Paul McCartney's Glastonbury Festival show was two years late. Fans thought it was worth the wait.
The former Beatle pulled out all the stops — and brought on big-name rock 'n' roll guest stars — for a 2½-hour concert at the southwest England festival on Saturday night.
McCartney was due to play Glastonbury in 2020. That year's festival and the 2021 edition were both scuttled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, at 80, he's the festival's oldest-ever solo headliner.
McCartney and his band treated the huge crowd to Beatles classics like "Get Back," "Hey Jude," "Blackbird" and "Let it Be," along with solo hits including "Live and Let Die" and newer material.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl came on to play "Saw Her Standing There" and "Band on the Run." Then Bruce Springsteen and McCartney — the Boss and the Beatle — dueted on Springsteen's "Glory Days" and the early Lennon-McCartney song "I Wanna Be Your Man."
McCartney paid tribute to Beatles bandmate George Harrison, who died in 2001, by performing the Harrison-penned "Something." Thanks to technology, he sang with footage of John Lennon, murdered in 1980, on "I've Got a Feeling."
"I think I've probably just seen one of the most legendary performances ever," fan Jake Richardson said after the show.
Actor-comedian Steve Coogan, who was also in the crowd, described the experience as "quite overwhelming."
"I don't think there's anyone else in the world who can just give such unadulterated joy to people," he told the BBC.
Glastonbury wraps up Sunday with a headline set by Kendrick Lamar.
Some 200,000 people are attending the four-day festival at Worthy Farm in southwest England, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The 3,000 performers included Billie Eilish, Ziggy Marley, Megan Thee Stallion, Foals, Olivia Rodrigo, Diana Ross, Herbie Hancock and the Pet Shop Boys.
Guests also included environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who made a passionate speech about climate change, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed the festival by video on Friday.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More