McCartney’s ‘monster’ show is an all-new experience for fans
Paul McCartney’s concert is “the heaviest show on the road,” according to the musician’s longtime production manager Mark Spring.
Taking a sneak peek at the setup inside Rogers Arena ahead of McCartney’s double date with Vancouver on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, it was obvious the legendary Beatle is going all out for his One On One tour.
State-of-the-art projections were being rotated on massive floor-toceiling LED screens while the PA blasted Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean to test out the sound. The stage was packed with instruments, including a grand piano where one can expect Macca will be tickling the ivories.
Some of the visuals on display during the stage setup included a kaleidoscopic, multi-coloured animation for The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour and black-and-white footage of McCartney with Wings.
In total, 175,000 pounds of gear were hauled into the arena by 21 trucks, requiring more than 250 crew members.
“It’s a good size mob come to put this up,” Spring said.
Spring, who has been working with McCartney since 2002, promised an entirely different show than the one that set B.C. Place ablaze (almost quite literally thanks to all that pyro bouncing off the roof ) in 2012.
“It’s completely different — it’s another monster,” assistant stage manager Gino Cardelli said. “Maybe two or three things are the same as (B.C. Place) but everything else is different: Lighting, video, stage.”
“B.C. Place was one of the last shows on the On The Run tour,” McCartney publicist Steve Martin chimed in. “The tour has been overhauled twice since then.”
That said, there will be pyro, if only handled differently this time around.
“That’s changed,” Cardelli said. “It’s a little bit more flames than actual bang.”
Fans can expect a set list that spans close to three hours, covering the entirety of McCartney’s career with The Beatles, Wings, and on his own. Expect an intimate segment where McCartney will play with his band near the front of the stage for a few acoustic renditions of fan favourites. While Spring didn’t want to reveal too much about the concert, which is expected to comprise close to 40 songs, he did say McCartney fans were sure to have “loads of fun.”
What’s more, now that the stage has been set, more tickets have been released by promoter Live Nation.
“Each building is unique so it takes us time to put it in,” Spring said, “but it’s up and it’s ready and in good shape, too. We put the whole thing in.
“No one’s getting cheated, let’s put it that way.”