Former Beatle Paul McCartney (71), on his first Japan tour in 11 years, performed in Osaka and Fukuoka and, on the 18th, 19th and today the 21st, is playing Tokyo Dome. It was his 13th Tokyo Dome show, setting a new record as the oldest artist ever to perform there — at 71 years and five months, beating Simon & Garfunkel’s average of 67.7 by three years and eight months, and solo artist Kazumasa Oda (66) at 64.0 by seven years and five months.
Greeted by cheers from 50,000 fans, Paul said in Japanese, “Konbanwa, Tokyo! Tadaima~” After thanking fans for hits from his new album “NEW” released on the 14th of last month, he sang nearly 40 songs including four from the album and Beatles classics such as “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be” in a performance that showed no sign of age. He dedicated “Yesterday” to Fukushima disaster victims.
My wife and daughter, in second-tier seats on the third-base side, watched a Paul the size of a grain of rice and summed up Tokyo Dome in one word: “Wonderful.”
The world tour that began with a Brazil show on May 4 this year includes first-time cities and rock festivals — energetic beyond belief for someone who turned 71 on June 18. There was “Eight Days a Week,” played live for the first time including the Beatles era, and a barrage of classics against giant screens. At the June 10 New York show, 26 of 38 songs were Beatles numbers. Numbers dedicated to the late John Lennon, George Harrison and Linda McCartney; “Hey Jude” with everyone singing and weeping — the supreme entertainer delivering every ounce of emotion “out there” to you who came “out there” — the NY heat reportedly filled Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo too ＝photo.
The first concert at Nippon Budokan near Palaceside Building was the Beatles in June 1966. To avoid trouble from frenzied fans, arena seats were closed and only first- and second-floor seats were used; house lights never went down — the hall stayed bright throughout. Forty-seven years from that Budokan, another legend joins the Beatles songbook.