Macca rocks Russia after magical mystery tour with Putin

PAUL McCARTNEY kept the Russians waiting. Until the demise of the Soviet Union.

Then more than another decade. And finally an extra 20 minutes on Saturday night.

But when the former Beatle kicked off his Red Square concert, near Lenin's mausoleum and Stalin's grave, thousands of his Russian fans weren't holding it against him.

"I've waited my whole life for this," said Vladimir Snopov, 52, of Samara, about 550 miles south of Moscow, who recalled when the only way to hear Mr McCartney sing was by listening to banned and often-fuzzy broadcasts over Voice of America and the BBC. Mr McCartney told journalists he tried to get to Russia in the 1980s, but was told a concert here was out of the question. Now, though, Russia bestowed royal treatment on the ex-Beatle. Mr McCartney met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who confessed that in Soviet times the Beatles were considered "propaganda of an alien ideology." But Mr Putin, an ex-KGB agent, had no such hang-ups, giving McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills, a personally guided tour of the Kremlin.

In return, Mr McCartney serenaded Mr Putin with "Let it Be."

Mr McCartney also pulled off the remarkable coup of commandeering the main portion of Red Square for the evening usually rock bands are relegated to lesser space. Even the upscale shopping mall GUM got into the act. It was converted into "Strawberry Fields" for a champagne and strawberry invitation-only bash.

"Good evening, Moskvichi," Mr McCartney yelled to an estimated 20,000 fans a mixed crowd including those who arrived in chauffeur-driven Mercedes and sailed hassle-free through the heavy security at the gates, to families and couples wearing old Beatles concert T-shirts.

Tickets ranged from about 20 to 200. With average monthly wages around 125, the concert was a splurge for many.

"I bought the cheapest ticket there was," said Irina Trifonova of St. Petersburg.

But the music was still audible far outside Red Square, and thousands of Russians took advantage of the warm weather to gather behind police barricades and listen.

Mr McCartney told journalists before the concert he was thrilled to be in Russia and performing on the doorstep of the Kremlin.

The first-time visitor was clearly in awe of his surroundings.

Asked where he could perform that would top Red Square, Mr McCartney didn't hesitate.

"Next stop the moon," he said.