Tenko

[Sorry for the delay in posting this. Been a bit busy]
It has been blistering hot over the weekend. We dropped Yoda at The Olds and headed to Hyde Park for the Macca gig. I have to say I’m a bit of a misery guts and was all geared up for having my water bottle taken off me and then fleaced £5 for 30cl inside. However, nothing of the sort. Bag searched for bombs but nothing else. We were even fast streamed in because we were carrying Vodaphones.

Poor Elvis Costello was on first just after the England Germany kick-off. One of the big screens had been tuned to the match and about 60% of the crowd huddled round it vaguely listening to him in the background and applauding politely. Bit of a pisser but I guess he got paid. Anyway, not a very exciting performance but I think that was just because his post-New Wave stuff really is a bit second gear.

He was followed by Crowded House who came on in the second half of the match when England were only 1 goal down. Neil Finn being A Kiwi didn’t seem fussed and played a slightly better but equally bland set as Costello. I’m no Crowded House fan and this performance didn’t change that.

As Germany scored goal number 3 I turned to my crest fallen footy-loving brother-in-law and said “they were getting beat but now their getting gubbed.”

“It would have to be 4 – 1 before it was a thrashing.” He retorted, just as Germany obliged. Glum faces turned to the stage as the whistle blew and the house became less crowded.

Meanwhile we baked in the searing heat. I was in a panic thinking I’d keel over during the day but several layers of factor 50 sun cream seemed to keep me my usual pale blue. That and heading for the shade of the Hard Rock Café tent for a nice burger and chips. That picked me up no end.

Eventually Crosby, Stills and Nash came on. I was a big fan as a kid and it was great to see them but boy do they look old. A decent electric set but missing out most of their big hits. Time to retire.

As the sun went down things became more pleasant. The direct burning rays were blocked by trees so I could concentrate on other things rather than on just staying upright.

Eventually McCartney appeared to cheers.

I’ve not been a great Paul McCartney fan. Wings was not my thang. Frankly we bought the tickets so we could say we’d seen a Beatle before the remaining two snuff it. But rather like that guy who went to see the fat old Elvis play Vegas, when he saw him and realised it was really Elvis and that voice, only then did I realise blimey this is one of The Beatles. Suddenly memories of listening to Beatles records all the time as a child returned. Those very emotion flooded back. Not a great song writer but The Great Song Writer.

The audience were the 30-45 year old set and were very relaxed (probably the heat too). They patiently listened to Jet and Band on the Run etc. but erupted when any Beatles tune appeared.

It was a good value gig, worth standing in the heat for 7 hours for. By the end he was doing all his best stuff: Lady Madonna, Yesterday, Hey Jude etc. with an early fanfare of fireworks and flame for Live and Let Die.

L became frustrated near the end that we hadn’t pushed right down to the front and cantered off with myself and her brother in tow. We arrived in a large space by the sound stage where the view and acoustics were vastly better. Suddenly the atmosphere was much more electric. We were gutted we didn’t try harder earlier to get to the front.

The concert ended with the simple lines:

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.