Dec 16, 2018: McCartney, Ringo, Ronnie Wood Get Back at London Gig
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood and Paul McCartney perform “Get Back” at London’s O2 Arena, Dec. 16, 2018
Fans attending Paul McCartney concert at London’s O2 Arena on December 16, 2018 got the unexpected thrill of a lifetime when he was joined onstage by Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. When the cheers died down, McCartney added: “I believe we’ve got someone else here who can help us out… ladies and gentlemen… the ever-fantastic Mr. Ringo Starr!”
Not surprisingly, the crowd erupted in a combination of joy and disbelief as the beloved Beatle jogged onto the stage to join his friends. After hugs and Ringo’s familiar two-handed peace sign, McCartney said: “We might as well do a song together,” as Starr got behind the drum kit.
The band, now with two prominent additions, then kicked-in to the familiar start to the Beatles’ “Get Back.” Watch several fan clips below.
The concert was the final of three U.K. dates that McCartney did that week as part of his 2018-2019 Freshen Up tour, which began Sept. 17 in Quebec. McCartney had already done shows in Canada, Japan, France, Denmark, Poland and Austria, as well as two performances at the ACL Festival in Austin, Tex.
The tour then took a break with the next dates current held in South America in March 2019, followed by plenty of U.S. arena and stadium concerts in the spring and summer.
But on this Sunday night, the rock world was fixated on London as the former bandmates shared the stage. For one night at least, it was Beatlemania version 2018.
Watch McCartney, Ringo and Ronnie Wood perform “Get Back” at London’s O2 Arena on Dec. 16, 2018
The song was the third encore of a 40-song, career-spanning setlist, including several from McCartney’s new Egypt Station studio album. When it was over, the trio hugged. Starr came up to the mic and said, “I don’t know about you, but it was a thrill for me.” The crowd roared and Starr waved to the crowd. He and Wood left the stage to cheers of “Ringo, Ringo… !”
Watch the performance from a different angle
What wasn’t revealed until several days’ later was that yet another classic rock legend was there as well. On Dec. 18, McCartney posted a brief clip that shows Wood and Ringo being introduced and a portion of the performance.
Look carefully, and you’ll see The Who’s Roger Daltrey, also in the wings, encouraging Wood as he’s being introduced.
Related: Links for 100s of classic rock tours
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationEven though Paul’s starting to have a little trouble on the high notes, with Ringo along, it would be HUGE!