11 July 2009: Paul McCartney live in Nova Scotia, Canada

Paul McCartney performed at the Halifax Common in Halifax, Canada, on 11 July 2009.

It was the opening show of the Summer Live ’09 Tour, which lasted for 10 dates in July and August 2009. This show, the only Canadian date of the tour, was seen by 26,504 fans.

McCartney’s band was Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion, harmonica), Brian Ray (vocals, guitar, bass), Rusty Anderson (vocals, guitar), and Abe Laboriel Jr (vocals, drums).

McCartney described the concert as the start of his “mini North American tour”. His band played for roughly two hours and 40 minutes, with a setlist spanning his entire career.

Members of the 78th Highlanders Pipe Band from Halifax took to the stage for ‘Mull Of Kintyre’, at the invitation of McCartney. It was a rare live performance for the 1977 hit, which is normally only performed in Scotland.

During ‘Paperback Writer’ McCartney began by playing the song in the key of A, only to stop when he realised it should have been in G.

McCartney also invited a young woman, Audrey McCombs of Fortuna, California, onto the stage after noticing her sign which read: “Will you sign my arm so I can get it tattooed?”