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May 2014

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May 29, 2014 - Paul McCartney Twitter

#THROWBACK THURSDAY PHOTO

Wings in the Mojave Desert from their 'Venus and Mars' album...

He's currently recovering after being struck with a mystery virus that forced him to withdraw from his tour of Asia.

Stepping out in London, where he's been resting after flying back from Tokyo on Monday, Sir Paul McCartney looked pale as he gingerly took a stroll in the rain.

The 71-year-old Beatles legend was accompanied by third wife Nancy Shevell, and the New Yorker was arm in arm with her husband while he held an umbrella above their heads.

Despite his health scare Sir Paul was in good cheer and even mustered his trademark thumbs up salute to onlookers after offering an animated wave.

The musician sported a casual hooded top and baggy trousers as he ventured out on a miserable day, while supportive Nancy was equally low key in a waterproof jacket, leggings and trainers.

McCartney was hit by the mystery bug on May 16 - just one day after he landed in Japan ahead of his Out There tour. 

He called off the sold-out Japan tour, much to the disappointment of fans - some of whom had paid 100,000 yen ($980) to see him.

McCartney was also scheduled to perform at a Seoul stadium on May 28. It would have been his first concert in South Korea.

Speaking after cancelling last week, he said: 'Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.'

A message on the iconic star's website said: 'Doctors have ordered Paul complete rest and he has been doing all he can to get better.

'Paul has only ever had to reschedule a handful of shows in his entire career and is so upset about this situation, he hates to let people down.'

We have a tendency to remember big news events and where we were when we first heard about them. Earlier this year, we heard many delightful stories from fans who remembered seeing The Beatles for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Over the past few years we've been spoilt for big events here at PaulMcCartney.com too with Paul performing live at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert, the opening ceremony of the Olympics and the 12-12-12 benefit, to name just three!

Bill Salter from the USA has been in touch to ask Paul where he was during another important news story. He asks,
"Paul, who were you with and where did you watch man first land on the moon?"

We caught up with Paul recently to find out. He replied,
"Thank you for your question, Bill. As I remember it, Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon in the middle of the night and I was in bed with Linda in London while we watched it. A pretty amazing night!"

Years later, in November 2005, Paul became the first musician to broadcast a live performance out to space when he played 'English Tea' from his Chaos and Creation in the Backyard album to the astronauts on the International Space Station.
virus.

Sir Paul McCartney's devoted wife Nancy has spent the last four nights by The Beatles legend's bedside in hospital amid fears over his health.

The American beauty, 53, has been sleeping in a room at St Luke's International Hospital ever since he was taken there battling a serious viral infection on Tuesday.

A source said while she was understandably worried after he was admitted, she was reassured by his continual progress under the care of doctors.

One pal said Macca was "on great form now and is getting back to his old self".

The pal added: "He is getting better and better by the day. Nancy has been brilliant as always and has never left his side."

Sir Paul and third wife Nancy married in 2011 at a ceremony at Marylebone Register Office.

She accompanies him on tours all over the world with Nancy usually seen by the side of the stage and the pair enjoying romantic excursions in whatever city they're staying in.

The Mirror exclusively revealed today how Macca, 71, was being treated in the facility after cancelling his entire Asian tour.

He was first hit by the virus on May 16, a day after he landed in the Japanese capital.

But after trying to "rest it out" in his hotel room, he was hospitalised on Tuesday after medics examined him.

Today Japanese fans outside the hospital spoke of their delight he was recovering from the virus.

"The shock was huge when I heard the two concerts which I had bought tickets for were both cancelled," said Shinichi Noguchi, 40.

"It's good to hear he's recovering and I'll be happy if he can come to Japan again in the near future."

The former Beatle, who rarely cancels concerts, said in a statement earlier this week that he hated to disappoint his fans. He came to Japan after a South American tour.

He said: "Thank you so much for your kind messages of support I'm so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight.

"I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down."

Sir Paul has said how he was "extremely moved" by the messages of support he has received.

A statement released on his behalf on Thursday night said: "Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo.

"He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world."

Mike McCartney, Paul's brother and singer with the Scaffold band, also said his brother was "on the mend".

He told the Mirror: "I got a text from Paul yesterday (on Thursday). He told me he was recovering slowly but surely, so I'm sure he's on the mend."

Sir Paul cancelled a run of five concerts in Japan and South Korea.

The US leg of his "Out There" tour was expected to go ahead as scheduled starting in Lubbock, Texas, on June 14.

"Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo. He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest.

Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world."

Paul with Ram...

A spokesperson for Paul McCartney said:

Paul McCartney will regrettably have to postpone his forthcoming Concert in Seoul, South Korea.  After coming down with a virus in Japan, Paul's doctors have ordered complete rest. Paul is not feeling better and this cancellation is unavoidable. All possibilities are being explored to reschedule this show.  

From Paul:

I was really looking forward to visiting and playing in South Korea for the first time and I'm sorry to be letting fans down. I'm very disappointed by this and hope to be able to visit soon.

Love,

Paul

Macca and The Tefeatles

Members of the Guatemalan Beatles tribute band The Tefeatles, had their wish come true when Paul McCartney brought them on stage during the sound check at National Stadium in San José, Costa Rica. Fede Barquero, Jake Tefel, and Chaz Rollazz had the great idea to make banners asking Paul to grant them one song to sing with him. And sure enough, the banners were the first thing Paul saw when he got on stage.

Chaz recalls:

While he was looking at us from the stage he'd jokingly ask where our instruments were. Obviously we couldn't take instruments inside the stadium.

Towards the end of the sound check he said to us, "Well, how about if I just get you up here to sing?"

You can only imagine our excitement!

When we got on stage he asked each of us what instrument we played in our band. Jake plays bass, Fede plays lead guitar and I am the lead singer.

He announced that we would be singing "Get Back," a tune our band has performed many times. Of course weren't allowed to play instruments, but he got us all to sing, which was more than we could ever ask for.

Paul let me sing lead and while I was singing, he would jokingly push me away from the microphone to sing his part (you can see that in the video). At the end of the show, I gave Paul a Tefeatle guitar pick and he gave each one of us his 'Out There' picks.

After that we said our goodbyes to the band and were escorted off stage.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Learn more about The Tefeatles...

The Tefeatles are a tribute band composed of a group of family members in 2009 (The Tefel family hence the band name Tef-eatles) to bring joy to the world through the music created by The Beatles. In the year 2012, The Tefeatles became the first ever Guatemalan band to play at the International Beatle Week festival in Liverpool UK!

www.facebook.com/tefeatles

www.reverbnation.com/tefeatles

There was a DJ in a big bright orange top hat with sparkets that tilted vicariously on his head playing music while people carried colorful large balloons decorated with moons, suns and stars in front of the stage behind a large backdrop. The backdrop covered the instruments behind it. Paul's paintings were shown on the video screens.

The performers carried medieval banners (coat of arms) and pennants. The cast of walkers and dancers wore very brightly colored costumes (magenta, teal, bright blues) of medieval garb and '60s clothes. The women in mini-skirts danced to the music and there was a woman sitting on a suspended ring who also did routines on a silk rope. A man danced on stills. Fifteen minutes of looped remixed dance music played from new and old Fireman tracks, samplers of; "Venus and Mars," "Band On the Run," "Oh Woman Oh Why," "Darkroom," "Live and Let Die," "Temporary Secretary," "Loup 1st Indian On the Moon," Mumbo," "Silly Love Songs," "What's That You're Doing"and new dance music. It ends with someone saying "THREE...TWO... ONE...

Paul's bass appears large on the side screens but now in a horizontal form and the large backdrop curtain splits open and is pulled from each side to reveal Paul and the band...

Christine Van Loo performing at McCartney's '04 Summer Pre-show

A DAY IN HISTORY
By Christine Van Loo for The Macca Report

Imagine Times Square evacuated by 2,500 expressionless soldiers. This is what it was like in the center of St. Petersburg, Russia in the summer of 2004 on the Paul McCartney tour.

I stepped off the tour bus a few hours before showtime into Palace Square. Our stage sat between the two crescent shaped museum Hermitage palaces, formerly the tsar's residence.

The square stood empty so I walked to Nevsky Platz, the main commercial and business avenue that runs through the heart of the city. The day before the streets were packed with pedestrians and traffic. Now barricades blocked all roads and the Russian army had cleared out buildings and businesses for a mile in every direction.

The normally bustling city stood completely and eerily deserted but for military vehicles, tanks, circling helicopters, soldiers, and machine-gunned snipers planted between the magnificent statues that spanned the Hermitage rooftop.

A soldier checked my VIP badge thoroughly and when I took out my camera to capture a picture of what looked like a scene from WWII, another soldier grabbed my wrist and yanked the camera from me. I didn't need to speak Russian to understand not to take a picture.

Although the scene looked like a war zone the evacuation was actually done for our show and for one potential guest ­ President Putin.

I am a professional aerialist and acrobat hired along with eight dancers to perform the pre-show for the 2004 Paul McCartney European tour.

We had rehearsed twelve to thirteen hour days at the Millennium Dome in London, changing our choreography at least fifteen times. Paul had a hand in every aspect of his show from music to costumes to our pre-show, to the 5-star vegetarian catering.

I found Paul incredibly likeable, down to earth and with a great sense of humor. Although we had what seemed like a small village of cast and crew touring with us, he remembered everyone's name and he made us feel welcomed. When I first met him he complimented my aerial act and asked if he might get me a cup of tea.

During sound checks in each city the eight dancers and I found ourselves fortunate to have the entire arena with Paul to ourselves, as he and his magnificent band rehearsed. We danced and laughed as Paul pointed at me and tried to do handstands to imitate me.

Especially moving were songs "Here Today," "All Things Must Pass" and "Maybe I'm Amazed" dedicated to John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul's late wife, Linda.

When he sang "Blackbird," he told us the song represented the Civil Rights movement in America. In England women are sometimes called birds.

"Penny Lane," which I thought throughout my life was called "And Elaine," is not a song about a girl, but about a street in Liverpool.

By the time we arrived in St. Petersburg we had already performed in Gijon, Lisbon, Madrid, Zurich, Leipzig, Prague, Horsens, Gothenburg, Oslo, and Helsinki. Our pre-show had had terrible luck in terms of weather for the majority of these shows. Typically it rained on us then cleared up as soon as Paul came on (lucky bloke). But despite the weather, thousands stood outside without protection seemingly oblivious to the rain and freezing temperatures, a testimony to his music.

This bad weather came upon us in St Petersburg too, but there, as if we were in a futurist sci-fi movie, the Russian military sent jets (twice) to spray the clouds with dry ice to stop the rain.

The white night sky -- the sky that never darkened during these summer months -- cleared to a beautiful baby blue and the sun gleamed off the Alexander Column, a column made of a single piece of red granite which towered over a hundred and fifty feet high before our stage.

As showtime approached and civilians were allowed to repopulate St. Petersburg, the Square quickly filled with one hundred thousand audience members. As the pre-show began, from my vantage point, I saw a view as magnificent as it was startling in the numbers that had gathered.

I stepped onto the stage for my solo before a virtual sea of bobbing heads spanning so deeply that my eyes could not see its end, but I could feel the thrilled energy of the cheering crowd like a lightning bolt that would fuel me for weeks afterwards.

After I opened the curtain to present Paul and the band I went to stand in front of the barriers by the stage to watch the concert, of which I never tired.

When Paul sang "Back in the USSR" it was the first time that the words were true. The band had performed for the first time in Russia in Moscow just the year before.

Prior to that The Beatles had been banned from entering the former Iron Curtain. During communist Russia it had cost half a months salary to buy a Beatles album and if you were caught with it then you were thrown in jail. But the Russian people loved the Beatles so much that they took this risk, and the Beatles music stirred a cultural revolution that may have contributed to the falling of communism.

I learned these things while on tour but I experienced them while standing among the Russian crowd watching one hundred thousand faces singing, every one of them with tears pouring down their faces.

The perfect end to a perfect day came when, at one o'clock in the morning, while driving back to our hotel, I looked out the front window of our tour bus as we approached a roundabout with a Russian statue in the center. Behind it I saw a moving billboard of Paul singing and behind the billboard a rainbow stretched across the sky.

Learn more about Christine Van Loo here:

www.christinevanloo.com

Paul has instructed his team to look at rescheduling options.

Message from Paul:

"Thank you so much for your kind messages of support. I'm so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.

Love,

Paul"

On May 19, we'll be hosting a week-long, online auction to benefit the herd and help us work toward our goal of expanding our programming to provide outreach for special-needs and at-risk communities.

We've had some absolutely amazing pieces donated by wonderful friends, including Henry Diltz, Nurit Wilde, Emily Dolenz, Julie Newmar, Darlene Brushwood, Monkees historian Gary Strobl, Anita Pollinger-Jones, and artist (and costume designer for the 1987 and 1988 Monkees tours) Jennifer McLeod. Plus some surprises.

Oh, and did we mention Paul McCartney? PAUL McCARTNEY!!!!!

The DJEMF auction is full of truly wonderful pieces. We have worked for many months to bring you a varied selection of new, vintage and sentimental pieces to add to your collection. We thank Sir Paul McCartney for his thoughtful & generous donation to the auction and for all of the contributors of which many were so close to dad's heart. 

100% of the proceeds goes directly to DJEMF to continue to support the herd and to offset the ever mounting costs of care for 15 horses. 
 
Sir Paul McCartney and Legendary Rock Photographer Henry Diltz Have Donated Works

PHOTO: © Linda McCartney/MPL Communicatons Ltd

ABOUT THE DAVY JONES EQUINE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

The Davy Jones Equine Memorial Foundation (DJEMF), a California non-profit dedicated to providing sanctuary for rescued and retired thoroughbred racehorses, announced today that it will be holding an online fundraising auction on May 19. Focusing primarily on art and collectibles, the auction will feature works donated by supporters including renowned rock photographers Nurit Wilde and Henry Diltz, and former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, who has donated a stunning and iconic equine photo taken by his late wife, Linda.
 
The auction will raise funds to further DJEMF's work to protect post-career racehorses and raise awareness of thoroughbred and equine wellness issues. It will also enable the organization to begin working toward its goal of providing outreach to special-needs and at-risk communities. Others donating items to the auction include visual artist Emily Dolenz, actress Julie Newmar, equine photographer Darlene Brushwood, Monkees historian Gary Strobl, painter Anita Pollinger-Jones, and artist and costume designer Jennifer McLeod.
 
DJEMF was founded in 2012 by the four daughters of former Monkee Davy Jones, to protect and care for his herd of former thoroughbreds. Many he rescued from situations of abuse and neglect; others were unwanted and bound for the slaughterhouse. "When Dad passed so unexpectedly, we knew we had to act quickly in order to ensure that his rescue herd was safe," says his daughter Talia Jones Roston. "Whenever he committed to an animal, it was a commitment for life, and with a passionate group of fans, family, and friends as supporters, my sisters and I have been working hard to live out his philosophy."

Today, DJEMF works to expand on Davy's legacy, providing a safe haven for the members of his herd (many of which have moderate-to-severe special needs), and raise its voice to shine a much-needed light on equine wellness and thoroughbred abuse and aftercare issues, and to provide therapeutic and vocational opportunities for special-needs and at-risk communities. For more information, visit www.djemf.com.
 
The DJEMF auction will begin on Monday, May 19, and run for seven days.

VIEW OUR VIDEO AUCTION CATALOG LINK

Auction
http://www.djemf.com/#!djemf-art--collectibles-auction/crhn

More information is available on the DJEMF Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/TheDavyJonesEquineMemorialFoundation

http://www.djemf.com

Dad left behind 15 horses. My sisters and I created The Davy Jones Equine Memorial Foundation, a non profit organisation established to protect and continue to care for the horses Dad loved. Dad truly led by example and his message was simple . . .

"A horse is for life"

CLICK TO WATCH

Our world as we know it was built on " Horse Power". Your ancestors relied on horses to transport their families, plough their fields, build their railways, schools, hospitals.

Without a horses help, some where back down the line, you might not be sitting reading this now!

Midnight who was headed for slaughter 32 years ago when Dad rescued her, has died amid world wide controversy over horse meat being found in many 'beef' products on supermarket shelves and some restaurant chains. I hope that Midnight's story draws attention to the fact that the majority of the 140,000 horses exported for slaughter from the USA last year alone, were once family pets.

The moment your once treasured horse becomes too old to ride, becomes lame, unwell, or falls into hands less caring than your own and there is no "use" for the horse they become vulnerable. The very sad, very shocking reality is that your pet is one auction away from the slaughter house.There are many sweet, loving, young, HEALTHY, ridable, workable, horses, even foals, that end up going to slaughter.

Please do everything in your power to ensure any animal in your care, remains in the care of a responsible human for the duration of its life and when the time comes, whether its now or in 20 years time, meets a dignified and compassionate end.

If you own a horse please do not leave its future in the hands of people you don't know.

Please loan your horse if possible. If you must sell, please make a contract upon sale that states you are to be informed if the animal changes hands and that the animal may never enter the food chain.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help bring an end to horse slaughter and promote responsible ownership of all animals then please visit The Humane Society's website: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/horse_slaughter/facts/facts_horse_slaughter.html

You will find helpful information that will empower and educate. You will be given the facts but spared the disturbing images that put many off doing research into this sad issue.

Jessica Jones with "Midnight Jones"

Thank you for watching and reading and please remember to pay your respects to horses through the ages who have helped our ancestors and in turn us. The history of these noble and faithful animals is entwined with that of humans all over the world. We owe them so much. Give a voice to the voiceless today and share this story with those around you.

Thank You Dad and Midnight for all the happiness you have bought to so many x x x

To learn about Midnight's 'siblings' and The Davy Jones Equine Memorial Foundation visit www.djemf.com

I've unfortunately had to postpone tonight's show (May17) in Tokyo.

I came down with a virus on Friday and following a visit from doctors, I've been told not to perform tonight.

I am very sorry to all my fans as I was greatly looking forward to the concert, but the situation is out of my hands.

Along with the doctors, I'm doing all I can to ensure I will be better for tomorrow night's show and the rest of my time in Japan.

We are planning to replay this show on Monday. I really hope you can make it.

Love,

Paul

Introducing Newman

Paul has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the world. In recent years his videos have featured a stellar line up of guests including Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Jude Law, Tom Ford, Sean Penn and Natalie Portman.

Today, Paul announced his first artistic collaboration with a robot. Newman, the robot, has teamed up with Paul for his new music video for the song 'Appreciate'. 'Appreciate' is taken from Paul's latest studio album NEW, which was launched last year.

The video sees Newman on patrol in a museum of humans. Newman is drawn to one exhibition in particular. In a dimly lit sound studio he sees Paul sitting on a stool holding his iconic Höfner bass guitar. Paul twitches making a sound on the guitar and to Newman's astonishment he starts to come to life as the song 'Appreciate' starts up. Paul comes closer to Newman staring at him through a force field that encloses him. Newman reaches through the force field and pulls Paul out of his exhibition. As the two of them move around the museum all the exhibitions start coming to life too.

Speaking about Newman, Paul said: "I woke up one morning with an image in my head of me standing with a large robot. I thought it might be something that could be used for the cover of my album NEW but instead the idea turned out to be for my music video for 'Appreciate'. Together with the people who had done the puppetry for the worldwide hit 'War Horse' we developed the robot who became Newman."

Watch Paul's video for 'Appreciate' by clicking HERE!

Paul's 'NEW' video for "Appreciate"

CLICK TO WATCH

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May 15, 2014 -- Macca Report EXCLUSIVE!!!
by Jash, Macca Reporter

PHOTO: copyright 2014 AKITO - for The Macca Report

Paul McCartney arrived at Tokyo International Airport around 6pm today for his "Out There Tour Japan 2014" which starts on Saturday, May 17.

Paul left London's Heathrow around 6am on a chartered private jet.

Macca walked through the loby of Tokyo International Airport wearing a Japanese flag T-shirt. He posed with the robot named "New Man" which was used in the promotional video of the song "Appreciate" from the "NEW" album.

More than 500 fans and press welcomed Paul at the airport where he posed for photos.

Paul left the airport for his hotel in Tokyo around 7pm.

According to the news, Paul is planning to stay in Japan until the 26th.

Paul arrived in Japan today, a few days before opening the latest leg of his 'Out There' tour with two dates at the National Stadium in Tokyo. These shows will be followed by a night at the historic Nippon Budokan and finishing with a show at Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka.

Paul was met at the airport by excited fans, and a new friend...

CLICK TO WATCH

PAUL INTRODUCES HIS FRIEND 'NEWMAN'

CLICK TO WATCH

Paul and Newman on the set of the new 'Appreciate' video. Coming soon...

Paul McCartney Getting #OutThere in Lima, Peru

CLICK TO WATCH

Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club is going to court in a bid to end a 20-year David and Goliath row over who is entitled to own the rights to its name ­ 'the place where it all began' or a Hard Rock cafe in Boston, Massachusetts, where Brian Epstein didn't discover The Beatles.

The Liverpool club which is visited by more than 750,000 Beatles pilgrims each year argues that the giant Hard Rock group has no right to claim ownership to the name which it trademarked 'Cavern Club' in the US very shortly after The Cavern Club itself indicated that it was aiming to do so.
 
Trademark battles have raged with the Hard Rock since 1994 but the billion-dollar burger chain which has more than 175 outlets in 55 countries won't budge on its refusal to accept the whole of music history's acknowledgement that The Cavern Club is synonymous with the tiny Liverpool basement where The Beatles phenomenon was born ­ and not with a room in the Boston Hard Rock which is used for music playing and billiards.
 
Now the owners of the Liverpool club ­ who include John Lennon's sister ­ are to ask a Florida court to throw out the Hard Rock's undeserved claim to the Cavern Club name.
 
The lawsuit is being filed in Florida because Orlando is the base of the Hard Rock Corporation. Florida is also the home of the Seminole Tribe of Native Americans who bought the Hard Rock chain in 2007 for $965 Million.
 
The chairman of the Seminole Tribal Council, James E. Billie, is a highly-respected musician who performs under the name Chief Jim Billie. The Cavern Club is appealing to him as a Grammy-nominated musician to personally intervene, light-heartedly offering 'if we can work this out we'll give you a gig where The Beatles played'.
 
'We are sure that as a musician Chief Jim Billie will see the history and the right to our claim,' said Cavern Club director Bill Heckle.
 
'This trademark row began long before the Seminole Tribe took ownership of the Hard Rock, so we don't consider it's of their making.'
 
He added, jokingly: 'If Chief Jim Billie instructs the Hard Rock to try to see it our way not only will right be done but we'll put him and his band on at The Cavern Club as part of the deal.'
 
The Hard Rock has registered the US rights to use the Cavern Club name for any room at its outlets in the US and Mexico. The principal outlet currently promoting a 'Cavern Club' on the premises is the Hard Rock café in Boston, where the name is used to promote a billiards room that is also used as a live music venue. The Hard Rock also has another 'Cavern Club' in Las Vegas.
 
The walls of the Boston 'Cavern Club' are covered with memorabilia of rock bands including Aerosmith, Nirvana, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, The Grateful Dead and Donna Summer ­ none of which bands ever played at the real Cavern Club in Liverpool.
 
'It is absurd for a billiards room in Boston to be passed off as having anything whatsoever to do with the history and heritage of music's most famous club in the world,' said Cavern Club director Dave Jones in Liverpool.
 
'The Boston Hard Rock is also selling merchandise not only with the words Cavern Club on it but also bearing an image of the facia of the real Cavern Club in Liverpool and an image of Beatles boots. It's an outrageous insinuated claim to an association with fame that has nothing whatsoever to do with them.

'The Cavern in Liverpool is a historic British landmark and, for music, a world heritage site. The Beatles played at The Cavern 292 times, they didn't play once at a billiards bar in Boston.
 
'Paul McCartney made music history and headline news around the world in 1999 by deliberately marking the end of the Millennium with a gig at The Cavern in his hometown of Liverpool. He said at the time 'I want to end the Millennium by playing where it all began'. He didn't say 'I wish I could mark this historic moment by playing at the Boston Hard Rock where beggar-all began'.

'The Cavern Club in Liverpool is not universally known as the most famous club in the world for nothing; The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Elton John and many, many others all played here as they were becoming famous, The Cavern in Liverpool is the birthplace of rock and we own that birthright.
 
'We even had Chuck Berry in The Cavern Club because, like the other 750,000 visitors that The Cavern has each year, he wanted to see the birthplace of it all. I was in his car outside the club talking to him about the nostalgia, but at no point did he ask me for directions to the Hard Rock in Boston.
 
'In recent years, Jake Bugg, The Wanted and Jessie J have all played the Cavern and Adele launched her second album here. The Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and Travis did gigs here too and all of these bands chose to play here because The Cavern in Liverpool is an acknowledged centre of the rock and roll scene.
 
'The Hard Rock does not need the rights to the name of the Cavern Club for its massive business to succeed and we are very much the David in this battle against Goliath, we're no threat to the Hard Rock.
 
'But although no music fan in their right mind would believe now that a Boston burger café has anything to do with the history of The Beatles and the legacy of rock music, what could happen in the future if we do not fight for right and for our rights?
 
'If this dispute is not put right, perhaps in some decades' time kids might be confused into believing that the four lads who actually changed the world from a cellar bar in Liverpool instead started out at a Hard Rock. And that would be a travesty of history and a tragedy for music heritage. The Cavern doesn't look for a fight, it's not in our nature, but we owe it to every music lover on the planet to get this put right.'

The answer is ... The Beatles.

And don't be shy about it either, because the man himself says he never tires of chatting about his Fab Four days. In fact, he wishes people asked him more!

Being interviewed for the Kevin and Bean show on Los Angeles's KROQ radio station, Macca admits fans can be self-conscious and hesitate to ask because they think he'll be fed up of it by now.

"I do enjoy it, it's like talking about your college days, when you're not in college anymore and there's quite a few years gone by," he says.

"I'm looking back on it, it's like looking at a scrapbook. People think sometimes, I don't want to bore you, I don't want to ask you a Beatles question.

"I say, 'No, it's OK.'

"I could be at a dinner party and everyone is telling their stories, and I'm thinking, it'd be good if they asked me a Beatles question, I've got a few stories there."

Do you have a burning question about The Beatles to ask Paul McCartney?

Email it to features@liverpoolecho.co.uk or comment on our Facebook post . We'll publish our favourite and do our best to get your questions to Macca himself.

The musical icon called in to Kevin & Bean and talked about his life as a Beatle, working with Dave Grohl for Sound City, and what goes into picking an expansive set that simultaneously allows him to pace himself.

Sir Paul McCartney, or as he joked to the Morning Show crew, "King McCartney," is a humble, easy to talk to guy who says that it's a little "freakish" that so many young fans are still into the Beatles despite them breaking up in 1970 and that the person who played Dodger Stadium 48 years ago "couldn't have been him."

Many things have changed since the Beatles performed, including the sound system. Being talented musicians and playing live in a stadium setting was pretty hard for the Beatles, which is one of the reasons that they let their "records do the touring" after playing live got on their "nerves a bit." Even then, the Beatles' show weren't even that long.

"The joke is, I say to people, 'Take a guess. How long did the Beatles play when the came onstage?' Nobody guesses. I mean, we did about half-an-hour," said McCartney. It was also thirty minutes where the guys were trading who sings the lead vocals. McCartney only sang for "five or ten minutes." When Kevin & Bean joked that he should feel guilty about taking the money back then, McCartney laughing and said "No way."

Money wasn't enough to bring the Beatles back together for a reunion, though. McCartney said the group discussed the idea for fiscal reasons and got very "tempting" monetary offers, but that they decided they'd come "full circle" and why "spoil the whole thing."

"We've been through all the sort of joys and the horrors of being in a band. We've done everything we've wanted to do and if we now sort of get back together again, it could fall flat," recalled McCartney about the conversation. "We might not enjoy it, so why do it. As we say in England, 'Leave 'em laughing.'"

But most of the members of the band went on to have very successful solo careers, including McCartney who says the material he performs and the audiences help him last the whole way through his extensive sets. "I suddenly find myself on the last number going, 'What happened?' So, I just love it. I love to do it," said McCartney effusively.

One reason why the audiences may respond the way they do, is that everyone loves McCartney. With a guitar given to him by Johnny Depp, McCartney wrote a song with Dave Grohl for Sound City and the other dudes in Nirvana without even know that he was at an unofficial reunion. Everyone just wants to work with him.

"In the middle of all that, I didn't even know I was at a Nirvana reunion. I thought I was just jamming with a bunch of guys. It was only when I started hearing them talking, they said, 'Hey. We haven't done this in twenty years.' I thought, 'Hey, what are you talking about guys?' We're Nirvana. "Oh, ok. That's pretty cool."

Playing in Los Angeles also gives him the opportunity to have plenty of special guests.

"We've got loads of friends and that's actually what makes it so great to come to LA. So, who knows? We might have them creeping up onstage unbeknownst to me," quips McCartney.

Why? Because no one turns down the opportunity to play with a Beatle. And for this, McCartney is actually proud. He even says he wishes people would ask him a Beatles question at "dinner parties."

"It's like kind of talking about your college days when you're kind of not at college anymore and there's quite a few years gone by. With the Beatles, so much what we did was incredible. And I can talk like that because it's over. It's like looking at scrapbook." McCartney starts listing them wistfully and after a short intake of breath, breaks the reverie of his nostalgia. "There's so many great moments, that I actually like being reminded of them."

AUDIO Interview Part I & 2 LINK

Hello,

You may remember last year we created a selection of questionnaires asking what you liked and what you wanted to change on PaulMcCartney.com. A big tip of the hat for all your valuable help!

We took your feedback as our starting point and have completely re-built the site from the ground up. Put simply, we have given the car a completely new engine and a brand new set of wheels.

We have also begun making changes to how the website looks. Some of the redesigned features include a new music player and a calendar highlighting events from Paul's career. The website will now also recognise the type of device you're using to view PaulMcCartney.com ­ for example; desktop computer, laptop, tablet, mobile phone, etc. - it will then adjust itself accordingly, ensuring you always see it in the best possible way.

Our goal is to make PaulMcCartney.com the most up-to-date and comprehensive port of call for Paul's news and history. We also want to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for. To help keep you involved in this process, we have added a new feedback function allowing visitors to contact us directly if something is missing or incorrect.

If all goes to plan, you should not notice much of a changeover. But, on large projects such as this, there are inevitably a few gremlins causing mischief! We ask that you please be patient and should anything not look its best we will fix it as quickly as possible.

We also want to emphasise that this will not be the end of our work. Instead think of it as the first step in the re-development of PaulMcCartney.com - there will be a lot more cool stuff to come!

You will begin to see the changes in the coming days, and we can't wait to hear what you think!

All the best!

PaulMcCartney.com

PS - Pssst! If you'd like to get an early look at the updated website you can check it out HERE:

URL: www.vip.paulmccartney.com
Username: paulmccartneyvip
Password: v1pf4ns.c0m

Paul McCartney ­ Nippon Budokan ­ Wednesday 21st May

On the eve of the new leg of Paul's massive worldwide 'Out There' tour, due to commence in Tokyo on 17th May with two massive sold out shows at Tokyo's National Stadium, Paul has announced a special one off show at the Nippon Budokan on Wednesday May 21st.

Very limited pre-sale tickets will be available through Paul's Japanese language LINE and Twitter accounts from 10am (local / 2am BST/9am EDT) on Sunday morning.

Almost 48 years since The Beatles began the Asian leg of their 1966 tour at the Budokan, Paul will return to the legendary venue with his current tour.

Speaking about his return Paul said: "It's very exciting to be returning to the Budokan because it is a very special place and was the first place we played in Japan. There was a lot of controversy at the time but I now know that it is a regular venue for a lot of people. But for me it has a very special place in my memory."

A combination of fans and protestors meant that the 1966 shows were heavily guarded and the only people allowed on the venue floor for the concerts were security and accredited journalists. At the time Paul and the band couldn't even leave the hotel they were staying in.

The 'Out There' tour features music from one of the best loved catalogues in popular music. Paul performs songs that span his entire career - as a solo artist, member of Wings and of course as a Beatle. The set list also includes material from Paul's most recent studio album NEW, which was a global hit upon its release last year. Paul's current live show is nearly three hours long with over 35 songs in his set, when The Beatles performed in Japan their set list was made up of 11 songs.

In November last year Paul toured through Japan playing six sold out shows in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Osaka. On his forthcoming trip Paul will play stadium shows in Tokyo and Osaka before heading to South Korea for his first ever trip there. Tickets for Paul's new Japanese dates sold out within minutes of going on sale.

Tickets to the Budokan will go on sale on Sunday 11th May. This show will also mark Paul's 25th solo performance in Japan.

Ram on! Paul during the recording of 'RAM' at CBS Studios, New York.

"He made a real effort to greet the waiting fans, some of whom had been waiting since 7am outside LIPA to catch a glimpse of him, as he waved and shook hands before treating us all to a lot of Elvis style moves as he danced his way to his car.

"He was actually quite good and the students seemed very impressed too."

The legendary music star was also later spotted posing for photos with starstruck fans in the Chinatown area.

PaulMcCartney.com was on hand to capture the excitement. Check out highlights from the night below (including Rusty's killer on stage scissorkick!)

CLICK TO WATCH

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May 2, 2014 -- Macca Report News

May 1 -- Estadio Nacional -- San José, Costa Rica

CONCERT SETLIST

1. Eight Days A Week
2. Save Us
3. All My Loving
4. Listen To What The Man Said
5. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady Coda
6. Paperback Writer
7. My Valentine
8. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
9. The Long And Winding Road
10. Maybe I'm Amazed
11. I've Just Seen A Face
12. We Can Work It Out
13. Another Day
14. And I Love Her
15. Blackbird
16. Here Today
17. New
18. Queenie Eye
19. Lady Madonna
20. All Together Now
21. Lovely Rita
22. Everybody Out There
23. Eleanor Rigby
24. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
25. Something
26. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
27. Band On The Run
28. Back In The U.S.S.R
29. Let It Be
30. Live And Let Die
31. Hey Jude

ENCORE ONE
32. Day Tripper
33. Hi, Hi, Hi
34. Get Back

ENCORE TWO
35. Yesterday
36. Helter Skelter
37. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

The ultimate piece of pop memorabilia goes on sale today. Music legend Sir Paul McCartney is selling this humble looking former fishing vessel after 27 years of ownership. But rather than putting it up for auction through Christies or Sotheby's, it is being sold by none other than Fairline dealer Essex Boatyards.

SEE MOTOR BOAT & YACHTING'S GALLERY OF SIR PAUL McCARTNEY'S BOAT

Sir Paul bought the classic wooden craft with his first wife Linda in 1987 and is said to have enjoyed many happy hours on board with Linda and their children Stella, Heather , James and Mary. Sir Paul has clung onto the boat ever since because of the memories it holds but now feels it is time to move on and let someone else enjoy its classic wooden lines.

The 48ft Dickens Class motoryacht was built in 1956 by the Groves and Gutteridge yard in Cowes, Isle of Wight with double diagonal mahogany planking over a traditional oak frame and is named Barnaby Rudge after one of Charles Dickens's less well known historical novels. It was originally built as a fishing boat but has since been converted into a comfortable family cruiser with a beautifully restored wooden interior.

The main saloon has seating for six and a mahogany dining table with a day heads to port and sleeping cabin at either end. The forward cabin has four single berths, presumably for Paul and Linda's children, while the aft cabin has a large double bunk to port and an ensuite heads with shower and toilet.

It is powered by a pair of Foden FD6 diesel engines of 68hp each giving it a top speed of around 9 knots. The exterior is  said to be in good condition but is due to receive a fresh lick of paint before any sale is completed.

The boat is available for viewing by prior appointment at Essex Marina, Wallasea Island with a guideline price of £99,950 ($168,525) and best offers submitted in writing by early June. Sir Paul McCartney is giving all proceeds from the sale to Oxfam. Essex Boatyards has also agreed to waive its usual fee.

For more details see the Essex Boatyards website or call +44 (0)1702 258885 and look out for the full story of the boat in a future issue of Motor Boat & Yachting.

Paul during the recording of 'Band on the Run' in Lagos taken by Linda.

Spring has finally arrived here in London and people are starting to spill outside into the many parks to enjoy the warmer weather. We love this time of year and hanging out with friends on the grass (plus it gives us a chance to see what people are reading!).

For many, spring can be a particularly inspiring and exciting time of year influencing countless poets, writers and artists. And that brings us nicely to this month's question sent in by Anastasia from Russia, who asks:

ANASTASIA: "Who are your favourite British writers and poets?"

We caught up with Paul just before he jetted off to Latin America to continue his 'Out There' tour to find out. He answered:

PAUL: "Thank you for your question, Anastasia. I've always been a big fan of British writers, but two of my favourites are Charles Dickens & Dylan Thomas."

Paul is an avid reader previously revealing his favourite book as Charles Dickens' 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby' during a Twitter Q&A last October.

The trivia-minded folk among you may also recall that Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet and writer, appears on the cover of The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band'.

We published a new lyric video for the classic 'Band on the Run' tune this week. The lyric video was created to mark the anniversary of the single's release in the U.S. back in April of 1974 (June 1974 in the UK, fact fans!).

Check it out HERE!

Should WINGS be nominated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? There's a debate amongst Beatles/Paul McCartney fans whether Wings is covered by Paul's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a "solo artist." Does Wings qualify as a band and are they worthy with a string of number one hits during the '70s? Should its band members be recognized for their contributions?

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

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Macca Report news continues with April 2014

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Macca Report current Paul News!!!

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Jorie Gracen