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Date:
Wednesday, August 12, 1998
Place: Open Air Killesberg, Stuttgart, Germany
Event: Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band concert
Band Members: Ringo, Peter Frampton,
Jack Bruce, Gary Brooker and Simon Kirke
This is what
it was like: Prior to moving to Germany, I had spent every summer vacation there. In this summer of 1998,
then, I read that Ringo would be starting off his European VERTICAL MAN tour in Stuttgart, which is a mere 45 minutes away
from where I stayed with my grandparents. I knew I had to get a ticket! I did and made my way to the open air arena where
the concert was taking place. There were no set, reserved seats, so my mother (who has been a Beatles fan since 1963 and had
never seen a Beatle in concert) and I ended up sitting on seats relatively far back. The crowd was fairly large, around 3,000,
and I actually wasn't the youngest there. I had taken my camera, which, surprisingly enough, I was allowed to take in, and
so I have three pictures from the concert, one of which you can see below. To help with the identification, I added in the
arrow and Ringo, because frankly, I'm the only one who knows that's him from these pictures. ;)
Anyway, I was very excited
and when the concert started, I think I must have had a permanent smile on my face for the rest of the evening. Ringo played
such songs as Yellow Submarine, Photograph, Love Me Do, With A Little Help From My Friends
and I Wanna Be Your Man (which he dedicated to "all the German Fräuleins" ;)) and everyone seemed to be having
the best time. There was just a really amazing atmosphere of happiness and love - something I will never forget.
Date: Sunday, June 11, 2000
Place: Pine Knob Music Theatre, Michigan, USA
Event: Ringo Starr &
His All Starr Band concert
Band Members: Ringo, Jack Bruce, Eric Carmen, Dave Edmunds, Simon Kirke and Mark Rivera
This is what it was like...: Shortly before we were due to move to Germany, we
read that Ringo would be coming to Michigan on his tour! My father had never seen a Beatle live either, but now he was going
to, whether he wanted to or not. ;) This time, all three of us were going, along with one of my best friends, who doesn't
like the Beatles but ended up liking the concert more than she will admit. Anyway, we made our way to Pine Knob with our row
K tickets. I don't know how many people were there, but the place was filled. There were a few odd people in the audience,
like these three ladies who were reliving Beatlemania and a very alcohol-filled man in front of us, but the concert was still
great! Again, the atmosphere was one of a kind and Ringo displayed his seemingly endless energy.
Date: Sunday, May 18, 2003
Place: Koenigsplatz, Munich, Germany
Event: Paul McCartney Back in the World
concert
This is what it was like: First, a little background. In March, I had heard that Paul was actually coming
to Germany on his tour - right during the time in which I had my final exams prior to graduating. At first, I resigned myself
to having to miss Paul finally touring in Germany again. However, once I checked my calendar, I realized that Saturday, May
17, was during a one week break in the exams, followed by only the final two exams. Once I told my mother this, she immediately
decided we were going to go see Paul. She's been waiting for 40 years to see him, so there was no stopping her. ;) We got
our tickets, which were row 6. (As we found out once we got there, they were row 6 - in section 3, about 200
meters from the stage... oh well!) Plus, they had added in the extra concert on May 18 because they had mistakenly sold far
more tickets for May 17 than they actually had room for.
On the big day, we drove for about 3 hours to Munich. Upon
arriving, we decided to look for a bite to eat before we went and stood in line. First, though, we wanted to make sure we
knew where Königsplatz was, since we had never been there before. As we got closer and closer, we could hear music... soundcheck!
By this time, I was getting really excited, saying to my mother, "That's Paul!" (Really?! ;))
Paul could be seen on one
of the big screens and there were crowds of people gathered in front of the concert venue, sitting and standing, listening
to the music while snacking away at the picnic baskets they had brought along. We were fortunate enough to hear Things
We Said Today, which he didn't play during the concert.
The concert was due to start at 7 pm and we were allowed
in at about 5:30 pm. Unfortunately, the German (rather grumpy looking) security allowed absolutely no photos to be
taken, let alone a camera to be brought in.
When the screen at the beginning, behind which you see Paul, came up, I just
gaped at him - that's Paul! Everyone was cheering when he came on.
The playlist was:
Hello Goodbye
Jet
All My Loving
Getting Better
Let Me Roll It
Lonely Road
Your Loving Flame
Blackbird
Every Night
We Can Work It Out
You Never Give Me Your Money/Carry
That Weight
Fool On the Hill
Here Today
Something
Eleanor Rigby
Here There and Everywhere
I've Just Seen A Face
Calico Skies
Two Of Us
Michelle
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Maybe I'm Amazed
Let 'em In
She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love
Birthday
Live and Let Die
Let It Be
Hey Jude
(Encore 1)
The Long
and Winding Road
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
(Encore 2)
Yesterday
Sgt Pepper (Reprise)/The End
It was a bit surreal - there was Paul, moving and singing, which I'd only ever seen on VHS
or TV before... suddenly live! I loved All My Loving, with all the clips of the Beatles :) OK, well, I loved the whole concert! :) They showed him from behind as well - no wrong ideas here!
;) - and the thought that suddenly flashed through my mind was "He looks just like he did in those shots during the concert
at the end of A Hard Day's Night, when they show them from behind!" Obviously, it's the same person. ;)
Paul
spoke both English and German. He
said he'd learned it in school and would try to speak it. He had a bunch of stuff written down which he read off... it was cute. :) He talked about
this poem he'd learned, "Jakob der Rabe",
whom he called a "cheeky bird" and he announced most songs in English and German. The band members tried to speak
some German, too. When Paul did speak English, I heard a lot of the German people around me say "Wait, what did he
just say?" ;) When he announced "Here Today", he also dedicated it to someone else
my mom and I are in a little dispute as to who it is ;) because she thinks he said Klaus Voorman,
while I think it was Jürgen Vollmer. Well, at any rate, it was one of
the two of them
who was in the audience! During "Here Today", there were no pictures of John shown, so
I was *okay*, a little misty-eyed,
but alright. Then came "Something"... pictures of George... and I burst
into tears. What an emotional night - happiness and sadness
all in one.
"Back in the
U.S.S.R." was the song that got everyone one their feet.
There was some lady
dancing around on her tip-toes in the aisle, which was kind of funny. ;) Paul - he has a TON of energy! It
was great to have him
sing all those songs, interspersed with all the little chit-chat, in English
and German
;) His German is so cute! ;)
After
one song, he explained how, when he's up there, alone with his acoustic
guitar, he's
focused
on remembering the words and the chords... and then someone in the audience holds up a sign, and he has to read it, but
he can't etc., like the sign he pointed out, which said "Sir Paul: Come to me please".
His response was "I can't! I'm doing a show here, I'm
sorry!" ;) Then, he points someone elses sign, saying, "That one's upside
down, that's
going to be really hard to read!" ;)
For "I Saw Her Standing There", he announced
that there'd be two ladies joining him on
stage, who had been following the band around from concert
to concert, country to country, and this was their 100 show!
So the two got to stand
on stage and dance to "I Saw Her Standing There" and give Paul a kiss
on the cheek at the end.
To make a very long story short it was amazing. Thank you, Paul and I'll take your word for it: See you next time!
:)
[Please
excuse the mixture of fonts! Technology does not like me ;)]
PAUL McCARTNEY '04 SUMMER TOUR
Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2004
Event:
Concert of Paul's 04 Summer Tour
Place: Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich, Switzerland
Beware of lots of rambling and repetion, I wrote this right after I came back from the
concert... perhaps a more sensible version will follow...
After driving for about four
hours from a town in southwestern Germany over the border to Switzerland, we arrived in the late afternoon. As we were driving
toward the part of town in which the venue, the Letzigrund Stadium, was supposed to be, we had our windows open and needed
only to follow the sound of Pauls singing soundcheck! We heard a it of Lady Madonna and all of Blue Moon Of Kentucky
- what a treat! It sounded great.
At any rate, we went to a parking
garage of a hotel and then made our way to the stadium area. There was a little restaurant there, so we decided to grab a
bite to eat there. Ridiculously expensive, it turned out, but I suppose the city wanted some profit out of having Paul there.
Next we went to the stadium
entrance, and I have to say, the Swiss security was MUCH friendlier and less angry-looking than the German security in Munich
last year. They man who tore the ticket wished me a good time and the man who checked by bag was organized but friendly and
didn't look like I was disrupting his schedule of just standing around doing nothing (unlike in Munich). In we went, seeing
stands from various things like a radio station, and the VIP Entrance (oh, to be a VIP at a Paul concert...).
Once we got into the actual
stadium, we made our way to our seats seventh row, section four, only a maximum of seventy-five meters from the stage!!
We were handed, by the friendly
Swiss security people, free plastic ponchos in the event of rain good thing, it turned out, they certainly helped, even though
we already had rain jackets. Since we still had plenty of time before showtime, we went to the fanshop. Which, in Swiss Francs,
made for some VERY expensive merchandise. I bought a tour program and a tour poster, which were still ultra-expensive, but
not quite as much as the shirts.
Then we sat for over an hour
until the Pre-Show began. By that time, it had started to pour rain. The Pre-Show was really, from a former modern dance student
in freshman and sophomore year ;) viewpoint, interesting, and I could recognize a number of Pauls songs, including Venus and
Mars. And then, the big moment came "3, 2, 1", the cloth moved away and there he was -Paul!
He
set right off with Jet . That whole leading up to the start of Paul's performance, ending with the "3, 2, 1" - I
felt like mutating into a 1964-style Beatlemaniac and just starting to squeal. But I contained myself and only cheered. ;)
This song is always v. v. great, especially LOUD! Yet again, there was me, thinking, "That's the Paul I always see on videos
and DVDs!" ;)
Got To Get You Into My Life: This has always been
one of my many favorites, and to hear it live was just such a treat. I was actually listening to it on the way to Zurich in
the car, because I'd lugged along some tapes for the drive. Ahh, I love this song.
Flaming
Pie: The 'Flaming Pie' album is one of my favorite solo Beatles albums, and I remember when I watched Oprah back
in what was it, 1997, and he played this, I thought, "I'd LOVE to hear this one live". Well, I certainly wasn't disappointed.
It was brilliant.
All My Loving: Ooh, another potential Beatlemania
moment. Whenever I hear this, I always picture the Hollywood Bowl performance of it (the v. quick one); but it was fabulous
last year and it was fabulous this year, too.
Let Me Roll It:
I really like this song and for some reason, live it's even better... well, ALL the songs are. I'm not making much sense here.
;)
You Won't See Me: Ahhh! Another favorite! I adore this song
and to hear from the man who actually wrote it, live - gahh!
She's A Woman:
Oh, this song... this song was mind-blowing. No words to describe it except mind-blowing.
Maybe I'm Amazed: If I ever get married, this will be one of the songs I must have played (along w/
all the other Beatles and solo Beatles songs ;)). It always reminds me of the video clip for it, with the pictures of Paul,
Linda and Heather... and it's just such a great song.
The Long And Winding
Road: Ever since I was little, I've dreamed of singing a duet with Paul on this song - even though no one wants
to hear me singing. ;) But at any rate, I've always loved this song and it's soooo beautiful live!
In Spite Of All The Danger: Ooh! Love this song. And we all got to sing backing vocals on it. ;) I
really do like this song a lot, and it was so wonderful to hear it live, I never, ever thought I would.
Blackbird: Give me Paul, an acoustic guitar and a stage any day, he's a million times better than
most other performers out there who do huge elaborate choreographed stageshows. Paul's is just fantastic because it's relatively
simple - sure, there are huge screens, but it's just a bunch of guys with instruments, making music... Anyway, I love this
song.
We Can Work It Out: Ah, the promo video flashes through
my mind again, and silly John making Paul laugh... I adore this song and Paul's live version is great!
Here Today: This song always makes me feel v. bitter-sweet. I mean, it's really sad, and I miss John,
but I think he knows that Paul loved him, and that the four of them were all really great friends, if that makes sense. We're
all so lucky that John shared his music w/ the world, because the world wouldn't be the same without it, even though we lost
him far too soon...
All Things Must Pass: No pictures this year,
like Paul did last year with 'Something', causing me to burst into tears. I really love this song and the same thing I said
for John above goes for George as well. <3
I'll Follow The Sun:
Ooh, another favorite! I loved how Paul said it was so short, he just had to keep repeating the chorus. ;) He could have kept
going like that for ages, I wouldn't have minded at all. Who am I kidding, he could read out advertisements from a newspaper
and I'd listen in rapt attention. ;)
For No One: I ADORE this
song. I never thought I'd hear it live, but now that I did, I love it even more. It's such a perfect song, in its melody and
lyrics...
Calico Skies: Aw, I always picture 'The World Tonight'
VH1 documentary bit and it always gives me this melancholy, autumn-y feeling, but I just love the song all the same.
I've Just Seen A Face: This is one of those songs I can listen to on repeat
on a CD player and not get tired of (okay, actually, that's the same with nearly all Beatles songs...). LOOOVE it.
Eleanor Rigby: Another lyrical and melody perfect song. Always loved it,
always will.
Penny Lane: Loved the pictures and the Union Jack
that went along with this, the song is so great. I know Paul said in some interview that this was currently the most difficult
song to perform, b/c there are the words, and then there's the instrument going another way, but it was perfect.
Get Back: Ahh, this was sooo rocky and wonderful. Wouldn't it be great
to travel back in time to the rooftop gig? ;) I love this song and it's sooo great live and LOUD!
Band On The Run: This is one of my theme songs, the "If we ever get out of here" bit (from when I
was a bit unhappy in times past) and I think live, this song is even more amazing than on record. When it got the the Well,
the rain eploded with a mighty crash bit, Paul acknowledged the rain pouring down. ;)
Back In the U.S.S.R.: Let me just say that I love
this song. A lot. And live it's just absolutely the best.
Live And Let Die:
Ooh, the fire and fireworks, the song - ahhh, wonderful.
I've Got A
Feeling: Was this song amazing, or what? What amazes me so much, among many things, about the Beatles is with
what ease it seems that they just wrote these brilliant songs!
Lady Madonna:
Another favorite, Paul's piano playing is also really fantastic. "Seeeeeee how they run!!" - when a whole stadium belts that
out, it's just so fun!
Hey Jude: The ultimate long song, which could be
7 hours long. ;) I just adore it.
(Encore #1)
Yesterday: The v. v. famous one, of course. I really do love this song, no matter how many people complain
about it and about Paul's story of how he wrote it. It's a lovely song.
Let
It Be: Time for the lighters, but since I don't smoke, I didn't have one (the rain would have hampered that anyway,
even if I had). For the 10000th time, let me say, brilliant.
I Saw Her Standing
There: Ooh, one of my favorite songs to listen to turned up v. loudly, which is why the live version of it is
perfect. God, Paul does this so rockingly!
(Encore #2)
Helter Skelter:
A-m-a-z-i-n-g. Simply amazing. The Beatles were a real rock band, this is
one of the ones that cements that. LOVE it!
Sgt Pepper/The End:
What a perfect ending, to a show that goes by sooo quickly.
But hey, Paul did say "See you next time", so I'm taking his
word for it. ;) I'd sit through some more torrential rain, if it means seeing Paul live within about 75 meters of him. ;)
The concert ended far, far too
soon, with Paul telling us that it was time for us and them to go home (which was answered by nooooooos from the audience)
and that wed been a great crowd. He went through a set of thank you's which included the crew ("the best... in the world")
and "most of all" the concert-goers.
In closing, all I can say except the very repetitive it was brilliant is that, even
if Paul never reads this (and the odds of that are very high):
THANK YOU for an incredible evening I will never, ever forget.
You're one of the four people outside my family I'll always respect, love and admire. YOU were great!
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