Review of Paul McCartney: Live at the Cavern Club (1999) by Monsieur R — 26 Apr 2010

A historic event, spirited, lively event where the Beatles got fame and notice by their first manager, Brian Epstein.

No doubt a collectible for any fan or just interested bystander. Do NOT expect Beatle songs. It is all pre-sixties music, or so it sounds like that.

And now for the reality:

As a result, I seldom watch this. The beginning is like royalty came to the Cavern. The first song has more balding heads than ought to be seen. The group we know nothing about. No one introduces them. Only the dvd explains.

The first song Honey Hush, was something I never heard of. Lots of stupid screems from gals. Then we here another real oldied, Blue Jean Bop. In this one, Paul is seeming try to sound like Elvis, of which he actually did a good job.

As we all know, this was a very up close concert as the Cavern only held 300 no doubt rich ticket holders.

Paul then plays Brown Eyed Handsome Man. Another less than satisfying song for fans wanting Beatles, not this.

It seems Sir McCartney wanted a playlist HE wanted to play and get excited over, not the other way round.

Ok, he's earned that, but we the paying public hoped for a revisit to days of old. Even obscure Beatle music would have been better. Perhaps these old tunes were indeed played in Hamburg. We don't know because there is no explanation.

To his credit, Paul does talk to the crowd about the 5th song. The crowd is a bunch of fifties or sixties hangers on.

The sound in this concert is really good as is the filming. Image Entertainment did the work, again.

Appearing in all black, the band members and Paul are all an over the hill gang. Capable but of course, gray. The Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, the so-called legendary Mick Green and Pete Wingfield.

What's annoying is the audience yelling out this or that. Paul graciously ignores their comments. In the end what sinks this trip to The Cavern, the holy grail of Beatledome, is the play list.

A heckler gets noticed by Paul towards the end of the program. No doubt someone was more than disappointed. Paul says read my lips. Of course, you can read lips too. He told the heckler, Fuck You. Very, very, astoundingly inappropriate. John was right? Maybe so here. Paul is a vain, self indulgent Eggman. The singer of silly love songs.

Sir Paul may have wanted it, may have thought it was appropriate for the location. He's using his Beatle guitar. He's in person. But the feeling just isn't there. Where are the songs? Where are ANY of the Beatle tunes? Ok, maybe these are the old Beatle's songs sung here. It could be. But no one tells us that to prepare us.

He sings Lonesome Town, Twenty Flight Rock, No Other Baby, Try not to Cry, Shake and Hand, All Shook Up (as Paul introduces this, he lets us know the band played this in Hamburg). By now Paul's voice is flat and strained. Finally, the one song we all were waiting for:

"I Saw Her Standing There".

Of course, this is what the crowd came for. It brings down the house.

The last song is Party.

On December 14, 1999, just 300 people squeezed into the tiny Cavern Club in Liverpool. Paul hadn't played there since 1963. He sounds flat in some the later tunes like Lonesome Town.

Less than a "fantastic rock event" as written on the dvd cover, I found this to be a TREMENDOUS disappointment. Just when fans wanted a reprise of early Beatles songs, we got this.

Tell me if you saw it differently. I would like to know.

Includes a 22 minute video interview. 2 music videos.

DVD by Image Entertainment, dts surround, dolby digital 5.1, dolby digital stereo. 64 minutes.