McCartney Rocks Grand Central Station – Horns Section Added To Live Band?

With a smashing show, Paul McCartney launched his new album Egypt Station in New York, for a select audience of around 200 fans and guests. The chosen location, the Grand Central Station, provided an atmospheric setting because of the large sand-colored stones of the hall. You would almost really imagine yourself in an Egypt Station. The concert could be followed via a live stream on YouTube.

#EgyptStation #SecretGig #GrandCentralTerminal #PaulMcCartney pic.twitter.com/66VTKPzWiM

— Carlos 🏖 (@carlosgvizcaino) 8 september 2018

The performance started half an hour later than announced, but it was more than worth the wait. Because there were, certainly in the beginning, some pleasant surprises. One of the highlights was the alternative performance of My Valentine, with Paul Wickens on accordion and next to the guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray also drummer Abe Laboriel jr. on acoustic guitar while McCartney sang the homage to his wife Nancy through a megaphone. An unusual setting, but what a wonderful result; the originally jazzy piano ballad had become more like a French chanson.

Video: My Valentine

Another highlight was the magnificent performance of the Wings-track Letting Go, where McCartney's live band was supported by a triple horn section, with a sax, trumpet and slide trombone. The three stood among the audience and also played a solo piece. It revived the heyday of Wings, which also used horns at gigs from the mid-seventies.
The question now is whether the performance with the trio is a one-off, or whether they will also join the new tour. The Freshen Up Tour will start in Canada next week. In New York, their contribution was limited to one song, although the saxophonist returned to the end of the show for the solo in Lady Madonna. If they go along, that will certainly ‘freshen up’ the new tour.

Video: Letting Go

There is not much to say about this new setlist. This evening, McCartney played of course a number of songs from the new LP: Come On To Me, Fuh You and Who Cares. Compared to the last performances of the previous One-on-One Tour, there were a few changes: In addition to Letting Go, also Hi, Hi, Hi, From Me To You and Dance Tonight returned to the setlist.

Full concert: 

Full Setlist:

A Hard Day’s Night 
Hi, Hi, Hi,
Can’t Buy Me Love 
Letting Go
I’ve Got a feeling
Come On To Me
My Valentine
1985
From Me To You
Love Me Do
FourFive Seconds
Blackbird
Dance Tonight
Who Cares
I Saw Here Standing There
Fuh You
Back In The USSR

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da Birthday
Lady Madonna
Let it Be
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/ The End

Related Posts:

Egypt Station: Review Overview
Egypt Station: A Headphones-For-An-Hour Trip
Egypt Station Quiz

André Homan

André Homan is a Dutch writer and journalist.

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