Paul McCartney Plays Coachella - Mentions John Lennon, George Harrison, and Linda

Paul McCartney may now be 66 but he can still rock out with the best of them. Which is why he was booked to close the first night of the 2009 Coachella Festival. He played a set in excess of two hours and remembered all those people in his life who have passed away.

McCartney’s set on Friday night spanned the whole of his career, with song from his days in The Beatles and Wings sitting comfortably alongside those from his later solo career and his alter-ego The Fireman.

McCartney played alongside his four-piece band for the duration although did sing alone with an acoustic guitar for part of the set. He played both the guitar and the piano, and gave the crowd all the songs they wanted to hear.

April 17, the day of the gig, is the anniversary of his late wife Linda’s death. Linda was the one who was also in Wings and was famous in her own right for a range of vegetarian meals. He dedicated the Wings song My Love to her.

He also dedicated a song, Here Today, to John Lennon, and one to George Harrison and his widower Olivia, who was watching the gig in person. So, a sad and emotional day for McCartney but one that he used as a chance to celebrate his life and career.

According to NME, the crowd were “especially thrilled” with the second half of the gig which included The Beatles classics, Let It Be, Hey Jude, and Yesterday one after the other. The audience unsurprisingly sang along.

[Photo Source: Newscom]