Verdict: Five stars
THE Hydro has now had its greatest night thanks to Sir Paul McCartney - or at least that’s what it felt like.
Legend after legend has played the venue since it opened five years ago and while there is no denying that all those shows were special, Friday night with The Beatles star is always going to be difficult to surpass.
Opening up with A Hard Days Night, the atmosphere was electric as he performed a piece of rock n’roll history on the Hydro stage.
He then teased: “Good evening Glasgae! We are going to have a bit of fun here tonight.”
And boy did he deliver on that promise.
A mixture of The Beatles hits, Wings classics and solo material helped compile a set list featuring some of the greatest songs ever made.
Oozing charisma, McCartney rocked as hard as his younger self to perform I’ve Got A Feeling, before taking to the piano for the Wings’ Let ‘Em In. He then joked, “The Postcode Lottery song,” recognising the commercial success the track has had in recent years.
He might be 76 but there was no sign of his age except when it came to showing off his skills as a seasoned performer. The veteran star even proved that the decades of stage shows have been kind to his vocals which sounded exactly the way you would expect on all the classics.
McCartney’s music has a worldwide reach - something he pointed out as he said hello to his fans from Japan. He also joked that a superfan ‘must be loaded’ as he revealed the man had been to 120 of his shows. It’s that audience interaction that makes McCartney likeable and more importantly a British icon.
A performance of Queenie Eye had the audience captivated as the big screen showed A-List stars including Kate Moss, Johnny Depp and Chris Pine dancing to the music.
While Lady Madonna and Eleanor Rigby ramped up the atmosphere.
Something was simply stunning as McCartney paid tribute to George Harrison.
And that was just the start of the hits during a show, which lasted three hours.
Let It Be was a moment to remember while Live and Let Die set off the fireworks off, quite literally.
Hey Jude took the roof off the Hydro before Birthday, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Wonderful Christmastime rounded off the show in style.
Arise Sir Paul, you have just been crowned king of the Hydro.
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