Paul Says Being Hailed as ‘The New Beatles’ is a ‘Kiss of Death’

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Paul McCartney Says Being Hailed as ‘The New Beatles’ is a ‘Kiss of Death’

Michael Leonard

03.30.2012

Sir Paul McCartney says being hailed as the next Beatles is a “kiss of death” for a band. McCartney was asked about the stellar rise of U.K. boy band One Direction on U.K. TV show Daybreak. One Direction hit #1 on the Billboard album chart with their debut album – The Beatles did not achieve that.

But McCartney said of any “new Beatles” tag: “That is the kiss of death. So many bands have been called the next Beatles. It puts an awful lot of pressure on them to be the next Beatles. Oasis were the next Beatles once if you remember, you know, and it’s a pressure and suddenly you have to live up to all the things we did. It was a different time, you know, so let’s just call them the next terrific band.

“But [One Direction] are doing well in America, so that is good. Good luck lads!”

Paul performed at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, March 29, in a concert to raise money for the U.K.’s Teenage Cancer Trust. “I always wanted to do it because it is such a great cause,” he explained. “When you are playing for some sort of added benefit for someone else it makes that bit extra special.”