Wings live: Apollo Stadium, Adelaide – 5 November 1975

Wednesday 5 November 1975 · Wings · Live performance · Adelaide, South Australia

Wings performed at Apollo Stadium in Adelaide on 5 November 1975, returning for their second consecutive concert at the venue. It was the sixteenth night of the Wings Over the World tour, which had opened in Britain in September and would continue through October 1976.

Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English played a 29-song programme with a four-piece horn section. The show combined songs from Venus and Mars and Band on the Run, earlier Wings singles, McCartney’s solo work and five Beatles songs.

Wings at Apollo Stadium: concert facts

The second Adelaide night

The Australian leg had begun at Perth Entertainment Centre on 1 November. Wings then travelled to Adelaide for concerts on 4 and 5 November, followed by two shows each in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. There were nine Australian concert dates in total.

The first Apollo Stadium concert on 4 November had introduced Adelaide to the touring five-piece and its horn section. For McCartney, these performances marked a return to a city he had visited with The Beatles in 1964. The earlier visit included the Centennial Hall concerts on 12 June 1964.

Apollo Stadium was in Richmond, away from the Centennial Hall venue used by The Beatles. McCartney’s official tour archive identifies 41 Kingston Avenue as the address for both Wings concerts.

The band and horn section

By the Australian tour, Joe English had taken over on drums from Geoff Britton, who had played on several Venus and Mars recordings. Jimmy McCulloch was the lead guitarist, while Denny Laine contributed vocals, guitar and bass. Linda McCartney played keyboards and sang, with Paul moving between bass, guitar and keyboards.

Denny Laine’s featured vocals included “Spirits of Ancient Egypt” and “Go Now”, while Jimmy McCulloch sang “Medicine Jar”. The horn section supplied brass and reed parts across the programme, including material from Venus and Mars.

Concert setlist: 5 November 1975

1. Venus and Mars
2. Rock Show
3. Jet
4. Let Me Roll It
5. Spirits of Ancient Egypt
6. Little Woman Love
7. C Moon
8. Maybe I’m Amazed
9. Lady Madonna
10. The Long and Winding Road
11. Medicine Jar
12. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)
13. Richard Cory
14. Bluebird
15. I’ve Just Seen a Face
16. Blackbird
17. Yesterday
18. You Gave Me the Answer
19. Magneto and Titanium Man
20. Go Now
21. Letting Go
22. Live and Let Die
23. Call Me Back Again
24. My Love
25. Listen to What the Man Said
26. Junior’s Farm
27. Band on the Run
28. Hi, Hi, Hi
29. Soily

Venus and Mars on the Australian stage

The opening moved from “Venus and Mars” into “Rock Show” and “Jet”. The first two songs came from the current album; “Jet” came from Band on the Run. Later selections from Venus and Mars included “Spirits of Ancient Egypt”, “Medicine Jar”, “You Gave Me the Answer”, “Magneto and Titanium Man”, “Letting Go”, “Call Me Back Again” and “Listen to What the Man Said”.

The album had appeared earlier in the year, with the US release on 27 May 1975 followed by the UK release on 30 May.

“Letting Go” had begun its studio life exactly a year before this concert, when Wings recorded the backing track in EMI Studio Two on 5 November 1974. Geoff Britton played drums on that recording; Joe English was behind the kit for the Adelaide performance.

The Beatles songs and acoustic sequence

Five Beatles songs were included: “Lady Madonna”, “The Long and Winding Road”, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, “Blackbird” and “Yesterday”. They appeared within a programme led by Wings material and McCartney’s post-Beatles recordings, including “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “My Love”.

The acoustic section brought together “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)”, “Richard Cory”, “Bluebird”, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, “Blackbird” and “Yesterday”. The tour’s seated acoustic format placed the musicians in chairs at the front of the stage.

“Little Woman Love”, “C Moon” and “Junior’s Farm” were also part of the 1975 programme. The later Wings at the Speed of Sound songs “Silly Love Songs” and “Let ’Em In” entered the tour after their recording and release in 1976.

The closing stretch and the later American concerts

The final part of the Adelaide set included “Live and Let Die”, “Call Me Back Again”, “My Love” and “Listen to What the Man Said”, followed by “Junior’s Farm” and “Band on the Run”. “Hi, Hi, Hi” and “Soily” closed the show.

After Australia, Wings resumed touring in Europe in March 1976 before the North American concerts in May and June. The triple live album Wings Over America was compiled from the later US performances. McCartney’s official album history describes its assembly from recordings made at several shows, mixed to play as one concert.

Our archive follows the tour through Copenhagen on 21 March 1976 and Seattle on 10 June.

Apollo Stadium: the historic location

Apollo Stadium, also known as Apollo Entertainment Centre, stood at 41 Kingston Avenue, Richmond, South Australia. The map identifies the historic venue address in metropolitan Adelaide.

View the historic Apollo Stadium address on Google Maps

Complete Wings Over the World tour itinerary

Britain, September 1975

• 9 September 1975 — Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, England
• 10 September 1975 — Hippodrome, Bristol, England
• 11 September 1975 — Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, Wales
• 12 September 1975 — Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England
• 13 September 1975 — Hippodrome, Birmingham, England
• 15 September 1975 — Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England
• 16 September 1975 — City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
• 17 September 1975 — Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
• 18 September 1975 — Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
• 20 September 1975 — Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland
• 21 September 1975 — Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland
• 22 September 1975 — Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen, Scotland
• 23 September 1975 — Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland

Australia, November 1975

• 1 November 1975 — Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth
• 4 November 1975 — Apollo Stadium, Adelaide
• 5 November 1975 — Apollo Stadium, Adelaide
• 7 November 1975 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
• 8 November 1975 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
• 10 November 1975 — Festival Hall, Brisbane
• 11 November 1975 — Festival Hall, Brisbane
• 13 November 1975 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
• 14 November 1975 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Europe, March 1976

• 20 March 1976 — Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 21 March 1976 — Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 23 March 1976 — Deutschlandhalle, West Berlin
• 25 March 1976 — Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 26 March 1976 — Pavillon de Paris, Paris, France

United States and Canada, May–June 1976

• 3 May 1976 — Convention Center, Fort Worth, USA
• 4 May 1976 — The Summit, Houston, USA
• 7 May 1976 — Olympia Stadium, Detroit, USA
• 8 May 1976 — Olympia Stadium, Detroit, USA
• 9 May 1976 — Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
• 10 May 1976 — Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, USA
• 12 May 1976 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, USA
• 14 May 1976 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, USA
• 15 May 1976 — Capital Centre, Landover, USA
• 16 May 1976 — Capital Centre, Landover, USA
• 18 May 1976 — Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, USA
• 19 May 1976 — Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, USA
• 21 May 1976 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, USA
• 22 May 1976 — Boston Garden, Boston, USA
• 24 May 1976 — Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 25 May 1976 — Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 27 May 1976 — Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, USA
• 29 May 1976 — Kemper Arena, Kansas City, USA
• 31 May 1976 — Chicago Stadium, Chicago, USA
• 1 June 1976 — Chicago Stadium, Chicago, USA
• 2 June 1976 — Chicago Stadium, Chicago, USA
• 4 June 1976 — Civic Center, St Paul, USA
• 7 June 1976 — McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, USA
• 10 June 1976 — Kingdome, Seattle, USA
• 13 June 1976 — Cow Palace, Daly City, USA
• 14 June 1976 — Cow Palace, Daly City, USA
• 16 June 1976 — Sports Arena, San Diego, USA
• 18 June 1976 — Community Center, Tucson, USA
• 21 June 1976 — The Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 22 June 1976 — The Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 23 June 1976 — The Forum, Inglewood, USA

Europe and Britain, September–October 1976

• 19 September 1976 — Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
• 21 September 1976 — Dom Sportova, Zagreb, Yugoslavia
• 25 September 1976 — Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy
• 27 September 1976 — Olympiahalle, Munich, West Germany
• 19 October 1976 — Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
• 20 October 1976 — Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
• 21 October 1976 — Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England

Wings merchandise

Explore the Paul McCartney Wings Collage T-shirt, featuring a band design on the front and song titles on the back.

Frequently asked questions

When did Wings play their second Adelaide concert?

Wings played the second of two consecutive Apollo Stadium concerts on 5 November 1975, following the first show on 4 November.

Where was Apollo Stadium in Adelaide?

The venue stood at 41 Kingston Avenue, Richmond, South Australia. It was also known as Apollo Entertainment Centre.

Who was in Wings for the Adelaide shows?

Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English, accompanied by Howie Casey, Tony Dorsey, Steve Howard and Thaddeus Richard.

Which Beatles songs were in the set?

Lady Madonna, The Long and Winding Road, I’ve Just Seen a Face, Blackbird and Yesterday.

Was this concert part of Wings Over America?

It was part of the wider Wings Over the World tour. The Wings Over America album was compiled from the later North American concerts in 1976.

Where did Wings play after Adelaide?

The next concerts were at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on 7 and 8 November 1975, followed by Brisbane and Melbourne.