It's been 59 years since Sir Paul McCartney's first visit to Australia with the Beatles, but now on his fifth tour Down Under there is no indication it will be his last.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
How does arguably the world's greatest living songwriter come up with fresh music after more than 60 years and hundreds of hits?
"I just love it," he told an intimate audience of about 30 hardcore fans who were given a chance to watch him perform a soundcheck at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday.
"I feel very lucky to be in this profession. It's more of a hobby."
Adelaide local Kim Bell is still processing the experience of being within spitting distance of his idol.
"I'm gonna go home, I'm just gonna cry in my car and probably at home and just let it sink in," he told AAP after the show.
"It's been an amazing experience."
It's fitting McCartney opens the Australian leg of his Got Back tour in Adelaide, the city where 350,000 screaming fans lined the streets between the airport and town hall on his first spot in the Beatles' 1964 tour.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, who are seemingly content to coast on their immortal hits of the 60s and 70s, the 81-year-old has sought to evolve his sound as he continues to put out new music.
The handful of songs he played on Saturday were a mix of Beatles classics like Can't Buy Me Love and Drive My Car as well as newer numbers like Come On To Me - a top 10 single off 2018's Egypt Station.
McCartney remains a masterful showman and his ability to engage his audience extends beyond his immortal music.
Answering questions from his fans, his famously snappy banter and quick humour were on full display.
"What would you save in a house fire, except for your loved ones?" Teneille Evans, 46, asked Paul.
"I'd probably grab my guitar," he said.
"Because the piano would be too heavy."
Ms Evans and mum Gael, 70, flew down from Melbourne just for the show.
"He's just number one on Earth," Gael said.
"The world is full of wonderful musicians but he's the best."
The Got Back tour began in February 2022, with 16 shows in the United States receiving rave reviews.
The concerts will feature McCartney's longtime band, with Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards, Brian Ray on bass/guitar, Rusty Anderson also on guitar, and Abe Laboriel Jr on the drums.
But there are also expectations the former Beatle will perform a very contemporary virtual duet with former bandmate John Lennon, created using articial intelligence.
McCartney kicks off his Australian tour at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Wednesday before stadium shows in Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Australian Associated Press
