Sir Paul McCartney talks to Mike Hosking about hongi and Kiwi crowds.
The first time Sir Paul McCartney came to New Zealand, at the height of The Beatles fame in 1964, a then-teenaged Lynette Smaill asked her parents if she could go to the band's Dunedin concert.
She was told no.
There was too much screaming, too much crowd crush, too muchfainting and she was too young, her parents told her.
"I wasn't allowed to go and that was that ... I did go to the Octagon though and listen to the music outside."
Sir Paul McCartney, left, with his bandmates from The Beatles, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon, in the 1960s. Photo / Supplied by TVNZ
Sir Paul McCartney is performing in Auckland tonight. Photo / File
Today the couple and eight other lucky competition winners met Sir Paul, posing for a group photo and receiving a goodie bag before enjoying a sound check at Mt Smart Stadium.
Sir Paul had earlier told the group that he tried to cater for all his fans on his One on One world tour, from those who first knew him in The Beatles to the Wings fanatics and young, new followers.
Sir Paul, who told them he will fly to Los Angeles after tonight's concert, delighted Smaill during the sound check with a beautiful piano intro to Beatles classic Lady Madonna.
Tonight, the 66-year-old most hoped to hear Norwegian Wood, from The Beatles Rubber Soul album.
