Paul McCartney returns to Tokyo, surprises fans with Beatles hit

[TOKYO] Almost 50 years after the Beatles delivered memorable performances at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan arena, former band member Paul McCartney returned to the venue on Tuesday with a special treat for his fans.

McCartney, 72, surprised the audience by singing the Beatles' Another Girl, the first time the song has ever been performed live, the singer's publicist said.

The veteran British musician also performed both Beatles hits and his own, and addressed the excited crowd in Japanese, saying "Long time no see Budokan." "It was sensational and quite emotional remembering the first time and then experiencing this fantastic audience tonight," McCartney said in a statement.

The Beatles first played the Budokon arena in 1966, amid protests from locals angered at the use of the venue for a musical act, as it was intended to be a sporting arena.

The controversy died down and over the past five decades, several musical acts have come to the Tokyo arena.

McCartney last performed in Japan in 2013, near the beginning of his international Out There tour, but not at the Budokan venue. His current tour will wrap up in July in Chicago.

REUTERS