Simply Abu Dhabi IV

Explaining his enthusiasm prior to his Middle Eastern trip, McCartney said; “I think the particular excitement of going to Abu Dhabi is the F1 aspect. For me and particularly for some of the members of our crew who are F1 fans.” Sir Paul McCartney was delighted to introduce his stunning new wife to the world’s top drivers as he visited some of the F1 qualifying sessions. The newly-weds were clearly still basking in the delights of the ‘honeymoon period’ as they toured the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday following qualifying for the Formula One Grand Prix. The excitement was a two-way thing, with many of motor racing’s finest descending on Sir Paul to get a photo with this iconic rock star. The ‘On the Run’ show followed hot in the tracks from the United Arab Emirates city’s thrilling Grand Prix, the following evening on Sunday 13 November. Adrenalin-fuelled Performance ‘Macca’ as he is affectionately known, is widely regarded as one of the most successful entertainers of all time so the expectation was high before this musical genius arrived on stage and he certainly didn’t disappoint. In a lively and vibrant performance that belied his 69 years, it became apparent this is a man in no hurry to slow down! Stepping up the already adrenalin-fuelled Formula 1 World Championship pace following the exhilaration of Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 triumph, by another gear, in an energetic set that lasted almost three hours – including two encores – McCartney engaged the animated crowd throughout with solo classics including ‘Band on the Run’ and ‘Jet’, along with big Beatles hits such as ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Back in the USSR’. Respectively ending many renditions with ‘Shukran’, Paul McCartney also took several opportunities to congratulate Lewis Hamilton on his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory. And of course, there simply had to be a mention of his super-talented former fellow Beatle and legend John Lennon with whom he collaborated on many iconic Beatle’s classics. Lennon also featured, beyond the co-written Beatles songs, with one song, introduced in Arabic, dedicated “to my friend John”, with the words written on the floor of the stage. Later in the show came a great performance of the Lennon-Yoko Ono track ‘Give Peace a Chance’. After a most fabulous evening of entertainment, anticipation from the energised Yas crowd was high for the show finale and the most successful man in rock n’ roll history stepped up to the mark, stunning his fans with an incredibly powerful version of the awesome ‘Live and Let Die’ which finished spectacularly with crowd-stopping explosive fireworks bursting into colour from the arena roof and whipping up the crowd as they burst into a lively sing-a-long of the immortal Beatles favourite ‘Yesterday’ – the perfect way to bring an evening of vibrant fun to a fitting close. According to the BBC, ‘Yesterday’ has been covered by well over 2000 artists — more than any other song in the history of recorded music – and the revved up Yas crowd were more than happy to take the opportunity to sing along. A frenzy befitting of the ‘Beatlemania’ of old had descended on Abu Dhabi and the buzzing crowds dispersed happily after a sensational evening’s entertainment. Having seen the show ourselves, the Liverpool fans are in for a tremendous treat as Paul himself has said; “Playing in Liverpool is special. This year’s date will be a year to the day of last year’s Liverpool show. It’s become a bit of a tradition, to have a bit of a homecoming... Most of the people in the audience would be friends of mine.” With such an interesting life McCartney is so renowned across the globe he feels like everyone’s friend. It may have all begun in 1940s Liverpool but on the 13 November 2011 the story continued rocking at Abu Dhabi and we loved every minute of it. Background to a Star McCartney was born on June 18 1942 in Walton Hospital in Liverpool – where his mother had worked as a maternity nurse – to Jim and Mary McCartney and has a younger brother, Michael, born in 1944. Baptised as a Roman Catholics, the boys were raised non- denominationally as Mary was Roman Catholic and James – ‘Jim’ McCartney, was a Protestant turned agnostic. After being one of only four out of 90 examinees to pass the 11-plus exam in 1953 and gain admission to the Liverpool Institute, it was the following year while travelling by bus from his home in the suburb of Speke to the Institute that he met George Harrison, who lived nearby – little were they to know what that meeting would mean to both their lives, when he went on to invite him to join a band that would eventually became The Beatles. Having passed the exam, McCartney and Harrison were now grammar school boys rather than attending a secondary modern school like the majority of pupils, but as a minority they had to find new friends and their own a path in life – and what a path it would be! On 31 October 1956, Mary McCartney died of an embolism after a mastectomy operation to stop the spread of her breast cancer. The tragic early loss of his mother would later see McCartney develop a special bond with John Lennon, whose own mother Julia died after being struck by a car when Lennon was just 17. Luckily, McCartney’s father was a positive influence on this budding young star’s life. He was a trumpet player and pianist who had led JimMac’s Jazz Band in the 1920s and encouraged his two sons to be musical. He had an upright piano in the front room that he had bought from Epstein’s North End Music Store and used to identify the various instruments in songs on the radio, as well as taking the boys to local brass band concerts. With his father’s SIR PAUL McCa r tne y ROCKS ABU-DHABI Paul McCartney is on the run. But don’t be alarmed – he hasn’t lost control of his senses, but rather has embarked on a sensational new tour that will take this superstar back to Rome, Russia and his native Liverpool in England, not to mention his visit to Abu Dhabi. A legend in his own lifetime, this uber-talented former Beatle took command of the stage in Abu Dhabi with a spectacular crowd-pleasing performance that showed off his rare musical gift to its full wonderful capacity. With his beautiful new wife – Nancy Shevell – at his side, Sir Paul McCartney arrived the day before his big race gig at the F1 arena to make the most of the exhilarating race atmosphere as the Formula One action unfolded. 103 SIMPLY ABU DHABI