Paul McCartney to end Olympics opening ceremony.

+1 However , no great fan of Tom Jones, but he  gave a good performance. Cliff Richard simply ran out of breath and tried to get the audience to carry him. Annie Lennox a bit OTT. Shirlley Bassey,enough said, ugh !  Grace Jones (64 ) how did she keep the hoop up!

I could go on. The youngters  generally out performed to oldies.

And, Grace Jones is six months older than Chuck. I doubt his legs look as good as Grace's. 

Tony

I'm a big Beatles fan but have to agree, Paul hasn't got it anymore. I saw the Isle of Wight festival on TV a couple of years ago and he sounded as bad. However, I went to see him live last December in Manchester, fearing the worst but he was great. Perhaps it's different when you're actually there.

Yep, totally agree, and last night's Jubilee concert prooved it beyond reasonable doubt.

But i'm not convinced that the younger singers have what it takes either.

Cringeworthy either way

Cheers

Don

Whether he still has it or not, it is getting awfully repetitive. There have been so many events over the years that finish with him. Only difference last night was that he did not do Hey Jude.Time for a rethink.

Perhaps it was just a bad day for musicians, I'm sure I heard Lang Lang play a duff note as well.

I have to disagree with this.  While I'm the first to admit that his voice isn't quite what it used to be I think he's the perfect choice because no matter what, hearing Britain's greatest living musician/composer singing songs from the greatest rock band in history always moves me.  Nobody else has the gravitas, credentials and sheer magentism to carry it off and I was enormously proud to see him up there.

The man is a living legend, a national treasure and it's only right he is the finale to our greatest national moments.  It's a bit like Concorde, the red arrows, Shakespeare, Elgar, Hardy, Wordsworth etc - some artists and creations are destined to transcend time and McCartney has earned his place amongst them.  

Jonathan

How is it not PERFECT for the opening ceremony?  It wont wake anyone up when it is over.

Seriously.  Anything about the Olympics, other than the actual events, themselves is so manufactured, hollow and banal. Why isn't the third best member of a band from over 40 years ago not spot on?

They can reuse the song for the theme music to the wholly disingenuous "Athlete Bios" they puke all over us.  Maybe Bob Costas can sing with him on stage!

+1. For something as populist as the Olympics, Macca is the perfect choice. It will please most of the people, most of the time.

I saw a video of a New York (I think) concert the other day, and thought he was great.

He is an INternational treasure.

They should end it with a massive show by Pink Floyd.

People would not forget that in a hurry.

I wonder what colour Pauls hair will be by then?

Stu.

I agree that Macca is a graeat choice!

Richard

Some say over the hill, middle of the road, past it.

Some say we can't do any better.

Maybe they are both right.

Runs and ducks for cover 

Reasons for Olympics Avoidance keep on adding up...

Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3:

Ok, so Macca is going to end the opening ceremony. Yes he is one of the greatest rock stars of all time and has earned some sort of right to be there. No sour grapes here.

But it would be nice if he could choose his repetoire very carefully and put in a bit more practise so that his performance is "good" rather than the "mediocre nostalgia" that I saw on Monday evening.

Cheers

Don

I agree Don but I confess I thought All my Loving was superb.

I think the Who would be better. According to the radio here the organising committee had enquired if Keith Moon would be available...

Ok, I also thought his ending with Oobladi, Oobladah was "catchy".

When I said above, that he needs to choose his repetoire carefully, IMHO he needs to get the whole world (not just the 100,000 in the Olympic Statium) rocking throughout his entire performance and finish with the entire world gasping for more !!!!! 

That didn't quite happen on Monday (IMHO).

Cheers

Don

+1  

If the selection is based on last Monday, someone needs to call Tom Jones PDQ.

How about John Lydon?

He looked pretty perky on the BBC's punk documentary.

Or for the opening ceremony New Order with World In Motion. Would fit perfectly.

Heard Alfie Boe sing for the first time at the Jubbly Concert. The guy can sing and not just classical,he can mix it up a bit.

For me he would be the guy to have at the start/finish of the Olympics.

Mista H

One things for sure - this Olympics will be much better the last one. 

If there is one thing we still do well, it is put on show 

Macca is a great, if obvious choice, choice

I'd love to see some British folk music represented ... and no Opera singers please that would be fine if it were the Italian Olympics, but I thought this was the UK. 

I would like to see a celebration of our great public figures Shakespeare, Newton, Brunel, Faraday, Darwin, Dickens, Wat Tyler, Paul Mariner and that greatest parliamentarian of them all Tony Blair Guy Fawkes. 

I'd love see Bellowhead at one of these events .... there is nothing better than a good old sing song. 

Or perhaps this troubadour and raconteur from Stratford 

Paul McCartney to end Olympics opening ceremony.

Probably the only reason he playing in the first place,just like the other night!

On another point, Guido what code did you use to post the Youtube link?

You just right click on YouTube and copy Video URL - then in the superb hoopla forum posting box you click the third icon on the right that looks like a film. In the file/URL vox you paste (Apple key-V) the copied URL in to the box then click Insert - you won't see the video until you post.