Sir Paul McCartney: Pre-show drinking made me forget the words
The singer told how he gave up backstage indulgences to keep him feeling light on stage.
Singer Sir Paul McCartney has told how he has stopped drinking before performances because the habit made him forget his words on stage.
The former Beatles star, 75, said he has now swapped beer and wine for snacks of salted cashew nuts and chocolate covered raisins, preferring to save any alcohol for after the show.
Talking to the Mirror about pre-show drinking in his earlier days, Sir Paul said: “I used to try that, particularly in the early days of Wings when we would tour.
“But it didn’t work – I would just forget the lyrics I didn’t know anyway.”
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) June 27, 2017
While his current Band On The Run musicians are happy to have a glass of red before performing, he said: “I don’t eat or drink before I go on because I sort of like to feel light.
“Then afterwards I can get heavy and have a drink – before I go on I don’t do that.
“But I do have little sort of snacky things in the dressing room that I might just grab.”
The Say Say Say star is currently performing his One On One tour in the US, and will take it to South America before finishing the year in Australasia.
