McCartney plans concert warm-up surprise

Sir Paul McCartney is planning to be his own secret warm-up act for his first UK tour in a decade.

The music legend says he wants his musical alter ego The Fireman to be the support before he takes the stage for his own two and a half hour show.

Sir Paul has for many years denied he actually is The Fireman, the name under which he has released two underground chill-out albums with top producer Youth.

The former Beatle said: "What we were thinking of doing is a prelude, a pre-show thing, so that you come in and the atmosphere is a bit like a club.

"Maybe we're going to use The Fireman, some Fireman music. I thought of getting Youth and the Fireman to do some special mixes, and then it'll grow in intensity."

Sir Paul first recorded as The Fireman for the Strawberries, Oceans, Ships, Forests album he issued in 1993.

The name is thought to come from the track Penny Lane which includes the line "And then the Fireman rushes in" - indeed the band's second album was called Rushes.

Sir Paul's dad James was a voluntary firefighter. And the musician performed a benefit show in New York shortly after the September 11 attacks to benefit families of firefighters who were killed.

The millionaire star is playing the UK in April on his Back In The World tour, during which he will perform 22 Beatles songs