Paul McCartney to tour Australia in October

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Paul McCartney to tour Australia in October

By Martin Boulton

Modern technology united Paul McCartney on stage with John Lennon for a brief, magical moment at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, and this year it’s Australia’s turn.

McCartney, 81, will bring his Got Back tour here for six shows, including Melbourne on October 21, Sydney on October 24, and Brisbane on November 1. The tour comes six years since the legendary Liverpudlian last played in Australia, and six decades since the Beatles’ debut album.

Paul McCartney is bringing his Got Back tour to Australia in October. The tour features a virtual duet with his former Beatles bandmate, John Lennon.

Paul McCartney is bringing his Got Back tour to Australia in October. The tour features a virtual duet with his former Beatles bandmate, John Lennon.

The tour begins on October 18 in Adelaide, where McCartney played with the Beatles in 1964. Before his 2017 tour, McCartney’s previous Australian tour was three decades ago in 1993.

Last year at Glastonbury, McCartney’s three-hour show featured guest appearances from Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl, but it was a virtual duet with Lennon, who was killed in New York in 1980, that attracted global attention.

On-stage vision of Lennon singing I’ve Got A Feeling – originally recorded in 1969 during the Beatles’ rooftop concert in London – was matched to the band’s live performance, with McCartney sharing verses with his former bandmate.

“It’s kind of magic for me, because at one point I’m just backing John up,” McCartney said.

“I’m playing guitar and he’s singing ... ‘Everybody had a good year’. And then I join him with ‘I got a feeling’. So now there’s two of us together. And now I’ve got to actually really keep in with him.

“And that’s beautiful because that’s like it was when you played live ... to be conscious of the other person, and do your part right alongside him. It’s very emotional for me. I love it. Really.”

Advertisement
Paul McCartney on stage at last year’s Glastonbury Festival in England.

Paul McCartney on stage at last year’s Glastonbury Festival in England.Credit: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP

A virtual Lennon sharing the stage with McCartney was the brainchild of film director Peter Jackson, who made The Beatles: Get Back. Jackson’s 2021 documentary series was assembled from previously unseen footage of the Beatles, originally shot during the making of 1970 album Let It Be.

Loading

“It’s one of my favourite bits in the show now,” McCartney said. “Peter texted me one day and said that they can isolate John’s voice from the soundtrack of us on the roof ... so it’s perfectly in sync, and it is John really singing.”

In the lead up to last year’s Glastonbury performance, McCartney and his band played a sixteen-date North American tour. Last month, McCartney revealed the creation of a new, and final Beatles song, created with the use of artificial intelligence.

Pre-sale tickets for Paul McCartney’s Got Back tour are available from Thursday, August 3, and general ticket sales begin on Friday, August 11. For ticket information, go to frontiertouring.com

Paul McCartney’s 2023 Got Back tour dates

  • Wednesday, October 18 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, South Australia
  • Saturday, October 21 - Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Tuesday, October 24 - McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, New South Wales
  • Friday, October 27 - Allianz Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
  • Wednesday, November 1 - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland
  • Saturday, November 4 - Heritage Bank Stadium, Gold Coast, Queensland

Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.

Most Viewed in Culture

Loading