Paul McCartney live: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines – 27 October 2005

Thursday 27 October 2005 | Live concert | Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Paul McCartney performed at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on 27 October 2005, playing to 14,204 fans. It was the 21st show of his US Tour, a 37-date itinerary running from September to November in support of Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

The evening reached across McCartney’s recording career, from the Quarrymen’s In Spite of All the Danger to four songs from the new album. A 30-entry main set was followed by two encores, with The End closing the concert.

From Saint Paul to Des Moines

The Iowa concert followed McCartney’s Xcel Energy Center show in Saint Paul on 26 October. Des Moines was the next stop in a sequence that would continue to Omaha and Denver before heading towards the Pacific Northwest and California.

The official US Tour archive lists the Des Moines performance at Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center Street, and identifies Chaos and Creation in the Backyard as the album behind the tour.

The tour presentation also included Twin Freaks remixes and a short film before the main performance. Once the band took the stage, Magical Mystery Tour opened a programme that moved between Beatles songs, Wings hits and several phases of McCartney’s solo work.

Four songs from Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

Fine Line, Jenny Wren, English Tea and Follow Me represented the new album. Rather than forming a single block, they appeared at different points in the set.

Fine Line arrived after Got to Get You into My Life, while Jenny Wren followed I Will. English Tea sat between Fixing a Hole and I’ll Follow the Sun, and Follow Me led into Blackbird.

This sequencing placed the contemporary songs alongside earlier compositions with different musical settings. It also meant the quieter central passage carried a substantial part of the new album’s presence in the show, before the later run of larger band performances.

The five-piece touring band

The returning group provided continuity with McCartney’s earlier 2000s touring. Bass and guitar exchanges, keyboards and layered vocals supported a set moving between full-band rock, acoustic songs and piano-led arrangements.

From early Beatles songs to Ram and Wings

After Magical Mystery Tour, Flaming Pie and Jet moved the opening sequence into two other chapters of McCartney’s career. I’ll Get You and Till There Was You then returned to early Beatles repertoire, with Let Me Roll It bringing Wings back into the programme.

In Spite of All the Danger reached further back to the Quarrymen. For No One, Fixing a Hole and I’ll Follow the Sun gave the central section additional Beatles selections beyond the biggest concert staples.

Later, Too Many People led into She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. Wings favourites Band on the Run and Live and Let Die remained prominent, while the two encores included Helter Skelter and Please Please Me before the final Sgt. Pepper reprise and The End.

For a merchandise connection to the Wings repertoire heard in Des Moines, explore the Paul McCartney Wings Band on the Run T-shirt.

Setlist

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Flaming Pie
3. Jet
4. I’ll Get You
5. Drive My Car
6. Till There Was You
7. Let Me Roll It
8. Got to Get You into My Life
9. Fine Line
10. Maybe I’m Amazed
11. The Long and Winding Road
12. In Spite of All the Danger
13. I Will
14. Jenny Wren
15. For No One
16. Fixing a Hole
17. English Tea
18. I’ll Follow the Sun
19. Follow Me
20. Blackbird
21. Eleanor Rigby
22. Too Many People
23. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
24. Good Day Sunshine
25. Band on the Run
26. Penny Lane
27. I’ve Got a Feeling
28. Back in the USSR
29. Hey Jude
30. Live and Let Die

First encore

31. Yesterday
32. Get Back
33. Helter Skelter

Second encore

34. Please Please Me
35. Let It Be
36. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
37. The End

Wells Fargo Arena: concert location

The concert took place at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. The map locates the arena at 233 Center Street using the venue name associated with the 2005 performance.

Complete US Tour itinerary, 2005

The 37 dates are listed below, including the Toronto concert in Canada. Historical venue names are retained. The preceding Saint Paul concert is linked, and the Des Moines date is highlighted.

September 2005

1. 16 September: American Airlines Arena, Miami, USA
2. 17 September: St Pete Times Forum, Tampa, USA
3. 20 September: Philips Arena, Atlanta, USA
4. 22 September: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, USA
5. 23 September: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, USA
6. 26 September: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, USA
7. 27 September: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, USA
8. 30 September: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA

October 2005

9. 1 October: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
10. 4 October: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
11. 5 October: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
12. 8 October: MCI Center, Washington, DC, USA
13. 10 October: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
14. 14 October: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
15. 15 October: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
16. 18 October: United Center, Chicago, USA
17. 19 October: United Center, Chicago, USA
18. 22 October: Value City Arena, Columbus, USA
19. 23 October: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, USA
20. 26 October: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, USA
21. 27 October: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, USA, this concert
22. 30 October: Qwest Center, Omaha, USA

November 2005

23. 1 November: Pepsi Center, Denver, USA
24. 3 November: KeyArena, Seattle, USA
25. 4 November: Rose Garden, Portland, USA
26. 7 November: HP Pavilion, San Jose, USA
27. 8 November: HP Pavilion, San Jose, USA
28. 11 November: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, USA
29. 12 November: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, USA
30. 16 November: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, USA
31. 19 November: Toyota Center, Houston, USA
32. 20 November: American Airlines Center, Dallas, USA
33. 23 November: Glendale Arena, Glendale, USA
34. 25 November: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas area, USA
35. 26 November: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas area, USA
36. 29 November: Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA
37. 30 November: Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA

A later return to Des Moines

McCartney returned to Wells Fargo Arena on 21 July 2017 during the One On One Tour. The 2005 concert belongs to an earlier chapter, with Chaos and Creation in the Backyard providing its contemporary material and the five-piece band carrying the performance.

To follow the immediate touring sequence, read the Saint Paul concert from the previous evening. For a same-date comparison across a different lineup and period, explore Barcelona on 27 October 1993.

For an artist-focused design, browse the Paul McCartney Photo T-shirt.

Frequently asked questions

Where did Paul McCartney perform on 27 October 2005?

He performed at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, during the US Tour.

How many fans attended the Des Moines concert?

The reported attendance was 14,204.

Which Chaos and Creation songs were played?

The set included Fine Line, Jenny Wren, English Tea and Follow Me from Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

Who played in McCartney’s band?

The five-piece band comprised Paul McCartney, Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens, Brian Ray, Rusty Anderson and Abe Laboriel Jr.

How did the concert finish?

The first encore comprised Yesterday, Get Back and Helter Skelter. The second featured Please Please Me, Let It Be, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) and The End.

Did McCartney return to Wells Fargo Arena?

Yes. He returned on 21 July 2017 during the One On One Tour.

Previous concert: Saint Paul, 26 October 2005 · More On This Day in Beatles History