Beatles survivors get back where they belong
It was a Beatles and Stones reunion at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday as Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood joined Paul Mccartney for a jam through Get Back that thrilled everyone in the 20,000-capacity arena – not least the musicians on stage.
It was as if a jolt went through the room, a communal blast of awe, as Ringo ran on stage, fit and sprightly at 78, and settled into the drum seat behind his last surviving partner in the greatest band of the rock era.
And with the nimble and enthusiastic figure of Wood ripping out Chuck Berry-style riffs, they blasted through one of the greatest rockers from the Fab Four’s canon.
They were, indeed, back where they once belonged, if only for a few head-spinning minutes. “I don’t know about you, but that was a thrill for me,” said Ringo. I am pretty sure all present felt the same.
This was the last date of Mccartney’s tour for his latest, charming album, Egypt Station.
He was clearly enjoying himself as he ran through a two-and-a-half-hour set of classic songs.
The unbeatable ballads flowed and the audience at the O2 were giving it everything they had. Mccartney can rock (Helter Skelter was a wild ride) and he can groove (Let Me Roll It) and sometimes do it all in multi-faceted epics such as Live and Let Die.
But there was something else in the air at this concert, a poignancy that was inescapable. There is a fragility creeping into Mccartney’s thinning voice, adding emotional freight to everything he sang.
There are only two Beatles left, and they can’t rock on forever. But, as long as they are willing and able, we will be there for nights like this, full of empathy, humanity, singing and dancing, crammed with music that has brought nothing but joy to the world.