More about Halifax

We’ve gotten these reports from the soundchecks and rehearsals of Paul McCartney’s recent concert in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
HALIFAX, JULY 10, 2009 (pre-soundcheck/rehearsal)

The band started at 8:10 pm jamming, with Paul joining them at 8:20

Paul on electric guitar:
-Jam (long jam)
-Nova Scotia Jam
-Honey Hush
-Let Me Roll It
Paul on bass guitar:
-Bass improvisation
-Coming Up
-Drive My Car
-Yellow Submarine (short improvisation)
-Only Mama Knows
Paul on acoustic guitar:
-Midnight Special
-San Francisco Bay Blues
-It’s So Easy (Buddy Holly)
-It’s So Easy #2
-It’s So Easy #3 (coda reprise)
Paul on the piano:
-C Moon
-Celebration (with lyrics)
-The Long And Winding Road
Then he spent more than 20 minutes chatting with the local pipe band, going into:
-Mull Of Kintyre #1
-Mull Of Kintyre #2
-Mull Of Kintyre #3 (middle eight only)

Then from 9 :50 TO 10 :15 PM they rehearsed Day Tripper, unfortunately the sound from the PA was cut off but the video screen keep rolling, near 10: 14 pm the sound went back with the final chords for Day Tripper – seemed they wanted to keep the “surprise” top secret.

HALIFAX, JULY 11, 2009:(the day of the concert):

-The band’s souncheck:
-Band on the Run (Complete, mostly instrumental with the band doing the chorus.
Paul didn’t play anything in here as he was just jumping to the stage, took his electric guitar and started..)
1:45 pm
Paul on electric guitar:
-Matchbox
-Honey Don’t
Paul on bass guitar:
-Coming Up
-Highway
Paul on the piano:
-Let’em in #1 (just a false start)
-Celebration (With lyrics)
-Let’em in #2 (complete)
-Lady Madonna
Paul on acoustic guitar:
-Midnight Special
-“It’s a Lovely Day,Down in Halifax” Jam
-San Francisco Bay Blues
Paul on mandolin:
-Dance Tonight
-Leaning on a Lampost (fragment)
Paul on ukulele + the band:
-Something (practice intro only)
-Something (incomplete, just after Rusty’s solo)
Paul on acoustic guitar again:
-Yesterday (incomplete)

The soundcheck lasted one hour.
At the usual pre-concert songs, mainly early Fireman songs and “Twin Freaks” style mixes, Paul paid his tribute to Michael Jackson by inserting “Say Say Say” into the mix.

In the concert, McCartney was about to launch into “Mrs Vanderbilt” when something caught his eye: a sign reading “Will you sign my arm so I can get it tattooed?”
McCartney invited Audrey McCombs on stage and signed her arm as requested. McCombs made good on her promise once she got home to California.
Here’s her account:
I made my sign that said “Will you please sign my arm so I can get it tattooed on?” and I held it up during Calico Skies because I knew he was going to talk about signs afterwords. The first time he saw it he looked so puzzled!!! Next thing I know I’m climbing over the barricade and I’M GIVING PAUL MCCARTNEY A HUG!!!!!!! Then he asked me where I wanted it and I pointed and all I could say was OH MY GOD!!! Then I turned to leave and I saw Rusty and decided to give him a hug too….then I thought, well, why not the whole band!!!! So I went to Brian and then went over to Abe and told him that I saw him with Eric Clapton like a week and a half ago, then I got up and gave Wix a hug!!! They were going to put me back in the crowd, but I was freaking out so much that they took me to the medic tent and I sat there crying with happiness and drinking water. Then when they went to put me back into my spot Paul said “Ah here she comes, all tattooed!” and was looking at me and I mouthed “I love you, I love you so much!”

July 16th, the concert itself was broadcast in Canada as pay-per-view on EastLink Digital Cable, both in regular quality and high definition. We hear the broadcast was like this: Camera starts on band making their way to the stage, then follows the complete show straight through, and follows the band offstage. 2 and a half hours. My advice is to keep an eye on your favourite download sites or bug your local bootlegs DVD dealer.