Paul McCartney - The US Tour 2005

01.10.2005, New York, NY; "Madison Square Garden"

 

 
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review by Markus den Boer

Next day we would met again at about noon at the garden. We had heard a rumour that Paul would do a signing of his new childrens book ´High In the Clouds´ on monday (October 3rd) at the ´Barnes & Nobles´ bookshop at the Rockefeller Center. So I decided to walk there before our appointement and take a look if this really was only a rumour or for real.

As I arrived I already saw a big picture of Paul in one of the windows announcing that date. I got inside and there also had been some papers with the same picture and at the back some rules for the event. I also take a look at the ´childrens-book-department´ if they mayby already were selling the book but they didn´t to this time.

At this time I didn´t have seen any other people who might be there waiting already but I also hadn´t expected to see anyone at this time.

I was back at the garden by time where I met my friend. He then phoned another friend, as we wanted to meet some more people of the mailinglist ´McCartneyToo´. They were already inside and they had organized a tour through the garden. So we walked inside and met them. Then we alltogether made the tour; we were 6 ´Macca-people´ and one more tourist. We had been told that we were not able to see the lockers because of the Macca concert and that we also were not allowed to take some picture inside the arena itself.

First station was the ´Theatre´, a second smaller concer-room were we also heard some interesting data about the garden. After we went through the ´Sportsbar´ for VIP´s and special ticket people we were already on our way to an elevator do go down; but before we had to walk through a place for the ´important guests and friends of Lexus´. They were busy working in that area but we asked our guide if it might be allowed to take a look there. We were allowed to got some further until a line.

There had been one ´counter´ with some ´Paul McCartney lexus brochures´ and we took a few copies. As we looked at it we saw that there must be a small ´exhibition´ of some Paul paintings (from his first paintings exhibition in Siegen, Germany) and photos but we wasn´t allowed to go any further.

Away from that there had been a lot of little white paper bags with a Lexus and US-Tour sign printed on it at the ground and one of us asked very kindly for one and got one; unfortunately it wasn´t possible for us all to get one... but as we later saw there had been some nice things inside the bag....

After seeing some more pictures, records and memorabilia from artists who had played in the garden (of course incl. John, Paul & George) the tour had finished and we walked back to the entrance. After thanking our guide we left to have some lunch.
 
I´m not sure when we have been back at the garden. We talked with some other fans waiting there and made some pictures. Then again Brian Riddle showed up. This time first Brian Ray came in a black Lexus and this time he also opened his window. I was able to take a picture and my friend was able to take a short video. Afterwards Rusty came also again in a black Lexus and he also openend his window. I said to him "Great show yesterday". He thanked me and then asked if we will also be on the show this day; ´Of course´ ;-) My friend again was able to take a short video and he also was able to give Rusty a hand. I´m not sure if Abe and Wix also have been in one of the cars but I think so. I can´t remember that I´ve seen them.

 
At least Paul came also again in the black Lexus. This time I also were standing at the right side of the entrance and he opened his window much earlier than the day before. So we have been able to see him clearly; he waved his hand to the waiting fans but the complete arrival again only take a few seconds. Fortunately my friend was able also to record a short video of Paul´s arrival and it´s a really nice one...
We all have been very excited and after some more short talks with some other Macca fans one told us that there had been sold a lot of boogy tickets on the street the day before and that we should be carefully if we still needed a ticket and had expected to buy one on the street.
 
Then we walked back to the hotel were we openend the ´Lexus goody-bag´ and there had been some nice stuff inside... There was a set with 4 different ´paintings-postcards´ (each card 5 times with an envelope) inside a crystal plastic folder, then a special ´Lexus - Chaos And Creation...´ Album package in a special slipcase. It contains the normal US-Version of the album and a special promotional disc called ´Motor Of Love´.
 

Afterwards my friend wanted to meet another friend of him at the Central Park; I decided to take another walk to the Rockefeller Center, as we had heard that there already were some fans waiting for the autograph session on monday. I arrived at the Rockefeller Center at about 6.00pm and there really have been already about 25 people waiting there. I couldn´t believe it. It was saturday evening 6.00pm and the autograph session was monday 1.00pm. I still was thinking also to go the the autograph session, even the problem was that my flight back to germany already was going sunday at 5.00pm. I had already phoned my travel-agency but it was too late to get another later flight regulary. The only possibility would have been to take a ´stand-by´ flight. Means you just go to the airport one or two days later as your normal flight and hope to get a place inside the plane. I was thinking of doing it, even it would cost another 200USD and in case I wasn´t able to get the plane on tuesday I had to wait until thursday because they don´t have any flights on wednesday.... I decided to walk again after the concert to the Rockefeller Center and then have to think again what to do.

I was back at the garden at about 6.40pm and then waited there for my friend to go inside. At this time they had some security controls incl. hand metal-detectors but I think it should have been no problem to get anything inside the venue. They had on the left and the right a ´control-point´ but until about 7.00pm it was no problem to walk inside without any controls through a corridor in the middle...

 

This day I had nice seat on the floor; row 15 on the right side of the stage. I think it was about 7.30pm as I saw Abe in his ordinary streetwear coming from behind the stage with a huge amount of CDRs in his hands and as some people recognized him he did something with the CDRs like ´They are all mine´ and umbraced them with his arms. Unfortunately I wasn´t quick enough to reach him. Later on I saw him again in the block just in front of the stage; maybe 10th row or something like that. He was talking with some guy´s who had some logos from ´Vic Firth´ (Abe does have the drumsticks from ´Vic Firth´) on their jackets and hats. So I think that these were some guy from his drumstick sponsor. Abe was also wearing a basecap but then left in the direction of the stage.

Directly at the right side of me (Block 78) I saw shortly before the show again Mrs. Missy O´Linn and I thought if she´s around someone else from the McCartney´s should be there also in that area. I´m not sure if it was Heather, it was already too dark to see it clearly. I later recognized Heathers sister; it might be that she was it also at this time. I´m not sure.

This day I had the feeling that the audience had been much more enthusiastic as on the first concert; even already the first day was not that bad. From the first moment all the people on the floor wer standing and only a very few people sit down again for a few numbers. The volume of the sound was again very very high. Paul seemed to notice very quickly that the evening should get some hotter than it was the day before. They played ´Foxy Lady´ after ´Let Me Roll It´ and after ´I´ll Follow The Sun´ they repeated the last refrain four times (normally he did two times or max. three times).

Paul told that he would like to say hello to some members of his family in the audience. At the announcement of Wix he told that it´s always great so see some friends behind the stage and that this day Lenny Kravitz was in the audience.

As they just played the first notes of ´Sgt. Peppers´, the last song of the concert, I saw again the sister of Heather with some other people leaving their seats. Followed from Missy O´Linn.... and a few more people and also Lenny Kravitz. He was wearing some sunglasses and had very short hair.

After the show Paul again signed a couple of things on stage like a 12´ RAM vinyl album. I had enjoyed the concert very much as it also was my 4th and last concert in the states. I was totally satisfied even I still had to decide what to do with the ´High In The Clouds´ signing....

First we all met each other again at a Diner near the garden. Some had something to eat and of course something to drink. We then talked about the concert and about some other McCartney stuff but we all have been very sleepy and it was already about 1.00am I think as we left. On my way to my hotel I walked as decided before to the Rockefeller Center. I was there at about 1.30pm. I counted about 32 people and there had been also some gaps in the line.... Some people still were talking and some people were sleeping.
 

On the paper with the rules for the autograph session they had written that monday at 8.00am they would give out 125 wristbands. But I had heard from some other fans who had attended some autograph-sessions before that Paul mostly only would write about one hour and then left. So it was no guarantee if you´re getting a wristband that you also will get an autograph. Together with the difficulties of getting a later flight I decided not to give it a try... It was with one tear in my eye but afterwards I think it was the right decision.

Next day I was about 1.00pm at the airport. Unfortunately my flight had been delayed for more than 2 hours and afterwards we also had to wait one more hour at the airfield. After a exhausting flight (one guy beside me broke down in the plane at the corridor but fortunately there was a doctor in the plane) I was back in germany monday morning at about 9.00am. I then had to drive another 140km to my home and the rest of the day was just sleeping and relaxing....

It was a fantastic trip and worth every effort, even I´m still having some problems with the jetlag... I would do it again everytime.... if you don´t have a ticket for one of the forthcoming shows buy one...