Surprise Shows

Paul McCartney has always been keen on doing secret shows. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, rock tours would cover most of Britain, showing up in the country's smaller cities to entertain fans. More recently, with a dearth of major arena venues in the UK, big tours tend only to visit the bigger cities – a typical national tour, for example, will play London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Liverpool. In 1991, Paul played a series of surprise shows, including a show in Barcelona and a set at the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden, London. The latter was the smallest venue Paul McCartney had played at since taking a final bow at The Cavern club in 1963 (he would then return to that venue in 1999). He also played shows in Cornwall after his team realised that Paul had never played there, not with Wings, not even with the much-travelled Beatles. The shows were a way for Paul to connect with his audience in a more direct way than he would in a giant stadium.