São Paulo

From Folha de São Paul (uol.com.br), October 15, 2024 (auto-translated from Portuguese):

It is said that Paul McCartney enters Allianz Parque greeting the employees, calling everyone by their first name and asking about the family. The joke holds up. The former Beatle took the stage at the arena for the ninth time on Tuesday night (15). And, to everyone’s joy, everything went as expected.

After nine shows last year, the “Got Back” tour returns in a second leg in Brazil. With two consecutive nights in Sao Paulo and the show in Florianopolis next Saturday (19), he will complete 40 shows in the country.

Due to the public that was at the Allianz, the pace of visits can continue. It was a consecrated presentation. The reporter spoke to some fans who were seeing the idol for the fifth or sixth time, but most in that sample had never met Paul McCartney in the flesh before.

For newcomers in the audience, the impact is impressive. There are more than two and a half hours of show, and the protagonist exudes incredible vitality at the age of 82. An electric bass isn’t exactly a light instrument, and in addition to that bodily strength, Paul displays a still-steady voice, one of the most recognizable in rock history.

The tour’s repertoire was rigorously preserved. The shows always feature 36 to 39 songs. In the last ten shows in Brazil, 31 songs were in all setlists. These are divided into 17 Beatles originals, seven recorded in the 1970s with his band Wings, six are from his solo albums and one, “In Spite of All Danger”, from the repertoire of the band The Quarrymen, in which he played with John Lennon and George Harrison before the Beatles.

Can an almost entirely immutable show be watched multiple times? In the case of Paul McCartney, the answer is affirmative. And the reasons are not few.

First, it is the opportunity to be in front of a man who made this artistic manifestation called rock global and helped to change the behavior of a huge portion of the planet’s youth in the 1960s. These fans passed on to their children and grandchildren a worldview unquestionably influenced by the Beatles.

Next, it is undeniable that the songs that once again transformed Allianz Parque into a gigantic karaoke are some of the most enchanting and exciting that pop music has managed to create. But the most important thing is to realize how Paul manages to put together a show in which the energy only increases with each minute that the performance progresses. […]

From Folha de São Paul (uol.com.br), October 15, 2024 (auto-translated from Portuguese)

From For Whom The Bell Tells: ‘GOT BACK’ Central and South American Tour 2024, January 13, 2025:

“How can you improve an anthological show like this on the verge of perfection? The plot remains powerful, exciting and supported by high-quality production. In its 2023 review, Estadão used the label ‘the greatest show on Earth’, simply because it is the most powerful catalogue of popular music, sung by the most important living artist.” – O Estado De S. Paulo

That aforementioned final gig of 2023 at Maracańa Stadium in Rio is still so fresh in my mind, and the event itself was just so monumental, that I had presumed many Brazilian fans would similarly still be reeling from its aftershocks, and maybe his prompt return to the country wouldn’t be quite so triumphant.

How wrong was I? The appetite here to welcome Paul back is as strong as ever, and the Brazilian mood for partying cannot be tempered! This visit has been front page news here in São Paolo as they built up to his arrival, underlining the sheer affection with which Paul is held in Brazil, and vice versa. I bumped into Gabriel Solti at Allianz Parue – a writer from Estadio De S. Paulo who had given Paul an incredible review last year – very nice to meet you Gabriel and put a face to the byline! 

Paul and Brazil have a very special relationship. After his second night at the huge Allianz Parque, Paul will have played the venue 10 times since his debut here in 2014, when he was the first artist to ever do so! After his next show Florianópolis, he will have performed in Brazil a total of 39 times. In the last decade, the only other country to boast more shows by Paul than Brazil is the United States. 

Inspired by his trips to this exhilarating country, Paul wrote the song ‘Back In Brazil’, which was included on 2018’s ‘Egypt Station’. He actually worked on the song in a São Paolo studio, and even later filmed a video in Salvador. He loves Brazilian music too, of course; last year, when we were in Belo Horizonte, he was visited by national hero Milton Nascimento – who has also been spotted here in the audience tonight!

So, it’s a deep and mutual love affair, and one that might even see Brazil eventually making Paul one of its own – according to reports here, a congressman has put forward the motion for Paul to be bestowed with an Honorary Citizenship! I wonder if it will come to pass?

Stuart Bell – Paul McCartney’s publicist – From For Whom The Bell Tells: ‘GOT BACK’ Central and South American Tour 2024, January 13, 2025

From Paul McCartney’s tour equipment arrives at Viracopos Cargo Terminal – Aeroflap, October 14, 2024:

The Cargo Terminal (TECA) at Viracopos International Airport in Campinas (SP) received 200 tons of equipment that will be used in the concerts of singer and composer Paul McCartney in São Paulo. The cargo arrived on three flights, one on Saturday (12/10) and two on Sunday (13/10).

83 pallets were unloaded at the Cargo Terminal, totaling 200 tons of equipment transported on three Boeing aircraft, the first flight being a Boeing 777F. The second and third flights were Boeing 767-300Fs.

After unloading, the material was transported by truck to the capital of São Paulo, where Paul McCartney will perform two shows on October 15 and 16. […] The depalletizing and loading operation involved the work of an experienced team, which ensured that all equipment was handled efficiently and safely.

Viracopos airport is known for its expertise in the fast and safe processing of special cargo, and event material is kept in a controlled area with electronic surveillance and 24-hour personnel. […]

From Paul McCartney’s tour equipment arrives at Viracopos Cargo Terminal – Aeroflap, October 14, 2024