Paul McCartney Offers Solo Debuts & Bust Outs At Tour Opener In Fresno

For fans of iconic performer Paul McCartney, nothing beats the one night every few years that the former Beatle kicks off a new round of touring. Macca’s last tour, Out There!, spanned May 2013 to October 2015 with similar setlists played at each show. Paul promised a re-designed set for his One On One Tour, which started last night at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, and the 73-year-old had a few tricks up his sleeves for the new run.

Paul McCartney opened the show and tour with his first-ever solo performance of the Beatle hit “A Hard Day’s Night.” McCartney had last played the song back on August 31, 1965 at the Cow Palace in Daly City with the Beatles. A few songs later, Macca dusted off the Wings’ song “Letting Go” for the first time since 2013. Paul brought back a few Beatles classics he hadn’t played in years such as “I’ve Got A Feeling” (last played 2012), “Here, There & Everywhere” (last played 2008) and “The Fool On The Hill” (last played 2003). He also dusted off one of his earliest songs, “In Spite Of All The Danger” which he wrote with George Harrison during their Quarrymen days, for the first time since 2005.

The evening’s biggest surprise may have been McCartney’s first-ever solo performance of “Love Me Do,” the Beatles’ debut single. Paul also treated fans to the debut U.S. performance of another early Beatles’ classic, “You Won’t See Me.” All told, Paul McCartney played 38 songs over nearly three hours. He mixed plenty of Beatles hits with a smattering of Wings gems and a handful of solo songs including his Kanye West/Rihanna collaboration “FourFive Seconds.” Paul hopped between guitar, bass and piano and was backed by his longtime band of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens, guitarist Rusty Anderson and bassist/guitarist Brian Ray.

Paul McCartney’s One On One Tour continues tomorrow in Portland, Oregon.

Videos (Captured by SSTLSD)

[A Hard Day’s Night]

[In Spite Of All The Danger, You Won’t See Me]