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Unplugged 8 # By CARSON HENDERSON Staff Writer In the press room after the May 7 Paul McCartney concert at Williams-Brice Stadium, Andi, a young woman from Clinton I had met, said she had been stoned on pot in college when someone told her that McCartney actually was dead and an impostor had filled his shoes for more than 20 years. Unable to recognize that she was the victim of a prank, Andi told me she cried for hours. What Mcdartnev needs is some thing, perhaps illegal substances, to kickstart his creative rock V roll juices again. McCartney was arrested for drug possession in Sweden and Scotland in 1972, in Scotland again in 1973, and in Japan in 1980. McCartney has also admitted to using drugs during the late 1960s, uie waning aays 01 me beattes. Is it a coincidence that his most rewarding and lasting artistic periods have been when he was, at least to the public's knowledge, using drugs? Which is not to imply that McCartney's Columbia concert was dull and uninspiring. In fact, quite the opposite; he displayed agility and energy galore for a 50-year-old, but his once unpredictable clectrici Cam to have Come by and chec bv the Inl i ^ SOFTBALL $15* v Entries Open: Monday, June 7 Entries Close: Thursday, June 10 Play Begins: ^ Sunday, June 13 ^ TOY: c Undrugged ty was nowhere to be found. The lack of risks on the current tour was best exemplified by the middleaged man sitting behind me who kept yelling out the names of the songs before the band started playing. It turns out the man had seen McCartney the week before in Atlanta. There is no greater sin in McCartney performs at Williams-Br ipus r-tecreauo wants YOU i fun this sumi k out the summer ac hrarrmra! Snorts Proc ^-?j> XTRIPLES SAND VOLLEYBALL tKbf Sign up in the Office of1 Room 102, Blatt PE Cei Office Hours: Mon. - Fri Department of Student Life/Division of ! University of South Carolina rock 'n' roll than to play the same set every show. Stoned musicians do not do this. A lack of controlled substances has definitely hindered McCartney; he did not play a single song he recorded between the years ot 1980 and 1993, a period of relative sobriety for him. No use playing created without conviction. McCartney, who played bass, acoustic guitar, and piano, was supported by a crack band with an impressive musical pedigree: drummer Blair Cunnignham, formerly of the Pretenders; lead guitarist Robbie Mcintosh, also of the Pretenders; keyboardist Paul Wickens, a sought-after session musician; rhythm guitarist Hamish Stuart, formerly of the Average White Band; and keyboardist Linda McCartney, Paul's wife and background singer since 1969. When he played bass, McCartney, along with Eric Glenn/The Gamecock ice Stadium May 7. >n ner! :tivities offered *ram. TENNIS ml7DPP. Campus Recreation nter, 777-5261 8:00am - 5:00pm Student Affairs Cunningham, anchored a ferocious rhythm section; and Mcintosh once again proved that he is an underrated guitarist. McCartney opened with "Drive My Car," a spry Beatles tune. "Coming Up," a wonderful pop hinp fmm IQftO u/ae maitpH h\/ c\/n_ thesized horns, just as it was on record 13 years ago. "Looking for Changes," an animal rights song from McCartney's current album, "Off the Ground," and "Let Me Roll It," an early '70s number, rocked in a fashion that I did not think McCartney was still capable of. But after nine songs and a short guitar solo from Mcintosh, an unplugged nightmare began. In 1990, McCartney was one of the first superstars to perform on "Unplugged," MTV's back-tobasics show. He was also the first artist to release a live record taken from his MTV acoustic session. Since then, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Arrested Development, Rod Stewart, and Bruce Springsteen have released "Unplugged" recordings. Clapton, who is further proof that sobriety kills rock 'n' roll instinct, has been on cruise control for as long as I can remember. Carey and Arrested Development proved that synthesizers and samplers do not work without electricity. Stewart has been unmotivated lor ai least as long as L-iapion. Springsteen, whose MTV performance actually featured electricity, has released his record only in Europe. McCartney's record has been disgraced by three years of really lousy performances, excluding Springsteen's. 1 was shocked that McCartney had the nerve to perform acousticRimini based songs for the better part of an hour. Acoustic guitar and piano, percussion, tambourine, and accordion were well higlighted during his interlude. "We Can Work It Out," "And I Love Her," and "Yesterday" worked because they were largely acoustic in their original forms. Solo songs such as "Every Night," "Biker Like an Icon" and "Hope of Deliverance" cliu hoi compare. During "My Love," with its chorus of "My love does it good," I wondered to what attribute of Linda's is Paul referring to. Sex? Cooking? Balancing the cheekbook? It sure as hell isn't singing. Linda, whose cooing is notorious, was either lip-syncing the entire evening, or Paul had unplugged her. The unbearable part of the flrniKlir cpl wnc itc ipnnth Mnci "Vi " I,4J ,V1,b artists butcher the format, and* bands such as Guns n' Roses have recently attempted to prove in concert how rural their sound is. Take a hint: plug back in! Leave it to Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, who have all played successful acoustic sets for years. Young, who is still known to occassionally partake, will release a record culled from his MTV "Unplugged" session this month. McCartney's final songs of the evening were a greatest hits spectacle: "Paperback Writer," "Fixin" a Hole," "Penny Lane," and "Sgt. ^ r ~~~ i.. ni..L rc^ici > i^uiiciy ncai lb v^iuu Band." The encore included "Band on the Run." "I Saw Her Standing There," and "Hey Jude." Seven classic rock n' roll numbers that displayed why McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters ever. (However, to this reviewer's ears. McCartney's songwriting will never equal John Lennon's.) r^ak