Watch Paul McCartney Break Out Early Beatles Classic At 1st Show Of 2023

Legendary rocker Paul McCartney took the stage on Wednesday night in Adelaide, Australia for his first public performance of 2023. Macca went with nearly the exact same setlist used at most 2022 Got Back Tour stops outside of one major exception and a smaller one.

Paul McCartney and his band – Rusty Anderson (guitars), Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards, guitars, bongos, percussion, harmonica, accordion), Brian Ray (guitars and bass) and Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums) – dusted off “She’s A Woman” early in the evening at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Beatles’ 1964 single had been missing in action since June 26, 2004.

While credited to Lennon/McCartney, in keeping with the pre-fame terms John and Paul agreed on, “She’s A Woman” was mainly penned by Paul. The Beatles played the song regularly from late 1964 until their final public concert on August 29, 1966 at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.

In 1991, Paul McCartney performed “She’s A Woman” for the first time in nearly 25 years and without his Beatles’ bandmates at a taping for MTV Unplugged. Macca fit additional versions into a series of “surprise shows” from May to July 1991 across Europe promoting his Unplugged episode and album. He then shelved “She’s A Woman” once more until a summer tour of Europe in 2004 with his current band. All told, tonight’s version was just his 22nd post-Beatles performance of “She’s A Woman.”

Check out the first fan-shot video to surface of the bust out below:

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The other change to the setlist came amid the seven-song encore, when Paul McCartney trotted out “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” for its tour debut. The more bombastic version of the title track from the Fab Four’s iconic 1967 studio album was a staple of Macca’s Driving USA tour in 2002 and ensuing treks through 2005. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” returned to the setlist regularly from 2008 until 2011, was played once in 2013 and was back in the fold during the Freshen Up tour between 2017 and 2019. The most recent version before tonight came with special guest Ringo Starr on drums at Dodger Stadium on July 13, 2019.

Wednesday’s tour opener at Adelaide Entertainment Center was split into a 32-song main set and seven-song encore. The 81-year-old musician loaded the setlist with a mix of Beatles, Wings and solo classics. McCartney continued a Got Back trend of starting the encore with a virtual “I’ve Got A Feeling” duet using footage of the late John Lennon prepped by Peter Jackson for his The Beatles: Get Back documentary series.

Paul McCartney brings the Got Back tour to Melbourne on Saturday, October 21. Macca’s sweep through Australia will be followed later this year by shows in Mexico and Brazil.

Setlist

Source: JamBase.com