How Many Times Have You Seen Macca? (For Mark)

[linclink]

Here you go Mark...your dream thread!
I'd suggest folks not only list when, & where, but how it was.
I'll go first. Toronto in 1989. His first tour since '76.
We got tickets very early on, and I don't know how, but they were truly terrible. And I mean way up in the nose bleed section, with horrid hockey arena sound too.
The 80's were not a happy time for me concerning McCartney. I'd loved "Back To The Egg" (I know '79 actually) & "Tug Of War", but..."McCartney II"?..."Press To Play"?!?..."Give My Regards To Broad Street"?!!?!!?... & the very worst of them all... "Pipes Of Peace"?!!?!!?!!?!!?!!?!!? OUCH!!! I dug about half of "Flowers In The Dirt"- an album I like even better now (GREAT bonus tracks BTW), & I'd loved "Wings Over America". Robbie Macintosh was in the band, & I figured that it might be good to great. It wasn't, at least not for me. I had a terrible time. The whole showman thing just smacked of insincerity & the program he gave away seemed like some Stalinist rewriting of Beatles history to shine light on the wonder of Sir Paul...a love letter to him from him. I'm just reporting what I felt at the time. Now I see more how much he had to combat the canonization of John Lennon & marginalization of his contributions...though his work in the 80's certainly wasn't helping his case much. I just don't think he went about it in the best way.
Anywho...the group of us that went fell with one person totally digging the show, another couple with mixed feeling & two of us really being disappointed on every level.
I know there are some songs on "Tripping The Live Fantastic" (which one of the friends who went to the show with me used to refer to as "Jipping The Fans Spastic") from that Toronto show. That album & "Paul Is Live" are at least good live albums certainly, but they are, to this day, my least favorite live albums he's done. I think that band made two great studio albums, and a third worth of b-sides & extra cuts that's nearly as good, but live I think they were his least successful band.
I pretty much gave up on McCartney after that. Literally. That show, along with the awful output in the 80's, really soured me on him. I might listen to a song sample, & I mean even that would take me years to get to, of the post-'89 albums & they just didn't do it for me. I didn't even get around to that until, I don't know somewhere around or after 2000. I just was digging other stuff then. I loved the whole "Anthology" bizznezz, but never had any interest in "Flaming Pie"- which is now one of my top three, & possibly my fave even, of his solo works.
Boy has my tune changed since then. I came back aboard in '05 with "Chaos & Creation In The Backyard" & found the post-'89 used & cheap & was blown away...just BLOWN AWAY!! Who knew? Not I. It's been a great ride ever since, & I am thrilled to be going to see him in Boston, on Thursday 8/6 with amazing tickets in hand!
Blessings!!

[markfeber@yahoo.com]

thanks for starting this man. i saw him 12 times, first in 76 twice. then 9 times in 90 and once in o5. loved them all but i gotta disagree about the 89 90 tour. i LOVED it but i think 05 was my favorite show. one reason i loved 90 so much was because at one show in indianapolis i had front row and actually ran into paul and linda backstage. they were both nice but linda was extremely nice. believe it or not the 76 tour is my least favorite and in detroit i met cat stevens checking out the stage and their equipment. thanks again and i am anxious to hear how many times others have seen him and some of their fave moments

[james1985]

Twice.


1. Concert for George, 2002.

2. Back in the World, Earls Court, London, 2003.

[cjm320]

Twice so far for me

4/19/02 and 10/1/02

Third time in just a few weeks at Fenway

[bonovox66]

Twice.


1. Concert for George, 2002.

2. Back in the World, Earls Court, London, 2003.

You got to attend the Concert for George... I'm jealous.

For me 5 times with the upcoming DC show being the 6th.

My first show was in May 1993 "The New World Tour". My seats weren't great, but they weren't bad either. Unfortunately my biggest memory of that show was two drunk guys in front of me fighting over who spilled beer on his mom. I inadvertanly got elbowed in the eye and had a black eye for a couple days afterwards. Oh, and get this, the song they fought during - "Peace in the Neighborhood"

My favorite show was the second to last night of the Driving US Tour. I was second row on the side of the stage next to his piano. I remember looking at his socks during Maybe I'm Amazed and thinking "he wears socks just like a real person". It occured to me it was the first time I ever thought of him as human.

I was also at the last show for that leg of the tour in Ft Lauderdale. I waited backstage for a chance to meet him and security came out (as always) and said he had already left. of course I didn't believe them, they have to say that and I had met many other artist at that same venue after being told the same thing. But finally the head of security came out and said "really, he's gone. If you don't believe me come backstage with me". So we road around on his golf cart through the backstage area and I got to peak into his dressing room. I remember staring at a platter of fruit and thinking I should run in there real quick and eat it. That way I could say Paul and I ate from the same plate.

Great thread. can't wait to hear other people's stories.

[bravefan]

1964 with the Beatles
1976 Wings Over America
and 2 other times since

By the way the 1976 tour the tickets were under $10. I saw Elton John the same year (his most hyped period) and Macca blew him away.

[markfeber@yahoo.com]

yes tickets in 76 were 7 bucks in detroit and i too saw elton that year and macca did blow him away but elton was good. macca pretty much blew everybody away back then and now also.

[linclink]

First of all...THE BEATLES IN 1964!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!
Then...The Concert For George!!!! Wow!!
And finally Macca in '76! ...wow!
Like I wrote my experience wasn't a great one, but I'm pretty sure we'll have some heavy redemption going on in Fenway on August 6th! I saw Ringo on the first All-Starrs tour & it was great. I've never gotten to see him since & with the line-ups the last few years, I don't have that much interest...now if he got a half way decent line-up together again, I'd go in a second.
And...I will now make sure to see Macca every touring chance I get, within reasonable flight rate/distance & on any day Thursday or after (my acupuncture practice runs Mon-Thurs & I can get away with taking at least one day off, either Mon or Thurs, but not really mid-week days). Blessings!!

[tristanjblythe]

Twice.


1. Concert for George, 2002.

2. Back in the World, Earls Court, London, 2003.

Once

Tried to get Concert for George tickets but failed...but I did see him on Back in the World at Earls Court, London, 2003.

Right from the very back...next he plays London I won't be a student so will try to pay more for ticket rather than less!

[little lamb dragonfly]

Twice. Both times at MSG in October of 2005. Tuesday will be show # 3. Can't wait!