Sir Paul McCartney warmed up his iconic voice by singing hits by the Beatles and fellow 60s group The Monkees ahead of his London O2 show on Thursday where he reunited on stage with former bandmate Ringo Starr.
The music icon, 82, appeared in great spirts backstage as he and his band belted out Hey Jude, 56-years after he first released the track alongside bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
In the clip shared to Instagram Paul looked smart in a navy blazer as he led the rendition accompanied by guitarists and backing singers.
The group were having a great time as they acted out the famous song before heading to the stage for the latest night of his Got Back Tour.
Then as Sir Paul made his way down the corridor he broke into a performance of The Monkees’ self titled 1966 song.
Paul’s daughter Mary, 55, captured the moment as her famous father sipped his tea and sung for all to hear.
Sir Paul McCartney, 82, warmed up his iconic voice by singing hits by his band the Beatles and fellow 60s group The Monkees ahead of his London O2 show on Thursday
Later Paul delighted fans as he brought his former Beatles bandmate Ringo who he invited from the audience to join him on drums
Paul and his band belted out Hey Jude, 56-years after he first released the track alongside John Lennon , George Harrison and Ringo Starr (pictured 1964)
Later Paul delighted fans as he brought his former Beatles bandmate Ringo who he invited from the audience to join him on drums for hits Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Helter Skelter.
The pair looked delighted to play together as Paul wrapped his arm around Ringo in a touching moment for fans.
Paul and Ringo’s performance was the first time the old friends have played together in five years, last taking to the stage for Macca’s Freshen Up tour in 2019.
The music legend also called on Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood to perform Get Back with him.
For his performance the previous night, Paul was full of personal anecdotes as he took to the stage at London’s O2 arena
Reflecting on his years with The Beatles, Paul revealed the touching impact of the band’s famous show in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Liverpudlian foursome were set to play the Gator Bowl in the city in 1964, however they were told the audience would be segregated by colour.
Recalling the story, Paul told the crowd: ‘We didn’t quite sort of understand it until we went there and we were playing a place called Jacksonville in the South.
In the clip shared to Instagram Paul looked smart in a navy blazer as he led the rendition accompanied by guitarists and backing singers
Then as Sir Paul (pictured with daughter Mary) made his way down the corridor he broke into a performance of The Monkees’ self titled 1966 song
(L-R) Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith of The Monkees pictured in 1966
‘And the promoters said “Ok tonight you are playing to a segregated audience.” And we said “What are you talking about?”
‘They said there will be black people on one side and white people on the other, and we were like “No, I mean why would you do that what is the point?”‘
He continued: ‘So we refused to play it [segregated] and we did play it and it was integrated.’
Revealing the touching impact from the show, he continued: ‘Just the other day I got a text from this girl who was there at the time, she was a black girl and she was sitting with some white kids.
And she said “I had never sat with white people before.” Imagine that, but she said “I loved it because we were all just Beatle fans screaming and it didn’t matter”.’
Paul also paid tribute to John Lennon during the set as he spoke about his late bandmate and friend.
Discussing how attitudes towards male emotions have changed he explained how back in the day it was viewed as strange to tell your friends you loved them.
He told the crowd: ‘Even in a group you couldn’t turn to your mates and say “I love you man,” it just was not done you know.’
In an emotional tribute the star then performed a rendition of the band’s 1969 hit Something on a ukulele gifted to him by the late George Harrison.
It comes after O2 declared that its Priority Tickets platform has already had a record-breaking year with 1.54 million tickets sold January to November – a 12% increase on the same time period in 2023.
Tours by Dua Lipa, Peter Kay and Lana Del Rey have topped its list of this year’s biggest-sellers – which spans pop, comedy, R&B, heavy metal, and so much more.
Priority Tickets is the reward platform for O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers, offering exclusive early access to some of the biggest events and best venues in the UK. The UK’s very own Dua Lipa is the highest-selling artist on the list with her 2025 Radical Optimism tour, after partnering with O2 for an exclusive pre-sale and brand new ‘Walk’ ad to celebrate – the first of its kind in six years.
The pair looked delighted to play together as Paul wrapped his arm around Ringo in a touching moment for fans
Old friends and bandmates Ringo and Paul are pictured in 1963
John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul L-R pictured 1964 in Liverpool
Dua Lipa is closely followed by Peter Kay, one of Britain’s best-loved comedians whose first tour in over a decade – including a residency at The O2 arena in London – added a string of new dates just last month due to phenomenal demand.
The rest of Priority Tickets’ biggest-sellers list features some of the biggest music acts in the world. These include American songstress Lana Del Rey, who announced her first-ever UK stadium shows for the summer of 2025 and R&B superstar Usher, who – following a showstopping Super Bowl Halftime performance – announced a ten-show residency at The O2 arena in London.
The remainder of the top ten tours on Priority Tickets shows as much musical diversity, from rock icon Bruce Springsteen through to Justin Timberlake and legends of heavy metal Iron Maiden.
Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2 commented: ‘There have been massive tours announced this year, ones that will go on to define an entire generation of music and entertainment. Our Priority campaign starring Dua Lipa was a huge success, selling out Wembley Stadium’.
‘With a relentless demand from O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers for access to live shows, we’re now seeing Priority Tickets smash its own sales records again this year. Our best-sellers list shows the variety of live entertainment the UK has an offer – here’s to an even bigger 2025.’
In addition to early ticket access to thousands of popular venues across the UK, Priority members can also benefit from queue jump, cloakroom services, phone charging, VIP hospitality and discounts on merchandise at The O2 arena and the 20 nationwide O2 Academy venues.
