Sir Paul McCartney was clearly in the mood for Twist and Shout as he greeted fans ahead of his first live performance in Newcastle, Australia on Monday.
The legendary musician appeared to be in an excited mood as he greeted onlookers with a series of cheerful waves as he drove through the Eastern Australian city.
McCartney, 81, will perform at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on Monday night, and fans – some of whom traveled across Australia for the performance – couldn’t believe their luck when they saw the star.
Despite touring extensively with The Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist throughout his career, it will be his first live performance in the city as he embarks on his Got Back tour of Australia.
Ahead of the one-off show, local artist Mitch Revs paid tribute to McCartney by painting a 160 square meter mural of the British star on the city’s Hunter Street.
Loving life: Sir Paul McCartney was clearly in the mood for Twist and Shout as he greeted fans ahead of his first live performance in Newcastle, Australia on Monday
Upbeat: The legendary musician appeared to be in an excited mood as he greeted onlookers with a series of cheerful waves as he drove through the eastern Australian city
And it received an unexpected endorsement from the man himself after McCartney spotted the huge tribute on Newcastle’s main street as he drove to the venue.
Unwilling to let it happen, the musician surprised fans by stopping to admire Revs’ handiwork, posing for photos and signing autographs.
McCartney’s presence also caught the attention of local office staff, with many flocking to the busy thoroughfare to get a closer look.
The star also had the chance to personalize the mural, to which he added his initials and a smiley face before returning to his car.
McCartney recently opened up about how he would have been wracked with guilt if he had not mended his friendship with John Lennon before he was murdered.
Lennon was 40 years old when he was murdered by deranged fan Mark Chapman outside his New York City home on December 8, 1980.
The acerbic musician left The Beatles in 1969, with the band confirming their split the following year – an announcement that led to years of acrimony and an ensuing legal battle over the band’s back catalogue.
And McCartney admits he would have been devastated if he hadn’t had the chance to mend the cracks in his relationship with Lennon before he was killed.
It’s all for you: Ahead of the one-off show, local artist Mitch Revs paid tribute to McCartney by painting a 1,600-square-foot mural of the British star on the city’s Hunter Street
Look who it is: It got an unexpected endorsement from the man himself after McCartney spotted the huge tribute on Newcastle’s main street as he drove to the venue
“In the end, when he was killed, I was really happy that I had had some really good times with him before that happened,” he told the McCartney: A Life In Lyrics podcast.
“It would have been the worst thing in the world if he had just been murdered and we were still in a bad relationship. That would have been a big guilt trip for me. Luckily we were friendly, we talked about baking bread.
‘You have to remember that I put him in court, and his friends from Liverpool, friends for life, in court. There is still a lot to be done.’
