Paul McCartney on Beatles, Lennon and Good Evening New York City

Macca: "I still think I'm in The Beatles"

Terry Staunton, Thu 26 Nov 2009, 4:25 pm GMT

When Sir Paul McCartney announces he is available to answer questions, any journalist worth his salt would move heaven and earth - not to mention the rush hour London train network - to be in the room where that particular action is going down.

It was frustrating, however, for the lion's share of reporters to discover that said action would amount only to watching a half-hour edit of Macca's new DVD and CD Good Evening New York City (released Dec 14), and that we would have to sit in silence while a living legend stood before us.

"There's a song I do called Here Today, which was specifically written for John... I'm publicly declaring my love in front of all these people I don't know. It's a good thing to do" Paul McCartney

Filmed at the newly-built Citi Field stadium in Queens, on the site of the old Shea Stadium where The Beatles memorably played in 1965, the DVD finds McCartney in fine form.

Close to two hours of Fabs favourites, Wings and solo material rush by. Among many highlights, a taut Day Tripper stands out, as does the solo Here Today, a reflective tribute to John Lennon.

George Harrison is also remembered on a version of Something, Paul playing the opening verse on a ukulele - one of Harrison's favourite instruments.

The Shea gig of 44 years earlier is acknowledged during I'm Down, McCartney's 2009 performance intercut with footage of the same song from those heady days of Beatlemania.

Several tracks are also punctuated by audience contributions, dozens of punters having been given disposable Flip DVD cameras to record their own reactions to the show.

What surprises most is the breadth of age in the crowd; at one point a girl no older than seven or eight is pictured miming along, word perfect, to Band On The Run.