Paul McCartney - Back In The World

27.04.2003, Köln (Cologne), Kölnarena, Germany

 

Iīm just back a few ours from the first Paul McCartney concert here in germany, cologne and there happenend some very amazing things..... I couldnīt believe it until now but more to that later.

Sunday morning I travelled from my place to a good friend who lives near Siegen, Germany. The place where Paul had his first paintings-Exhibition and itīs only about 60km away from cologne. I hadnīt slept much the last week
and only a couple of hours the night from saturday to sunday. At about 13.30 we went to meet some friends from our "Siegener-Beatles-Stammtisch" (take a look at www.siegener-beatles.stammtisch.de) a kind of "Beatles fanclub". We had a "photoshooting" at about 14.00 for a local newspaper and then left off to cologne at about 15.00. We arrived in cologne at about 16.15. Doors were expected to open at 18.00. There were a couple of "snack-points" around the hall with a couple of "meat-products". At this time only some McCartney music was heard from a restaurant at the "Köln-Arena". We did a couple of rounds around the arena and then went to supplier-entrance were already a lot of people stood to wait for Paulīs arrival. He came at about 17.00 with altogether 7 limousines. The cars didnīt stop and Paul and Heather only was seen for a few seconds. After this we went back to the arena and the entrances were prepared. They had small metal detectors and it seemed that they searched very thorough. 

In the arena a lot of merchandising was sold (tour program 23 Euro, t-shirts 30 Euro, some stickers 3 Euro.....) and there was also some "Adopt a minefield" information points. I will write about the merchandising a bit more in another mail in the next few days.

At about 19.00 we went to our seats. I must say that we had ordered the seats already one week before the tickets officially went on sale and we had expected some very cool tickets because we was that early and we had ordered the best price category. But the tickets sales here in germany were very strange. I will also send a few words about that in the next mail. We had not that good tickets and we was a bit disappointed. Then about 1 hour before the show someone from the crew came to one person from our group. We all wear the same t-shirts from our "Stammtisch" so I think that this was the reason why he came to us. And then a really amazing thing happend. He offered us some tickets in the 4th row directly in front of the stage, straight before Paulīs microphone and that for FREE!!!!!  I have really no words for this. I couldnīt still believe it. But it happenend....

At about 20.15 the pre-show begun. We also saw Wolfgang Suttner, the man who made the paintings exhibition here in germany, coming to his seat same row as we had. He was very late. I must say that we had the chance a few weeks ago to meet Mr. Suttner at our meeting and after the show we could talk a bit to him. The reason why he was late and also the show begun about 15 minutes later was that he was backstage with Paul and they talked a lot....

The setlist of this evening is mainly the same as for the complete tour but with some small variations. I havnīt the time to do a song by song review now because I have to do some preparations for the 2nd cologne concert today and I have to catch some newspapers. I will post a bit more about the songs later this week.

1. Hello Goodbye
2. Jet
3. All My Loving
4. Getting Better
5. Let Me Roll It
6. Lonely Road 
7. Your Loving Flame (Paul was very hoarsy during (I donīt know if thatīs the right expression)  this song. I had some strange feelings what was with hisvoice)
8. Blackbird
9. Every Night
10. We Can Work It Out (again very hoarsy)
11. You Never Give Me Your Money/Carry That Weight
12. Fool On The Hill
13. Here Today
14. Something
15. Eleanor Rigby
16. Here, There And Everywhere
17. Iīve Just Seen A Face
18. Calico Skies
19. Two Of Us
20. Michelle
21. Band On The Run (new fantastic intro; I havnīt read the reviews for most of the last shows but I didnīt think that he did this already before)
22. Back In The USSR
23. Maybe Iīm Amazed
24. Let īEm In
25. My Love
26. Sheīs Leaving Home
27. Canīt Buy Me Love
28. Birthday
29. Live And Let Die
30. Let It Be
31. Hey Jude
32. The Long And Winding Road
33. Lady Madoona
34. I Saw Her Standing There
35. Yesterday
36. Sgt. Pepper Reprise/The End

It was a great show. Even I had expected that the audience would react some more enthusiastic. I hope that the audience tonight will make some more noice.... The band was excellent. I must say that at the beginning of the US
shows Iīd rather had seen Hamish Stuart and Robbie McIntosh on stage but this new band really has a lot of power. Specially Abe Laboriel Jr. What A man. Paulīs voice was really good accept some few songs were he sounds very hoarsy. It was a fantastic evening and Iīm sure tonight also would be a big thing. Even we havnīt this good seats today but who knows....

Markus den Boer

 

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