Almost 50 years after the Beatles delivered memorable performances at Tokyo¡¯s Nippon Budokan arena, former band member Paul McCartney returned to the venue on Tuesday with a special treat for his fans.
McCartney, 72, surprised the audience by singing the Beatles¡¯ ¡°Another Girl,¡± the first time the song has ever been performed live, the singer¡¯s publicist said.
The veteran British musician also performed both Beatles hits and his own, and addressed the excited crowd in Japanese, saying, ¡°Long time no see Budokan.¡±
¡°It was sensational and quite emotional remembering the first time and then experiencing this fantastic audience tonight,¡± McCartney said in a statement.
The Beatles first played the Budokan arena in 1966, amid protests from locals angered at the use of the venue for a musical act, as it was intended to be a sports arena. But the Tokyo arena has hosted a range of musical acts over the past five decades.
McCartney last performed in Japan in 2013, near the beginning of his international ¡°Out There¡± tour, but not at the Budokan venue. His current tour will wrap up in July in Chicago.
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