Watch: Paul McCartney Reunites with Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood and Original Bass During London Concert

Photo: Marc Millman

All roads lead to “The End,” and last night, Sir. Paul McCartney put on a momentous finale during the closing show of his extensive Got Back tour at London’s O2 Arena. During the hometown performance, McCartney enhanced the experience with a pair of special editions, bringing out The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood for a number, and later, his Beatles bandmates, Ringo Starr. Adding to the night’s lore was the re-emergence of McCartney’s violin-shaped 1961 electric Höfner bass. 

Before bringing out Wood, McCartney preluded the sit-in by addressing another matter: reuniting with his original bass, which was used to track The Beatles’ initial records and subsequent hits, “Twist and Shout,” “She Loves Me,” and “Love Me Do.” The instrument was believed to have been stolen during the band’s 1969 Let It Be era and only turned up earlier this year following valiant search efforts to track down the historic bass. 

“I haven’t played it in 50 years. And what is more, we’ve got a special guest for you here–a Rolling Stone. Ronnie Wood,” McCartney told his sold-out audience. Wood, who also spent time in Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, assisted his host and the band on “Get Back.”

Sans Wood, the billed musician continued his trajectory of working through Beatles classics, offering “Let It Be,” “Live and Let Die,” and a main frame send-off, “Hey Jude.” Returning for the evening’s encore, they set the tone with “I’ve Got a Feeling” before McCartney told the crowd: “We’ve got another surprise for you. Bring to the stage the mighty, the one and only Mr. Ringo Starr.”

Starr took his expected seat behind the drum kit and set course to revisit a pair of favorites from The Beatles catalog. Along with his longtime friend, the duo, supported by McCartney’s backing band, performed “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Helter Skelter.” 

Scroll down to watch fan-shot videos from last night’s reunion.