Liverpool singer-songwriter Jamie Webster told us about his Macca experience...
Jamie Webster: The best gig that I’ve ever been to has to be Paul McCartney when he headlined the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury festival on 25th June 2022. Nothing will ever come close. Or at least it’s hard to imagine anything that will.
Being a native scouser (from Liverpool), the Beatles mean everything to me. In my opinion, the best band to ever grace planet earth and they’re from the same streets as me. What they achieved in such a short space of time created a pathway for every other artist that followed. Such an influence and inspiration to so many. And then it’s safe to say they all did pretty amazing things in their solo careers. So to see Paul play at my spiritual home of Glastonbury; it just ticked every box.
Standing with 20/30 of my closest friends, seeing him walk out on stage. I burst into tears from being so overwhelmed I felt like a young girl at Shea stadium in 1965. There was a small silence as he walked to were the microphone. Then there were shortly tears of joy and ecstasy as he opened with the classic “Can’t Buy Me Love“ by the Beatles. The atmosphere was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before (and I’ve seen Liverpool F.C. lift the European Cup)--this was different to any other gig, this was as close to a spiritual experience that I’d ever had.
The set consisted of so many more hits ("Got to Get You Into My Life," "Getting Better," "19 Hundred and 85," "Let ‘Em In," "Maybe I’m Amazed," "Love Me Do," "Blackbird," to name a few) and even guest appearances from Dave Grohl for "Band on the Run" and the boss Bruce Springsteen for "Glory Days."
He played for three hours and the encore was even consisted of a virtual appearance from John Lennon. Safe to say I sang, cheered, danced laughed and cried numerous times throughout the set. It was something I didn’t think I’d ever get to experience. Made even more special by the fact that I’d made my own Glastonbury debut the day earlier at the Leftfield stage for my good friend and mentor Billy Bragg; I often joke and tell people close to me that both myself and Paul McCartney were on the same bill together. Coincidentally we hold the top two positions in Liverpool for the highest ever outdoor concert capacity at 26 and 27 thousand people. Very happy to be number two to Macca. But to sign off on the gig… it’s not only one of my favorite memories but it gave me so much inspiration going forward into my own live performances. McCartney forever!
Jamie Webster's "Just Begun" is out now.
Photo by John Johnson
