Paul McCartney reunites with virtual Beatles bandmate for an unforgettable homecoming concert

Beatles legend Paul McCartney has delighted fans in Manchester with a nostalgic journey through his remarkable career, even reuniting with a virtual former bandmate for a special encore performance.

Kicking off the UK leg of his international Got Back tour at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, the 82-year-old former Beatle declared it was “good to be back” to the 16,000 enthusiastic fans who braved the typical Manchester drizzle outside.

This was McCartney’s first performance in England since Glastonbury 2022. He performed hits spanning his career from The Quarrymen to Beatlemania, Wings, and his solo material, while also paying tribute to his late bandmates and surprising the audience with a festive twist.

“Alright, Manchester?” McCartney called out to the crowd.

“We’ve been travelling round the world, man. We’ve been round South America.

“Here we are up north again.

“It’s good to be back.”

The concert lasted more than two and a half hours, kicking off with A Hard Day’s Night and concluding the main set with Hey Jude, which the jubilant audience sang along to.

McCartney then took the crowd even further back in time with a special introduction to In Spite of All the Danger, a song by The Quarrymen.

“We’re going to a little place in the north of England,” he said.

“It’s about half an hour down the East Lancs (East Lancashire), actually.

“A little place called Liverpool. In that town there was four boys and they wanted to make a record, so they did, and this song we’re going to do now is the first song that the Beatles ever recorded.”

The emotional highlight came when McCartney performed Here Today, written as a tribute to John Lennon, who was tragically killed in 1980.

“It was difficult to say to your mate ‘hey, I love you man’. It didn’t go down well,” he told the audience.

“So after John died, I just wrote this song and I just thought ‘what the hell’.”

McCartney also paid tribute to George Harrison by playing his ukulele during Something, a Beatles song written by Harrison. Photos of the guitarist were displayed on screen as McCartney thanked his old friend.

“Thank you George, that’s a very cool song,” he said.

As the show neared its end, McCartney shared a heartfelt moment when he reunited with Lennon via a virtual duet for I’ve Got A Feeling, performed during the encore.

McCartney had previously revealed how this special moment came about.

“One day, Peter Jackson rings me up and says he can take John’s vocals and isolate them so that you can play live with John on tour. He said do you fancy that?” he explained.

“That’s so special for me man.

“I know it’s virtual but come on – it’s John. We’re back together.”

– with AAP.