Former Beatle Paul McCartney played his smallest gig in more than a decade Friday in a bid to save a landmark London club faced with closure because of a steep rent increase.
McCartney played a lunchtime show before about 300 fans at the 100 Club in central London, wooing the crowd with “Magical Mystery Tour,” ‘‘All My Loving” and a host of other favorites.
It marked the first time McCartney had played the 100 Club, which once hosted the Rolling Stones, the Who, Metallica and others, including American jazz great Louis Armstrong.
“Who wants to save the 100 Club?,” McCartney asked fans after he and his band walked on stage singing an a cappella version of “Hey Jude.”
Tickets for the gig cost 60 pounds ($90). Fans started lining up hours before the show in hopes of getting a seat.
Ian Smith, one of those in line, said he had been listening to McCartney for decades. He said he was drawn to the show by McCartney’s astonishing longevity.
“I’m 47-years-old now,” he said. “I was 5 when I first got into The Beatles and so I’ve followed him all my life really. He’s had some ups and downs but he’s a stayer and at 68-years-old you’ve got to hand it to the guy, he still known how to do it.”
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