had his own drum kit)

20. Live And Let Die (fireworks at the end)

21. Let It Be (audience singing along)

22. Hey Jude

Encore

23. Yesterday (audience singing along)

24. A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance (audience sing-along)

25. Lady Madonna

26. I Saw Her Standing There with Dave Grohl joining Abe on drums

Paul says his thank yous, fireworks explode as Paul leaves the stage. He waves to the crowd. Bea seen at the side of the stage with a minder as well as Nancy Shevell. Stella, Mary and James were also there.

McCartney live on the BBC

Listen live to Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool homecoming concert on BBC Radio Merseyside and on this website.

The Liverpool Sound stage under construction.

BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM will be broadcasting Paul McCartney's concert live from Anfield on Sunday, June 1, 2008.

The programme, which starts at 5.30pm, includes coverage of The Zutons and The Kaiser Chief's sets before Paul McCartney takes the stage.

To hear the concert click on Listen Live on the right hand side of this page. Coverage starts at 5.30pm, Sir Paul McCartney is on stage at 9pm.

The Foo Fighters and ex Nirvana star Dave Grohl will make a special appearance alongside Sir Paul.

The highlights of the concert will be shown later the same evening at 11pm on BBC Two.

Sir Paul McCartney last played Liverpool in 2003 in front of 40,000 people at a specially constructed arena as the final date in his Back in the World tour.

The Liverpool Sound is one of the highlights of Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture.

In January Ringo Starr performed at the opening ceremony on St George's Plateau and Echo Arena Liverpool.

The Liverpool Sound concert is only the second major concert to be held at Anfield after the Hillsborough Justice Concert was staged there in 1997.

Anfield stadium manager Ged Poynton says it's been a complicated operation to prepare for the concert, "The problems we've had at Anfield is to how do we actually get the equipment in, erect a stage of this size as there's no suitable entrances.

* Watch: Exclusive interview with Sir Paul McCartney

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