'I'm blown away by biggest concert' - McCartney
Paul McCartney was “blown away” today after playing the biggest show of his four decade-career – to half a million fans.
He was leaving Rome after yesterday’s free concert outside the city’s historic Colosseum which proved to be an unprecedented crowd-puller.
Fans jammed the streets around the ancient site as the ex-Beatle performed in the shadow of the imposing Roman structure.
Estimates by city officials put the figure at around 500,000 – 10 times more than would have gathered inside the building to watch gladiatorial battles during the days of the Roman Empire.
Exactly 40 years earlier Sir Paul was playing to 2,000 fans at the Imperial Ballroom in Nelson, Lancashire, as Beatlemania took hold when the band enjoyed their first number one, From Me To You.
Even in the Beatles’ heyday, their largest show pulled a more modest – but at the time colossal – 56,000 fans for their famed Shea Stadium performance.
Sir Paul said this morning, after the Rome show: “I’m completely blown away - it was one of the most fantastic evenings of my life and I’m so chuffed that at my stage in the game this was the biggest show of my entire career.
“I can’t wait to bring this gig home to Liverpool – the emotion will be running very high.”
Sir Paul is to play an open air concert in his home city next month.
The huge concert in Rome followed a more modestly sized show in front of paying guests the previous night inside the Colosseum.
Sir Paul played an acoustic concert in the arena with a set of his own, Wings and Beatles, with tickets costing up to £1,000 (€1,300).
The venue is rarely open for concerts and profits went to Rome’s archaeological offices and the Adopt-a-Minefield charity.
Yesterday’s performance saw fans staking out their places in the hot sunshine a full 12 hours before he played a note.
Against the backdrop of the 40-metre high Colosseum, which was bathed in coloured light, Sir Paul charmed the crowd by performing many of the best known songs from his astonishing career.
