How Paul McCartney's Glastonbury COULD succeed

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[tangothirsty]

The song I would most like to see Paul do (that I haven't seen him do before) is No More Lonely Nights. It would be even better if Dave Gilmour guested on it!

[Zholobov]

In June 2004, when Paul finally got to Glastonberry — after his brief summer '04 tour — he was already exhausted and tired. I was on his St.Petersburg 20.06.2004 show, and he sang "Helter Skelter" perfectly — with true agressive emotion. But at Glastonberry he didn't cope with that song: he looked and sounded tired really. What I want to say, Glastonberry may be too huge to make it rock for 78 years old McCartney. God bless him and help through the show, anyway!

[ramilopez]

Andrew I totally agree in regards to someone giving it to Sir Paul straight about the set list even if someone did do it would Paul listen? That’s really what it’s all about.

[robbietuckermusic]

I am a massive Paul McCartney fan and I’ve seen him two times. Both times he was spectacular! Once in 2002 and once in 2005. It’s a little disappointing that he has such a huge catalogue but his set list stays pretty standard. I’d be interested to see a video about the songs you think would make a great set list for all these days.

[andrewbowman]

Interesting ideas there but I've a feeling it'll be his usual set with a few embellishments, more akin to his Grand Central Station gig. You're probably right about Ringo though. Another name to add to the list is Jeff Lynne. He might also be the one to temper Paul's ego.

[HullEastYorkshire]

Hi Andrew, I’ve see both your videos on this, i sometimes wonder why Paul tours as much as he does, at least the people on his tours are there to see him and forgive and understand the changes age has made to his voice and just appreciate seeing the great man, I have resigned myself to knowing I will probably never get the chance see Paul live. I agree with you about his set at Glastonbury, he needs to pick songs that are kind to his voice and in a key he can manage, when he does this he can still sound great.
I read some of the comments on twitter after he was announced, if these people don’t know or care about Paul enough to want to see him they should send their tickets back for people who do. Paul’s talent and music will be loved and heard for decades to come unlike the so called music of today. Paul shouldn’t have to pander to today’s youngsters taste in music, if they don’t see greatness when it’s right in front of them that’s their problem. He does put himself in these situations, he is brave, is it ego, maybe, Paul’s never been the shrinking violet has he.

[toms]

Agreed! Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Ringo yes! Don't know who Paul would get to be an advisor I always loved the story about the tug of war album where he presented some songs to George Martin, and albums worth of material and George only picked two or three songs, told him another two or three need work and at the rest we're rubbish! Maybe geils Martin would be the man for the job.

[Frank-mhhb]

Grand Central Station was broadcast live on YouTube and he sounded great in it. FourFiveSeconds with Rihanna and Kanye would be great. Getting Ringo, Stevie and Nirvana would be good.


My setlist idea:
A Hard Day's Night
Save Us
Can't Buy Me Love
Letting Go
Who Cares
Coming Up
Come On To Me
Let Me Roll It
I've Got A Feeling
Let 'Em In
My Valentine
Home Tonight
Maybe I'm Amazed
I've Just Seen A Face
We Can Work It Out
Happy With You
Dance Tonight
Love Me Do
Blackbird
Here Today
Queenie Eye
Confidante
Eleanor Rigby
Fuh You
New
FourFiveSeconds (with Rihanna & Kanye West)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Band On The Run
Back In The U.S.S.R.
Let It Be
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude
Ebony And Ivory (with Stevie Wonder)
Sgt. Pepper's Reprise (with Ringo Starr)
Mull Of Kintyre
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End

[nigelwood]

Good video Andrew..It’s all clutching at of your suggested collaborations sounded appealing to me...I can already hear Paul struggling through Live and Let Die, Band on the Run Yesterday and most painful of all Hey Jude!
I love it he’s still around but I bailed on his new music around Memory Almost Full when his voice croaked and live around 2005. Nothing lasts forever and nor should it...Paul has given so much he owes us all nothing! Maybe if he announced he was going to play bass/lead guitar performing instrumental versions of Rockestra, Maybe I’m Amazed, On The Way, Tomorrow and all of Ram I’d get excited!!

[somersetnewsnetwork]

Paul is the super star of all super stars. Who does not know a Beatles song. Paul's problem is what songs does he leave out of a set. You have the Beatles songs, Wings songs and McCartney songs. Ringo should be there for the last set. They would have to do, Let it be, Long and Winding long, get back and Hey Jude.

[mikel]

Please no guests Andrew, something I always hate in concerts be they good, bad or indifferent. The way we listen to music in this day and age is really down to the systems we are using. I will listen to Paul and his amazing band at Glastonbury in my home on a fairly decent hi fi set up and with very good speakers and will enjoy the gig, it is Paul McCartney after all.. I would not expect to get the same listening experience if I was driving around in the car, or with ear buds connected to a phone radio. We all have to put in the bit of work to get the results we expect.. We will always have begrudgers after the gig, so let them rant away.. Paul has given me my favourite music for 50 years now and I'll stick with him till as he says himself on Abby Road, The End..

[tyronewhitehead]

As long as he’s with us that’s all that matters 🎸

[lizardywizard]

100% correct on his guest list options being wide open. Kanye only got away with it when he performed his own set- trust me I was there and it was one of the ones that looked good and sounded good on telly but was grim in the flesh. Other names you've picked I'd be surprised by, other than Ringo. Stevies glasto set 9 or so years ago was among the best of the last 20 years in my opinion and I'm not particularly a Stevie wonder fan. The Stones set was massively cut back on tv but Leonard Cohen didn't allow anything at all to go on telly when he played - only surviving film of his set seems to be off my pals ancient iphone so it can be done. As to anticipation by glasto crowd - those who love the place know full well that there are 150 other stages with performances happening at headliner time on Saturday. There will be perhaps people in and around the pyramid stage but that leaves 150000 to spread across the rest of the site / stages. Ones choice of how to spend those magical hours goes so far beyond choosing between 100 various bands and assorted other shows performances, talks, displays, ceremonies - including many fully legal weddings, baptisms and disposal of quite a lot of ashes too

Paul will need a side-arm to keep Chris Martin from coming on and taking over the stage - that bloke cannot stay away from Pilton! I can't bear Coldplays music on the radio, I certainly never feel the urge to go to them and play their oldies or investigate any new stuff and yet I have caught them several times at glasto and really really enjoyed all I've seen don't be worrying - the crowd is one of the kindest that there is and the love floating around last time he played was as heavy as snow - palpable. He will be spending an evening very much among friends. Promise to look after him if he is backstage after ;-)

[nielsbie]

What about Neil Young? Why don`t we do it in the Road..

[cmeflywva]

I fully agree he should choose his songs carefully and give his voice a long break before his performance. He is almost 80 and he needs to remember and accept he cannot pull off the more demanding songs in that setting. I love Paul but I don't want to hear the same list of songs he always plays whether in concerts or on special events. I would love to hear him sing some songs from his years with Wings and solo albums. He will play the two big songs from Band On The Run along with Live and Let Die but ignores the rest of his catalog with Wings. He has so many options available. The idea of him being joined and playing Cut Me Some Slack is a great idea along with Helter Skelter. Those were great performances. I agreed with your previous video that he has not had a good run with televised events with some being absolute disasters. I'm interested in hearing what others think he should perform in his set. I would love to hear options such as Ninteen Hundred and Eighty Five, Helen Wheels, Hope of Deliverance, Junior's Farm, Calico Skies, My Brave Face, No Values, and Silly Love Songs comes to my mind. On The Wings of a Nightingale is a song I wish he would have recorded. I have a demo he made and his version is better than The Everly Brothers version. Something different with a focus that spans through his career could highlight his legacy .

[theneonchimpchannel]

It was cancelled, but I think he could have put on a great show. I disagree about Kanye, sure he'd do it, but I think that would have caused more negative attention. There's always been a negative reaction to people like Kanye playing Glastonbury. I think his best bet would have been to do something different though.
He's used the same backing band for about 20 years so I think changing it up and doing something special would have been the best bet, maybe even a supergroup scenario with Grohl, Gilmour, Starr and Costello, plus maybe have his son James come up for a song or 2.
The set list would be the next issue. I think a problem a lot of people seem to have is that he always seems to be shown doing the same songs. So instead of focusing on Yesterday, Hey Jude, Ob La Di Ob La Da, etc, go for some stuff people haven't heard in a long time. With the guests, they could have done some of the harmonies The Beatles used to do, and they could also do the songs where he shared lead vocals with John. If the band is good enough, they can perhaps cover for some of his weaker moments. Also looking at the setlist for the 2004 performance, it's 33 songs long. He could probably cut it down to 25 and no one would mind, plus this would allow him to give more of his energy to each song. So I'd have had him doing a fairly Beatles heavy set with a few solo and Wings songs thrown in, something like...

1. Sgt Pepper.
2. With A Little Help From My Friends (Ringo on vocals).
3. Venus and Mars/Rockshow.
4. Day Tripper (shared lead vocals with Elvis Costello).
5. A Hard Day's Night (shared lead vocals with Dave Grohl).
6. Letting Go.
7. Fixing A Hole.
8. I Saw Her Standing There.
9. Don't Pass Me By (Ringo on vocals).
10. Michelle.
11. Band On The Run.
12. The World Tonight.
13. Drive My Car.
14. Got To Get You Into My Life.
15. I Wanna Be Your Man (Ringo on vocals).
16. Flaming Pie.
17. Cut Me Some Slack.
18. Rocky Racoon.
19. Sgt. Pepper (Reprise).
20. Beautiful Night.
ENCORE 1.
21. Blackbird (solo).
22. Yesterday (solo).
ENCORE 2.
23. Silly Love Songs.
24. No More Lonely Nights.
25. Helter Skelter.

[thumbsaloft]

McCartney needs to perform more of his recent material, because it suits his current voice much better! Also who can say which songs suit McCartney's voice? I say perform more recent material, but which specific songs?

[michaelrice]

Good day Andrew,
Well, think ur ideas r brilliant. I feel he's got so much material;an almost completely diff.set is what everyone wud enjoy, including Sir Paul, as soon as all worked out. And the thoughts of remaining Nirvana, E.Costello ( I'm big fan)& even Mr. Gilmore joining for 2, 3 numbers wud B over le top! What is Glastonbury date, May, June? If so, lots time work
things out. Take care, M

[beatlebrad]

You know … It is a lot to think about . I do think he will close the show and it would be FANTASTIC if Ringo would do it as well . You knoq lol you stole my thunder win you said Stevie Wonder :). This might work . I do like all of the people that you did mention !!! But how about getting the mates from Wings !!!! You know they all are still alive you know except Jimmy . Great video take care !!!!

[ronster]

Ringo will be wrapping up a month long tour of the U.S. east coast when Paul performs at Glastonbury.