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On this day, 26 June 2010, rock legend Paul McCartney played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on his Up and Coming tour. Support was provided by the Manic Street Preachers.
McCartney had announced shows for Europe, including his first appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival, and his first show in Cardiff, Wales in over three decades.
The tour required 31 trucks to transport all its equipment and employed a full-time crew of over 150 people to make it all work.
The total weight of all the tour's equipment was 125,000 pounds (57,000 kg).
The indoor concerts on the tour used 90 speakers, and the outdoor stadium shows used 130.
Backstage at each show there were 14 touring offices and dressing rooms.
The catering department served approximately 480 vegetarian meals a day to the crew.
The tour ended on 10 June 2011 with a show in Las Vegas.
“I’ve had my eye on it for a long time – since it was built. I’ve often said to my promoter, ‘What about Cardiff and the Millennium Stadium?’ but it’s always been booked. So it’s been a long-term ambition of mine.”
Paul McCartney
McCartney began the Millennium Stadium concert with Venus And Mars/Rock Show, before performing a mixture of Beatles, Wings and solo songs. He appeared in good spirits, thanking the crowd in Welsh (“Shw mae Cymru! Croeso Stadiwm y Mileniwm!”), spoke of how he and George Harrison had hitchhiked to Harlech as teenagers, and jokingly referred to Liverpool as the capital of Wales.
After performing Foxy Lady he spoke of his admiration for Jimi Hendrix, and how The Beatles had been flattered when Hendrix performed Sgt Pepper’s title track in concert. He paid tribute to Linda McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon, and performed ‘Paperback Writer’ using the Epiphone Casino which he had used to record it in 1966.
The setlist contained one extra surprise: an unscheduled performance of Ram On, in response to a placard request held up by an audience member. McCartney performed the song on George Harrison’s old ukulele prior to playing ‘Something’.
