Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025

The tour blog from Paul's US publicist Steve Martin returns for 2025, as Steve reports from Santa Barbara, Palm Desert, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

It’s been three long years since Paul’s internationally acclaimed Got Back tour has made an extensive swing through North America. In the time since the last echoes of applause faded from the grounds of New Jersey’s massive MetLife Stadium in June of 2022, Paul has been anything but idle. Weeks later, he’d play a historic headlining set at Glastonbury 2022; 2023 and 2024 would see the tour winding its way through Australia, South America, Mexico and Europe; and of course there was the unforgettable trifecta of surprise shows that rocked New York City’s Bowery Ballroom earlier this year. 

And now, finally, Got Back is getting back to where it started some three years ago, North America.

Santa Barbara

The sun has barely set as a soulfully rocking instrumental jam wafts on the ocean breeze, serenading a tranquil residential neighborhood that will host thousands of Macca maniacs of all ages and stripes in less than 24 hours. Minutes later that same wall of sound explodes into a raucous 'Matchbox', and by the time 'Live and Let Die' rings out into the cool night air, it’s apparent to all within earshot that Paul McCartney has come to rock Santa Barbara.

For those who have never been, Santa Barbara is a serene enclave on the central coast of California. Situated between the dramatic vista of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, its Mediterranean climate and Spanish-style architecture have inspired some to refer to it as The American Riviera. Since being etched into a hillside in 1936, the Santa Barbara Bowl has been a cultural cornerstone of the community, hosting unforgettable, intimate performances from artists largely accustomed to playing venues anywhere from 5x to upwards of 10x its capacity of just about 5000. And tonight it’s hosting run-throughs of 'I’ve Just Seen a Face', 'Love Me Do', 'Lady Madonna', 'Helter Skelter' and more—all of which somehow making the wait for tomorrow’s historic show that much more excruciating.

Until Friday, September 26, Santa Barbara had remained on an ever-shrinking list of places Paul McCartney had yet to rock. So when that inimitable Paul swagger took to the Santa Barbara Bowl stage for the first time, it was instantly apparent that the wait would be more than worth it. Not wasting a second, Paul and the band tore into 'Help!' — a torrent of Beatles screams greeting the song's first appearance in Paul’s setlist since 1990, the first time Paul had played it in its entirety since 1965 and the first time Paul had ever sung it in full onstage (There would be plenty more of those screams as the night progressed, in stark contrast to the reverent pin-drop silence between a the sweet full-audience singalong accompanying the verses of 'Blackbird')!

Up next was another surprise: soundcheck staple 'Coming Up' in the main setlist, featuring the Hot City Horns joining the party for the first time on this leg of the tour. In addition to the cheers that greeted its signature proto-dance-punk riff, one verse in particular resonated especially strongly in the context of current events, raising a roar of reaffirmation heard and felt from the GA floor to the upper tiers:

You want some peace and understanding
⁠So everybody can be free
⁠I know that we can get together
⁠We can make it, stick with me

And stick with Paul we did, for a night that everyone lucky enough to have scored a ticket would remember forever — a night that would feature more highlights and memories packed into a compact setlist (due to an early curfew) than most artists even come close to in a lifetime on the stage: a sublime 'My Valentine' dedicated to wife Nancy, spotted sitting in the crowd between Olivia Harrison and Rita Wilson; a journey back in time to Liverpool, where four young musicians formed a tight little rock and roll combo (“and did rather well,” Paul reminded us, lest we forget) and made the trek to London to record their first single 'Love Me Do' with “smart, funny man” George Martin at the helm; 'Blackbird' evoking memories of the 1960s civil rights struggles in the U.S., as well as Paul’s personal recollection of flubbing the song in front of an audience including Meryl Streep; 'Now and Then' representing a nearly lost memory rescued and restored with the aid of modern technology and human spirit...

Speaking of memories, they were especially precious on this particular evening. As Paul noted — like the instantly legendary Bowery gigs — there was not a single mobile phone visible in the entire crowd. As a result of the evening's no-phones policy, everyone in attendance was completely and totally in the moment, experiencing every note, every word to the fullest — there's something to be said for making memories through one’s own senses rather than through a screen, and as he delivered an ebullient 'Lady Madonna', Paul said what we were all thinking: “It’s better.”

(THE SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT agreed, in a rave review including the line "I’d strongly encourage the Bowl to adopt this measure for all its shows.”)

The show continued building momentum, its juggernaut of an encore kicking off with 'I’ve Got a Feeling”'featuring the virtual duet with John Lennon that debuted on Got Back’s 2022 opener in Spokane, Washington. Now a regular nightly reunion of these two friends who spun so much magic for all of us in their all-too-brief time working together, it has lost not an iota of its emotional impact, never failing to elicit cries of glee and tears of joy as it sets off a torrent of surprised applause.

“It’s getting very near the end…” sang Paul, as he shoehorned 'Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (Reprise)' and 'Helter Skelter' into the encore upon learning that there was just enough time to do so before curfew. Finally, the customary finale medley of 'Golden Slumbers', 'Carry That Weight' and 'The End' closed out "a quasi-religious experience for all in attendance, a rock ‘n’ roll revival with nothing less than modern music’s God at the pulpit” (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) and moved VARIETY to rave "There aren’t very many shows where you can reasonably claim that if it ended after the first number, you’d have gone home happy… his marvelous singing continues to be one of the wonders of the world… what a life-giving kick it is to see Sir Paul with the preternatural ability to do this raucous of a show as effectively, as merrily and even rapturously as he has for decades.”

Palm Desert

Who’s up for another Desert Trip?

It had been nearly a decade since that historic stretch in October 2016 when Paul headlined “Old-chella" two weekends to record crowds at the Empire Polo Club—on a bill featuring Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Who, Roger Waters and the Rolling Stones—with a detour deeper into the desert to play one of the most intimate club shows of his storied career at the 350-capacity Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace. Having made such an indelible mark on the greater Palm Desert region, Paul’s impending return to the area begged the question: What could he possibly do to top that?

The answer came as soon as that first exclamation of 'Help!' echoed through the cavernous Acrisure Arena—truly "a knockout moment in a show full of them,” as ROLLING STONE raved in a review they rushed to post practically before the arena had fully emptied.

Such was the adrenaline rush that infused the crackling cold air of the Acrisure — the ice rink attached to the arena made for a markedly chilly contrast to the warm desert night outside — for nearly three hours of old, new and in-between songs. The first full-production arena show of Got Back 2025 found Paul and the band in "young and fresh and reckless” early tour mode, as evidenced by super-charged renditions of 'Got to Get You Into My Life' and 'Drive My Car' sandwiching a slinky 'Letting Go' that showcased some blistering leads from local resident Brian Ray. 'Come on to Me' and 'Let Me Roll It' each elevated the energy in the crowd and on the stage, culminating in another peak in the form of a dazzling 'Getting Better'.

And it did indeed keep getting better, as a transcendent first Got Back 2025 airing of 'Maybe I’m Amazed' was followed by a few of the evening’s many heartfelt tributes to loved ones, both with us in spirit (Paul’s mother Mary, marking the occasion of her 116th birthday, later George Martin and of course John Lennon and George Harrison) and still here on the physical plane with us (daughter Mary and her children: “That baby in my jacket? She’s a grown-up now with four kids of her own.”)

The quieter numbers took on that special resonance unique to Paul’s first time performing a song in an arena he’s never previously played. 'Something' was a straight up tearjerker, with Paul ritualistically playing the first half of the song on the same ukulele George gifted him, adding at the song’s conclusion, “A shout-out to someone special who’s in the audience tonight — George’s wife Olivia." 'Here Today' and 'Now and Then' paid touching tribute to John, the former affording Paul the chance to say the words “I love you” to John at last, while the latter concluded with an equally sincere “Thank you John for writing that beautiful song.”

'Let It Be' enveloped the arena in an air of optimism and hope, which gave way to the utter chaos of 'Live and Let Die' featuring the thunderous return of the pyrotechnics barrage that Santa Barbara had been spared so as not to immolate a thousand or so of that close quarters crowd—with BILLBOARD incidentally taking notice that "three of the songs that got the biggest applause of the night in Palm Desert were three Wings’ bangers that raised the roof: ‘Jet,’ ‘Band on the Run’ and ‘Live and Let Die.’” Having been there to witness, can confirm!

'Hey Jude' closed the set proper, with “na na na na na na na” refrains rattling the Acrisure walls. And by the time the final coda of 'The End' united the thousands of voices present in song one last time, there was nary a trace of that ice rink freeze remaining — hopefully someone checked to make sure it hadn’t been melted, either by the 'Live and Let Die' pyro display or by the warmth that permeates arenas over the course of nearly three hours of Paul McCartney playing live.

Las Vegas

“The biggest party in Vegas!"

If Palm Desert’s Acrisure Arena doubled down on the size of the Santa Barbara Bowl, Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium upped the ante considerably (all puns intended): a sold out crowd of more than 50,000 would welcome Paul to Sin City, nearly five times the capacity of Acrisure and more than ten times the size of the Bowl. 

One would be hard pressed to come up with a more imposing structure to house the first stadium play of this North American run. Allegiant’s massive reflective black exterior conjures visions of an invading alien armada’s mothership, so sleek and futuristic with its impossibly fluid angles and lines. Upon moving inside, the domed ceiling somehow achieves the seemingly impossible task of covering the sprawling interior, resulting in a sort of biosphere / city in outer space effect — at least before it’s filled with 50,000+ Macca devotees who’ve come to rock, roll and sing their hearts out.

It’s easy to imagine the gargantuan scale of everything in the Allegiant as intimidating, and perhaps to many it would be. But as anyone who’s seen Paul rock a stadium, festival ground or various  other sprawling environs knows, the bigger the space, the bigger he plays. And Paul made his intent more than clear after blazing through the first few numbers of the set, “I’m getting the feeling we’re gonna have a bit of a party tonight! The biggest party in Vegas!”

And it was one for the ages, with too many standout moments to count — so let’s focus on the most paradoxical ones, specifically the quieter moments that filled the enormous stadium with love, song and Paul’s unmistakable and peerless presence: 'I’ve Just Seen a Face' sported a notable pep in its step (and in Rusty Anderson’s literal footwork during his lead), 'In Spite of All the Danger' was transformed from an early demo by a scrappy band of Liverpool lads to a resounding 50,000+ strong call and response series of “Whoa-OH-oh-oh’s,” 'Love Me Do' elicited tens of thousands of Beatles screams (TM) and was buoyed by Paul “Wix” Wickens flawless take on the original’s immortal harmonica motif. 'Dance Tonight' found Paul establishing the bonafides of the mandolin as stadium rock instrument while Abe Laboriel Jr. modulated his arsenal of beguiling dance moves to enchant the upper tiers.

Then there was Paul alone and unaccompanied, rising high above a starry stage to hold the teeming crowd in thrall with only his voice and acoustic guitar, filling the monolithic Allegiant with a note-perfect 'Blackbird'. 'Here Today' followed, a study in power through vulnerability, as Paul and the masses in attendance shared the regret of having waited too long to tell a friend you love them. A crowd the size of a small city’s population witnessed, in total and reverent silence until the torrent of applause that greeted the song’s conclusion.

All of which is not to say that the evening was without its fair share of rockers. 'Help!' nearly blew the dome off the starship Allegiant, 'Let Me Roll It' had the entire stadium in the palm of Paul’s hand, 'Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five' was downright rambunctious, 'Get Back' simmered and grooved, and 'Live and Let Die' positively destroyed, blowing minds and eardrums with the first stadium-scale pyro and fireworks onslaught of the tour so far.

'Hey Jude”'brought the main set to a close, proving once again that some songs are simply meant to be sung by tens of thousands of voices in unison. 'I’ve Got a Feeling' kicked off the encore with the 2025 stadium debut of Paul’s virtual debut with John, 'Helter Skelter' smoldered, and 'Golden Slumbers' began the medley that would sing the overflowing Vegas crowd a lullaby.

And that was Paul McCartney’s first show at Allegiant Stadium, an unforgettable two and a half hours that had the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL speaking for us all: “Thanks for all the music.”

Albuquerque

No two shows on the Got Back Tour 2025 have been alike up to this point. The cozy Santa Barbara Bowl, the classic arena rock vibes of the Acrisure, the modern megalopolis that was Allegiant… all radically different settings and atmospheres. Tonight would be no exception, as Paul’s first ever show in Albuquerque (and first appearance in the state of New Mexico since 1993) would be the first major amphitheater play of the tour.

It’s a rare treat to catch Paul in a shed setting, especially one with such scenic surroundings as the Albuquerque Basin — the views from the backstage area, where Paul’s arrival heralded an absolutely stunning sunset, were breathtaking. Save for a late afternoon cloudburst, the weather couldn’t have been more ideal for the evening’s show — maybe a touch on the cool side.

The threat of rain or an occasional chill meant nothing to the 15,000 or so New Mexico natives and visitors who packed the Isleta from the reserved seating sections down front to the top of the lush green lawn that sprawled above — all energized by a performance that veteran Paul show-goers described to the ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL as like "seeing McCartney for the first time,” and NEW MEXICO ENTERTAINMENT called "the realization of a lifelong dream.”

It was just past 8:30 when the thunderous welcome from the multi-generational crowd welcomed Paul back to New Mexico and to his first time on an Albuquerque stage. 'Help!' and 'Coming Up' sparked ecstatic reactions, that built into a virtual feedback loop of energy between the elated crowd and Paul and the band as they careened through 'Got to Get You Into My Life', 'Drive My Car' and 'Letting Go'.

Having removed his jacket following 'Come on to Me', Paul powered through an ebullient 'Let Me Roll It' replete with 'Foxey Lady' outro tribute to Jimi Hendrix, and a riveting 'Getting Better' before even acknowledging the cooling of the post-sunset desert air. “It’s cold outside” was an appropriate intro to a rapturously received 'Let ‘Em In', a clear crowd favorite.

The highlights kept coming, and the crowd’s energy levels never flagged. The evening’s stripped down take on 'Love Me Do' generated a noticeable peak, as maintenance staff were spotted dancing in the aisles as they worked. A few songs later, the hushed reverence that greeted 'Blackbird' and the cheers of approval that met Paul’s memories of The Beatles refusing to play segregated concerts in the southern US of the 1960s offered glimmers of hope in the current state of sociopolitical turbulence.

Those glimmers of hope burst into gleaming rays with a passionate 'Let It Be' that seemed to unite all in attendance — from the blanket-sporting old-timers to the 30-40-somethings decked out in their finest Sergeant Pepper regalia to the children and grandchildren experiencing their first Paul McCartney show — in a quasi-magical wave of optimism. 

'Hey Jude' cemented that same bond, with friends and neighbors, strangers and new acquaintances, venue staff and local law enforcement all united in possibly the biggest, most impassioned singalong in New Mexico history. 

Following an impassioned encore, Albuquerque had officially gotten back to its first Paul experience — leaving the crowd with a feeling that I couldn’t describe any  more accurately than NEW MEXICO ENTERTAINMENT magazine did:

"It felt unreal—like waking from a dream you don’t want to end. But the message was clear: we can have good things. Because on that night, under the New Mexico stars, we did."

Up next on the 2025 tour blog: Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis and Tusla. Stay tuned!