Paul McCartney Plays With Surviving Nirvana Members - Noise11 Music News
Paul McCartney photo by Karen Freedman, Noise11, Photo

Paul McCartney photo by Karen Freedman

Paul McCartney Plays With Surviving Nirvana Members

by Tim Cashmere on December 13, 2012

in News

The 12/12/12 Concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden has had a lot of great shows, but none more unusual than former Beatle Paul McCartney teaming up with surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic which brought the show to a close.

McCartney opened his show with Helter Skelter before playing a few Wings tunes. Diana Krall helped him out for My Valentine off his 2012 album Kisses on the Bottom.

He told a story of how a few guys asked him to come jam and it wasn’t long before he realised he was “in the middle of a Nirvana reunion”. Introducing Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist (and current Foo Fighter) Pat Smear. They blasted through a new song Cut Me Some Slack before disappearing and leaving his usual (and let’s face it, excellent) band to sound a bit soft by comparison.

Alicia Keys closed the show with the help of McCartney’s band playing the Jay-Z song she collaborated on: Empire State of Mind while the stage was filled with fire fighters and other New Yorkers while Paul McCartney danced away.

You can preorder all of these tunes on itunes and no doubt these collaborations will be a popular grab.

While we’re at it, some of the old bastards still know how to rock (hat tip to The Who) and some of the old bastards have no idea what is going on at all (hat tip to NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams who said The Who were “Keith Moon and Roger Daltry”.

Follow the author Tim Cashmere on Twitter.

 

Related Posts

Paul McCartney talks to BB2 Tracks of My Years
Paul McCartney Revisits Rock And Roll Roots On BBC’s Tracks Of My Years

Paul McCartney used BBC Radio's Tracks Of My Years with Vernon Kay to map the records that shaped his life, from Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry to John Lennon, while sharing stories about Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and the artists he sees carrying global pop culture today.

May 26, 2026
Paul McCartney — The Boys of Dungeon Lane
Paul McCartney Announces New Album The Boys Of Dungeon Lane

Paul McCartney returns with his most personal record to date, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, reflecting on his Liverpool childhood and early days with John Lennon and George Harrison

March 27, 2026
John Lennon Live In New York City
John Lennon Live In New York City Reaches Its 40th Anniversary

Four decades after John Lennon's Live In New York City captured his only full-length solo concert, the legacy of John Lennon's 1972 One To One shows is being reframed through a major documentary and the expansive Power To The People box set.

February 12, 2026
Billy Preston That's The Way God Planned It movie
Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It Documentary Set For North American Release

The life and music of legendary keyboardist Billy Preston comes alive on the big screen in a new documentary from multi-Emmy winner Paris Barclay

January 28, 2026
Rod Lynton guitarist who played on John Lennon Imagine album
Rod Lynton And The Accidental Moment That Led To John Lennon’s Imagine

Rod Lynton did not expect a casual walk through a London park to reopen one of the most remarkable chapters in British music history. Yet that is exactly what happened when the guitarist, quietly living in Muswell Hill, was randomly approached for the A Mug of Life podcast. What followed was a rare, first-hand recollection of how a young guitarist with a growing reputation found himself playing on John Lennon's Imagine album, one of the most important records of the post-Beatles era.

January 5, 2026
Paul McCartney at AAMI Park Melbourne on Tuesday 5 December 2017. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Hofner Files For Bankruptcy As Paul McCartney Pays Tribute To Iconic Bass Maker

One of the most historically significant instrument makers in popular music, Höfner, has filed for bankruptcy in Germany, placing the future of the company behind Paul McCartney's most famous bass guitar under serious question. The filing, lodged with the Fürth District Court in Bavaria, confirms that Karl Höfner GmbH & Co has entered provisional insolvency administration as of 10 December.

December 19, 2025
Finn Wolfhard stop motion video for George Harrison Give Me Love Give Me Peace On Earth
Finn Wolfhard Directs First-Ever Official Music Video for George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”

More than 50 years after its release, George Harrison's enduring solo classic “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” has received its first official music video. The newly unveiled visual was directed by actor, filmmaker and musician Finn Wolfhard, marking a rare and carefully sanctioned addition to Harrison's storied catalogue.

December 17, 2025