Paul McCartney live: Soldier Field, Chicago

Paul McCartney performed at the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago, Illinios, USA, on 29 July 1990.

It was the final date of the Paul McCartney World Tour, which lasted for 102 dates across 14 countries between September 1989 and July 1990.

Soldier Field, Chicago; Sunday, July 29th.

8.30 pm and Clive Dunn shouted ‘Showtime’ for the last time.

Reluctantly this time, the band shuffled from their dressing room; almost unwilling to play, not wanting to start the show because this was The Last Time and you wanted to delay it forever.

The normal backstage banter of the crew was hushed. Friends avoided each other. No-one looked you in the eye. What could you say?

Outside, the crowd was going berserk; 50,000 of ’em waving lighters, matches, torches to welcome Macca’s last stand on stage with the greatest show of light we’d seen all year.

Fireworks blew up the skyline during ‘Pepper’ and ‘Live And Let Die’ and between songs you could hear one or another of us pine ‘Oh God, I don’t want this to end…’

As the crowd’s roars loudened, tour staff who at other gigs would be busy backstage drifted to the front; almost disbelieving it was really over. And when Paul launched into ‘The Long And Winding Road’, a tour anthem for many who’d been there since Oslo a lifetime ago, guys’ heads bent as they didn’t want Paul to see the tears.

But… mark the last words of Soldier Field: ‘Thank you… we’ll see you all again next time.’

McCartney’s band was Linda McCartney on vocals, keyboards, and percussion; Hamish Stuart on guitar, bass guitar, and vocals; Robbie McIntosh on guitar and vocals; Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens on keyboards and vocals; and Chris Whitten on drums and percussion.

Concert setlist

• ‘Figure Of Eight’
• ‘Jet’
• ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’
• ‘Rough Ride’
• ‘Band On The Run’
• ‘Birthday’
• ‘We Got Married’
• ‘Let ’Em In’
• ‘The Long And Winding Road’
• ‘The Fool On The Hill’
• ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’
• ‘Good Day Sunshine’
• ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’
• ‘Put It There’
• ‘Hello, Goodbye’
• ‘Things We Said Today’
• ‘Eleanor Rigby’
• ‘This One’
• ‘My Brave Face’
• ‘Back In The USSR’
• ‘I Saw Her Standing There’
• ‘Twenty Flight Rock’
• ‘Coming Up’
• ‘Let It Be’
• ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’
• ‘Help!’
• ‘Give Peace A Chance’
• ‘Live And Let Die’
• ‘The Hustle’ (snippet)
• ‘Hey Jude’
• ‘Yesterday’
• ‘Get Back’
• ‘Golden Slumbers’
• ‘Carry That Weight’
• ‘The End’

Paul McCartney World Tour dates

• 26 September 1989: Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway
• 28 September 1989: Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 29 September 1989: Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 30 September 1989: Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 3 October 1989: Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 4 October 1989: Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 6 October 1989: Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• 7 October 1989: Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• 9 October 1989: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 10 October 1989: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 11 October 1989: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 16 October 1989: Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 17 October 1989: Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 20 October 1989: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 21 October 1989: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 22 October 1989: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 24 October 1989: PalaEUR, Rome, Italy
• 26 October 1989: PalaTrussardi, Milan, Italy
• 27 October 1989: PalaTrussardi, Milan, Italy
• 29 October 1989: Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
• 30 October 1989: Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
• 2 November 1989: Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid, Spain
• 3 November 1989: Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid, Spain
• 5 November 1989: Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
• 7 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 8 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 10 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 11 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 23 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 24 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 27 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 28 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 29 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 3 December 1989: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, USA
• 4 December 1989: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, USA
• 5 December 1989: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, USA
• 7 December 1989: SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
• 9 December 1989: Forum, Montreal, Canada
• 11 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 12 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 14 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 15 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 2 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 3 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 5 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 6 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 8 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 9 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 11 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 13 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 14 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 16 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 17 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 19 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 20 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 21 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 23 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 24 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 26 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 1 February 1990: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
• 2 February 1990: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
• 4 February 1990: Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, USA
• 5 February 1990: Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, USA
• 8 February 1990: Worcester Centrum, Worcester, USA
• 9 February 1990: Worcester Centrum, Worcester, USA
• 12 February 1990: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, USA
• 14 February 1990: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, USA
• 15 February 1990: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, USA
• 18 February 1990: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, USA
• 19 February 1990: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, USA
• 3 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 5 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 7 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 9 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 11 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 13 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 29 March 1990: Kingdome, Seattle, USA
• 31 March 1990: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, USA
• 1 April 1990: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, USA
• 4 April 1990: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, USA
• 7 April 1990: Texas Stadium, Irving, USA
• 9 April 1990: Rupp Arena, Lexington, USA
• 12 April 1990: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, USA
• 14 April 1990: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, USA
• 15 April 1990: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, USA
• 20 April 1990: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 21 April 1990: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 23 June 1990: SECC Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
• 28 June 1990: King’s Dock, Liverpool, England
• 30 June 1990: Knebworth Festival, England
• 4 July 1990: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, USA
• 6 July 1990: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, USA
• 9 July 1990: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
• 11 July 1990: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
• 14 July 1990: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, USA
• 15 July 1990: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, USA
• 18 July 1990: Cyclone Stadium. Ames, USA
• 20 July 1990: Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, USA
• 22 July 1990: Carter–Finley Stadium, Raleigh, USA
• 24 July 1990: Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, USA
• 26 July 1990: Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, USA
• 29 July 1990: Soldier Field, Chicago, USA