John Lennon's song 'Imagine' now in a comic strip

www.mid-day.com
John Lennon's song 'Imagine' now in a comic strip
By Fiona Fernandez |
Posted 31 May-2014

In an email interview with Fiona Fernandez, Pablo Stanley, the San Diego-based creator of the comic strip, Imagine pays tribute to John Lennon’s iconic song  

Q. What inspired you to create this comic strip? Are you a John Lennon fan?
A. I've been a Beatles and John Lennon fan since I was a kid. Imagine has always been one of my favourite songs. Its message is simple and in a way utopian but still beautiful. 





Q. What were some of the challenges while creating a comic strip, especially since it was about one of the biggest cult songs of all time?
A. The biggest challenge was to put big ideas in small doodles. How can you simplify something so complex as hunger, war, hate and break it down in a way anyone can read? I used themes that anyone can relate to; good and evil, peace and war; and depict it in the most human way 
possible. I used some of my idols in the comic too. People who have fought for equality, human rights, non-violence, and a better world. All of this was done to make the comic what the song was meant to be — a worldwide call for love and empathy. 



Q. Are you tempted to create comic strips based on other iconic songs as well? 
A. I have already started doing so and I intend to continue. You can see comics from the songs Yesterday by the Beatles, Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, Do You Realize by Flaming Lips and Last Caress by Misfits. 


Did you know?
>> Pablo Stanley has been part of different bands that covered Punk Rock and Electro Rock. He currently DJs under the name Pablo Stanley and produces under the name Hustlehoff.
>> He has own clothing brand Stanley+Colors

Beatles Australian 50th Anniversary Celebrations Are Hotting Up

beatlesblogger.com
Beatles Australian 50th Anniversary Celebrations Are Hotting Up
by beatlesblogger
May 30, 2014

Here in Australia the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles one-and-only tour Down Under are beginning to get exciting.

The Beatles arrived in Sydney on June 11, 1964 and EMI Australia has today posted a great Australian tour highlights video on its official YouTube site:



The site publicises Australia’s contribution to the 50th anniversary – a 2 CD set called Then & Now – Australia Salutes The Beatles. It’s a compilation of some of Australia’s finest artists covering classic Beatle songs:



Details about the release can be found in 
http://www.noise11.com/news/australia-salutes-the-beatles-with-50-anniversary-cd-of-visit-20140523

It has to be said it is a bit underwhelming with the news that this was actually EMI Australia’s second choice as a way to mark the historic visit. Initially the company was working on a unique two-disc set which was to have included a DVD of the complete Melbourne concert (which was filmed live and broadcast nationally at the time), with extra songs and partial songs included. This was to be partnered with a CD containing the studio recordings of those particular songs from the concert. It could have been a nice double-disc package, complete with a booklet – a real collectors item, unique to Australia. By comparison the double CD’s of Aussie cover versions is a real let-down.

EMI Australia was apparently told by Apple head office that as they are working on a live project of their own the local project could not possibly proceed…..

There’ll be more news on other Australian celebrations to mark the anniversary across June – including a major television documentary produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and a “pop-up” digital radio station which will run for a week and play ’64 Beatles tour music as well as rare audio from the archives. This will also be streamed live around the world – so more on these broadcasts soon in future posts.

John Lennon poems and doodles set to fetch $800,000 at auction

www.dailymail.co.uk
John Lennon's 'gibberish' poems and childlike doodles set to fetch $800,000 at auction
By REUTERS and DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 29 May 2014

The largest private collection of doodles, comic drawings and nonsensical poems by the Beatles singer John Lennon will be sold by Sotheby's in New York next Wednesday.

Ranging from gibberish descriptions of Lennon's native city Liverpool, in northern England, to a drawing of a ‘National Health Cow’ in an apparent jab at Britain's National Health Service, the collection reveals a lesser known side of the celebrated British singer, who was shot dead in 1980.

The drawings and original manuscripts are part of a collection of publisher Tom Maschler, creator of the prestigious literary award the Booker Prize, who published them in two books, In His Own Write (1964), and A Spaniard in the Works (1965).


Up for grabs: The largest private collection of nonsense poems and doodles by the Beatles singer John Lennon will be sold at auction on June 4 - this ink drawing of a guitar player will be included in the sale, with an estimated sale value of $15,000 to $25,000

The collection, named You Might Well Arsk, has a pre-sale estimate of around $800,000 for 89 lots, Sotheby's said.

The sale coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance in America on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. Watched by 73 million Americans, it shot the band to stardom.

The drawings and poems all date back to the early 1960s at the height of 'Beatlemania', Sotheby's said.


Music legend: Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, pictured leaving a U.S. immigration hearing in New York on April 18, 1972 - he was shot dead eight years later when returning to his New York home by Mark David Chapman


Inside the mind of a music star: The collection reveals a lesser known side of the celebrated British singer, who was shot dead in 1980 - this ink drawing is set to fetch up to $15,000


Hard reads: Many of the words in Lennon's letters and poems are misspelled, with letters jumbled up

One of the unpublished typescripts contains a reference to the record-breaking British band's first single Love Me Do, released in 1962.

'The Beatles (a band) hab jud make a regord ... a song they whripe themselves called 'Lub Me Jew'," Lennon wrote in his characteristic gibberish style.

Another highlight in the sale is a cartoon of a boy with six birds.

It appeared in A Spaniard in the Works and was used 30 years later as the cover for the Beatles' release of Free as a Bird, written by Lennon in 1977.

It has a pre-sale estimate of $12,000 to $15,000.


Quite the imagination: This image provided by Sotheby's - the New York auction house hosting the sale - shows an untitled ink drawing by Lennon of a seated man and floating creature, which is estimated to sell for $8,000 to $12,000


Retro fashions: Lennon's drawings and poems all date back to the early 1960s at the height of 'Beatlemania' - this one, showing seven people and a dog, has a pre-sale price tag of $10,000 to $15,000


English countryside: Some of the drawings appear to be set around Lennon's native city, Liverpool - this sheep ink and watercolor is one of the few colored pieces, pushing the estimate up to a high of $30,000

'It's very much like Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were two of Lennon's favorite books from childhood and he read them on a yearly basis,' said Philip Errington, director of printed books and manuscripts at Sotheby's.

'It is gibberish, it is gobbledygook, and yet it's funny, it's humorous verse.'

But not everyone was as convinced of their literary value.


Sale highlight: This cartoon of a boy with six birds was used as the cover for the Beatles' release of Free as a Bird, written by Lennon in 1977 - it has a pre-sale estimate of $12,000 to $15,000


Historical reference: Many of Lennon's doodles have political undertones - this one, showing people voting, is expected to fetch up to $15,000


Random thoughts: 'It is gibberish, it is gobbledygook, and yet it's funny, it's humorous verse,' 'Philip Errington, director of printed books and manuscripts at Sotheby's, said of Lennon's manuscripts

In a parliamentary debate in 1964, a Conservative politician, Charles Curran, used Lennon's nonsense verse to attack Britain's education standards.

'He [Lennon] is in a state of pathetic near-literacy,' Curran said.

'He seems to have picked up bits of Tennyson, Browning and Robert Louis Stevenson while listening with one ear to the football results on the wireless.'

Maschler tracked Lennon down at a concert after coming across the drawings and writings in 1962 and convinced him to make a book out of them.

The New York sale will take place on June 4.

Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl emerge as formidable songsmiths

www.isthmus.com
Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl emerge as formidable songsmiths in the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
In their own write
Dean Robbins 
Wednesday 05/28/20

Sean Lennon hasn't exactly shied away from associations with his famous parents. He works with his mother, Yoko Ono, in her Plastic Ono Band. With his own band, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, he courts comparisons with his late father, John Lennon, by creating psychedelic music reminiscent of late-period Beatles.

Sean has inherited his dad's vocal timbre, along with his penchant for surrealism, both in lyrics and videos. But perhaps his most significant parallel with John is his decision to team up artistically with his longtime romantic partner. The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (or GOASTT) represents his mind-meld with model and musician Charlotte Kemp Muhl. She shares his eccentric tastes, just as Yoko shared John's.

Given Sean's strong ties with Mom and Dad (and really, he couldn't have escaped their shadow if he'd tried), it's impressive that he's emerged as an artist in his own right. You'll see real musicians, not just a celebrity couple, when he and Muhl showcase their idiosyncratic album Midnight Sun at the High Noon Saloon on Saturday, May 31, at 9:30 p.m.

Sean and Charlotte began their own epic romance after meeting at the 2005 Coachella music festival. "For about a year we wrote letters because Sean was touring [his album] Friendly Fire," says Muhl. "He would send me homemade postcards, and we would write and text and email nonstop."

Lennon and Muhl realized they could make beautiful music together -- literally. The sweethearts collaborated on 2010's dreamy Acoustic Sessions, which they considered merely a warm-up.

"We always wanted to be a psychedelic rock band," Muhl says. "But we decided to put out the acoustic record because we weren't ready to tour and perform as a rock band. We hadn't figured out the sound in the studio."

With Midnight Sun, they've figured it out. The couple spent five years on the project, communing with one another via guitars, drums, piano and accordion.

"We're kind of like weird evil twins of each other," Muhl says of their collaborative process. "We're like brother and sister in the studio. There's a lot of tug and pull and bouncing ideas off each other."

Listening to the album is like sinking into a pleasant hallucination. "Moth to a Flame" creates a phantasmagorical soundscape with keening guitar and languid harmonies. On "Animals," Lennon shares a vision of "messages from Jesus in the grease upon the grilled cheese" over gusts of synthesized noise.

Lennon and Muhl play all the instruments on Midnight Sun. But for the tour they've put together a full-fledged rock band, including keyboardist Jared Samuel of Cibo Matto. It will be interesting to see how well the group pulls off the album's multilayered tone poems, which, according to Muhl, are strongly influenced by Pink Floyd.

I can't help asking if they're influenced by the Beatles, too.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Muhl admits, "but no more than your average band is influenced by the Beatles."


'We're king of like weird evil twins of each other.'

SIR PAUL IN LONDON TOWN

www.dailymail.co.uk
Sir Paul McCartney looks frail, but still musters a trademark thumbs up as he walks in the rain after being struck with mystery illness during Asian leg of world tour 
By JASON CHESTER
PUBLISHED: 28 May 2014

He’s currently recovering after being struck with a mystery virus that forced him to withdraw from his tour of Asia. 
Stepping out in London, where he’s been resting after flying back from Tokyo on Monday, Sir Paul McCartney looked pale as he gingerly took a stroll in the rain. 
The 71-year-old Beatles legend was accompanied by third wife Nancy Shevall, and the New Yorker was arm in arm with her husband while he held an umbrella above their heads.


Hello there: Sir Paul McCartney is in good cheer as he takes a walk in the rain with wife Nancy Shevall on Tuesday

Despite his health scare Sir Paul was in good cheer and even mustered his trademark thumbs up salute to onlookers after offering an animated wave.
The musician sported a casual hooded top and baggy trousers as he ventured out on a miserable day, while supportive Nancy was equally low key in a waterproof jacket, leggings and trainers. 
McCartney was hit by the mystery bug on May 16 - just one day after he landed in Japan ahead of his Out There tour. 


Thumb's up: The Beatles legend offers his trademark greeting while holding an umbrella above their heads on a miserable day in the capital

 
Welcome back: Sir Paul returned from Tokyo this week as he continues his recovery from the mystery virus that forced him to postpone a string of tour dates on his tour of Asia  


Low key: Both Sir Paul and socialite Nancy opted for casual ensembles for their day out

He called off the sold-out Japan tour, much to the disappointment of fans - some of whom had paid 100,000 yen ($980) to see him. 
McCartney was also scheduled to perform at a Seoul stadium on May 28. It would have been his first concert in South Korea. 
Speaking after cancelling last week, he said: 'Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.'
A message on the iconic star's website said: 'Doctors have ordered Paul complete rest and he has been doing all he can to get better.
'Paul has only ever had to reschedule a handful of shows in his entire career and is so upset about this situation, he hates to let people down.'


Born entertainer: But fans were disappointed when the musician was forced to cancel shows as a result of the mystery illness

Yoko Ono sells penthouse and drops lawsuit

www.nydailynews.com
EXCLUSIVE: Yoko Ono drops lawsuit against co-op board after selling West Village penthouse for $8.3M
The widow of John Lennon had sued for $6.7 million, saying the board members sabotaged a deal to sell the apartment she has owned since 1995. Ono withdrew the suit last month, a day after she sold the 49 Downing St. penthouse for $8.3 million, the Daily News has learned.
BY DAREH GREGORIAN  
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 
Monday, May 26, 2014

Yoko Ono is giving peace a chance.
The artist and widow of John Lennon withdrew her $6.7 million lawsuit against a West Village co-op board last month, a day after she sold her apartment there for a more-than-expected $8.3 million, the Daily News has learned.
“Everybody is happy and we’re getting along,” said Ono’s lawyer, Larry Hutcher.
Ono, 81, filed the big-bucks suit last year against the board of Stable 49, a small apartment building at 49 Downing St., charging they’d been making it impossible for her to sell her long-vacant penthouse apartment there.


Yoko Ono purchased the penthouse apartment at 49 Downing St. for her son, Sean Lennon (left), who lived there for a few years, according to the withdrawn lawsuit.

“The board has done everything within its power to keep the penthouse empty by singling out and prejudicing Ms. Ono,” including announcing new rules that would make it difficult for any prospective buyer to renovate the 5,710-square-foot apartment, the suit said.
Ono has owned the apartment since 1995.
“Ms. Ono has never lived in the penthouse. She purchased the penthouse for her son, who lived there for a few years,” the filing says, referring to Sean Lennon, her son with John Lennon.


Ono, 81, filed the suit last year against the board of Stable 49, charging they’d been making it impossible for her to sell the long-vacant penthouse apartment.

Ono still lives in the Dakota on the Upper West Side, which she shared with the Beatle until he was murdered outside the building in 1980.
She dutifully paid maintenance and common charges on the Village property. But board members still intentionally sabotaged a $6.6 million deal to sell the apartment to a young family with children last year, the suit charged.
Ono sued for the $6.6 million, plus another $100,000 in damages.


Board members intentionally sabotaged a $6.6 million deal to sell the apartment to a young family with children last year, the suit charged.

The scuttled sale wound up working out to her benefit. Records show the apartment sold last month for $8.3 million. The buyer was not identified. Ono dropped the suit the next day, April 9.
“Yoko was able to sell the apartment and as a result of the board approving the sale, we withdrew the suit,” Hutcher said. “It worked out. She’s very happy with the result.”


The board had announced new rules that would make it difficult for any prospective buyer to renovate the 5,710-square-foot apartment, the suit said.


Ono finally sold the apartment for $8.3 million last month, her lawyer told the Daily News


“It worked out. She’s very happy with the result,” said lawyer Larry Hutcher

Paul McCartney leaves Japan after recovering from virus

www.mirror.co.uk
Sir Paul McCartney finally discharged from hospital following treatment for a serious viral infection
By Tom Bryant
May 26, 2014

The Beatles legend was well enough to take a private jet from Tokyo and was en route home


Sir Paul McCartney has finally been discharged from hospital

Sir Paul McCartney has finally been discharged from hospital after nearly a week, the Mirror can reveal.

The Beatles legend was well enough to take a private jet from Tokyo and was en route home.

It is not known whether he is heading to either his London or Sussex property or his pad in New York's The Hamptons.

But a source confirmed he was excited about seeing the rest of his family and to continue his recuperation.

The pal said: "Paul has really been through the mill. He was desperately sad he had to cancel those shows but he was really poorly. But he is on the mend which is great news."

The 71-year-old was admitted to St Luke's International Hospital in the Japanese capital last Tuesday with a serious viral infection.

Sir Paul's wife Nancy Shevell, 53, was by his side throughout as he spent six nights being cared for by doctors.

He was first hit by the virus on May 16, a day after landing in the city.

But after trying to battle through the symptoms, he didn't improve and was admitted to hospital.

He said at the time: "Thank you so much for your kind messages of support. I'm so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight.

"I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down."

Sir Paul cancelled a total of five concerts in Japan and South Korea.

The US leg of his Out There! tour is expected to go ahead as scheduled starting in Lubbock, Texas on June 14.

Mike McCartney, Paul's brother, previously told the Mirror how the star was getting better.

He said: "I got a text from Paul yesterday. He told me he was recovering slowly but surely so I'm sure he is on the mend."





themaccareport.com

Macca Report News EXCLUSIVE (update)
May 26, 2014

Paul leaves for home

After being discharged from the hospital on Friday, Paul went to his hotel, The Peninsula, to recuperate. The stories of him staying another 48 hours in the hospital were apparently incorrect.

On Sunday May 25th (Monday May 26th in Japan), It is now confirmed (see below) that Paul boarded a private jet from Narita Airport at 12:30pm Tokyo time and was thought to be heading back to London.

Official statement from the Japan 'Out There 'tour organizer:

Paul McCartney was well recovered yesterday May 26 (Monday in Japan). He checked out of his hotel before noon, went to the airport and left Japan in a chartered plane. We're sorry the information was delayed.

In the future we will continue to consult with the artist's management to rebook the concerts for return dates soon as possible. Paul McCartney himself has asked us to do so. We deeply apologize to the fans for the inconvenience the cancelation of the tour has caused. 





uk.reuters.com
Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney leaves Japan after illness, cancels Asian tour
Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
TOKYO 
Tue May 27, 2014

(Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney, who cancelled his Asian concert tour and was treated at a Japanese hospital after falling ill in Tokyo, has recovered and left Japan, concert organizers said on Tuesday.

McCartney, 71, left on a charter flight on Monday, they added. No destination was given, but Japanese media said he had headed for London.

"Paul McCartney himself hopes to return to Japan for more concerts as soon as possible," the organizers said in a statement, adding that this would be negotiated.

McCartney called off his sold-out Japan tour last week after falling ill with a viral infection, much to the disappointment of fans - some of whom had paid 100,000 yen ($980) to see him. He later cancelled a concert set for South Korea.

McCartney and drummer Ringo Starr are the two surviving members of the Beatles, which Guinness has ranked as the world's biggest-selling musical group, and which broke up in 1970.

A native of Liverpool who largely taught himself how to play, McCartney has been known for a long and versatile musical life that included a stint with the band "Wings" after the Beatles, followed by a flourishing solo career.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)


Musician Paul McCartney attends The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles 23rd Annual Simply Shakespeare benefit reading of ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' in Santa Monica, California September 25, 2013.
CREDIT: REUTERS/PHIL MCCARTEN





www.japantoday.com
McCartney leaves Japan after recovering from virus
ENTERTAINMENT 
MAY. 27, 2014

TOKYO —
Music legend Paul McCartney is over an illness that forced the cancellation of his Asian tour and has left Japan, the concert organizer said Tuesday.

McCartney “has recovered well enough to travel by plane,” said an official from Kyodo Tokyo, the organizer of the Japanese leg of the “Out There” global tour.

“According to the information that we have, he left Japan yesterday” by chartered jet for an undisclosed destination, he said.

The former Beatle arrived in Japan on May 15 and was due to play four sold-out dates in Tokyo and Osaka.

But the 71-year-old pop veteran cancelled all his gigs as well as the South Korean leg of the tour, saying he had been taken sick with an undisclosed virus.

The called-off concerts included one at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan Hall that would have marked his first return to the venue since appearing there with The Beatles in 1966.

The cancellations generated an outpouring of good wishes from fans of the Liverpool-born musician—one of two living members of The Beatles.

A combined 170,000 people had been due to see his shows in Japan, according to local media, some paying as much as 100,000 yen for a ticket.

A statement from New York-based public relations company Nasty Little Man said last week that McCartney had “received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo.”

“He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest” before leaving the country, the agency said at the time.

Japanese tabloid paper Nikkan Gendai, citing an unnamed person close to the musician, said Tuesday that McCartney had a laparoscopy—surgery using a thin tube inserted into his belly.

A viral disease had been “suspected for nausea, vomiting and stomachache but his case was diagnosed as an intestinal obstruction,” the source told the paper.

The operation to resolve the obstruction was successful, the report said.

The Kyodo Tokyo official could not confirm the report.

© 2014 AFP


McCartney leaves Japan after recovering from virus

Mersey gran: "It's me on the side of The Beatles train!"

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
Mersey gran: "It's me on the side of The Beatles train!"
June Duff from Huyton discovers she is pictured on Merseyrail carriage promoting The Beatles Story
By Helen Davies
May 25, 2014

A Merseyside gran whose picture was taken at the height of Beatlemania has seen her image go ‘here, there and everywhere’.

And now June Duff, from Huyton, has a ‘ticket to ride’ after she found she is on the side of a Merseyrail train, promoting The Beatles Story.

The 65-year-old said: “It’s been used everywhere. The picture was taken by a man from the Daily Express, a man called Brian Duff, which was strange because I got married and my name became Duff.

“They were serialising ‘The Mersey Sound’ in the Express – that’s why he’d taken it. It was also used in the 1970s in a domestic violence campaign which had this slogan ‘scream quietly or the neighbours might hear you’.

“It’s also in the Beatles museum. People think it’s hilarious. My daughters couldn’t believe it when they saw it. They said ‘oh my God, again?’. It just keeps popping up.”

The image captures June in 1961/2 listening to the Beatles in the original Cavern Club. Her niece, Wendy Bushell, spotted the image going through Aintree station on a Merseyrail train last Sunday (May 18)


June Duff holding photograph of her younger self watching The Beatles

But the former catering manager should not even have been at the Beatles gig that night because she was underage.

She said: “I was 14 or 15 at the time. We used to go to a friend’s house to get changed, black leather, we all wanted to look like Cynthia Lennon.

“It was at the height of Beatlemania. It was fantastic. It was fantastic to be among that and all the groups then from Liverpool, not just the Beatles, all the other groups as well. Some of them were better than the Beatles, the Merseybeats, The Searchers and a band called The Undertakers. They were all fabulous."

June had some scary moments in a crush as her idols performed on stage. She remembers a crowd surge at The Grafton in which her blouse got ripped.

“It was pandemonium,” June said. “But I ended up sitting on the edge of the stage. I remember Paul winked at me and I nearly fell off. I thought I’d be swept up and married by 12 o’clock!”

June now has four grandsons to tell her story to. And when they ask her who’s on the Merseyrail train picture she can tell them she’s ‘that girl’.


Merseyrail carriage promoting The Beatles Story

Aussie teen who crashed the stage during Beatles TV special interview

www.dailymail.co.uk
I wanna hold your hand! Aussie teen who crashed the stage during Beatles TV special reveals the moment he met John Lennon - before Paul told the cops to let him be
· Brent McAuslan jumped on to the stage at Melbourne's Festival Hall
· Dashed past police to shake hands with John Lennon in 1964
· Paul told cops to 'let him go' after they trapped him against a wall
By SARAH DEAN
PUBLISHED: 23 May 2014

The man who jumped on to a policeman's shoulder and launched himself on-stage with The Beatles in 1964 has revealed the moment he shook John Lennon's hand before Paul McCartney told police to 'let him go'.
Brent McAuslan shot to fame when he escaped from the packed crowd at Melbourne's Festival Hall to shake hands with his idol John Lennon in front of thousands.
The Beatles had just finished their final song of the night, Long Tall Sally, when the 19-year-old Australian broke through security to reach the Fab Four.


Idol: Brent McAuslan shot to fame when he jumped from the packed crowd at Melbourne's Festival Hall to shake hands with John Lennon

Lennon held out his hand to the Mr McAuslan, and asked: 'How are you, cobber?'
But seconds later police dashed on stage to grab him.
The lifelong Beatles fan escaped without arrest thanks to one man - Sir Paul McCartney.

Mr McAuslan, who is now 50 and living on the Gold Coast, told the Herald Sun he was trapped against a wall by police after the incident.


The hand that touched Lennon: Mr McAuslan is now 50 but is still contacted about the day he stormed the stage


Super fan: He hugged John Lennon before police grabbed him from the stage


Famous: His brave efforts were captured on film and shown around the world

But as the band came off stage, Macca told them to let him go.
'I think the cops thought I made them look stupid,' Mr McAuslan said.
'Then when Paul told them to let me go, it was like Moses parting the waters. They just let me go back into the crowd.'
In an interview posted on YouTube by Laura Scheirich, which includes footage of the incident, Mr McAuslan jokes: 'I wish I was as fit now as I was then.'
He explains how he diverted the police's attention by asking a pretty girl to run up to the stage ahead of him and distract the cops.
And when he surprisingly made it on to the stage, he claims he didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong.


Fab Four: The Beatles sent Melbourne into a spin in the sixties

'I felt connected with him, I didn't feel like I was invading,' he recounts.
Beatlemania took over Australia for two delirious weeks when the band arrived Down Under in in June 1964.
Five thousand screaming fans greeted the band at Essendon Airport, Melbourne.
Another 200,000 people watched their motorcade into the city, with streets cordoned off and fans hanging from trees just to get a glimpse of the biggest band in the world.
Forty thousand people paid up to 37 shillings (about $3.70) to see The Beatles' Melbourne shows.
They played six concerts at Festival Hall (two a night, at 6pm and 8.45pm) and performed 10 songs in just 27 minutes.


 
Interview posted on YouTube

SEAN ONO LENNON'S BAND VAN BURGLARIZED IN SF

abc7news.com
SEAN ONO LENNON'S BAND VAN BURGLARIZED IN SF
Friday, May 23, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A smash-and-grab burglary occurred in San Francisco this week involving the son of a former Beatle. 

Sean Ono Lennon posted a picture on Instagram showing the broken window of a van parked in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood.

Ono Lennon is the son of the late John Lennon and his widow Yoko Ono. He says the van belongs to his band and that a laptop was taken.

He's promising a big reward if the computer is returned.

Ono Lennon was in San Francisco for a performance at the Great American Music Hall on Tuesday with his band.

The group is now in Vancouver.


Sean lennon : "Our percussionist Connor Grant's laptop was stolen today in San Francisco! Our van window was smashed this morning as he was getting coffee near Franklin and Hayes. BIG REWARD if computer is returned unharmed! NO QUESTIONS ASKED! If anyone knows anything pleeeeease contact us at mutethehead@gmail.com "

Sir Paul McCartney's wife Nancy bedside Beatles legend's side as battles virus

www.dailypost.co.uk
Sir Paul McCartney's wife Nancy bedside Beatles legend's side as battles virus
She has been sleeping at Hospital ever since he was taken there on Tuesday
By liverpoolecho Administrator
May 23, 2014

Sir Paul McCartney’s devoted wife Nancy has spent the last four nights by the Beatles legend’s bedside in hospital amid fears over his health.

The American beauty, 53, has been sleeping in a room at St Luke’s International Hospital ever since he was taken there battling a serious viral infection on Tuesday.

A source said while she was understandably worried after he was admitted, she was reassured by his continual progress under the care of doctors.

One pal said Macca was “on great form now and is getting back to his old self”.

The pal added: “He is getting better and better by the day. Nancy has been brilliant as always and has never left his side.”

Sir Paul and third wife Nancy married in 2011 at a ceremony at Marylebone Register Office.

She accompanies him on tours all over the world with Nancy usually seen by the side of the stage and the pair enjoying romantic excursions in whatever city they’re staying in.

The Mirror exclusively revealed today how Macca, 71, was being treated in the facility after cancelling his entire Asian tour.

He was first hit by the virus on May 16, a day after he landed in the Japanese capital.

But after trying to “rest it out” in his hotel room, he was hospitalised on Tuesday after medics examined him.

Today Japanese fans outside the hospital spoke of their delight he was recovering from the virus.

“The shock was huge when I heard the two concerts which I had bought tickets for were both cancelled,” said Shinichi Noguchi, 40.

“It’s good to hear he’s recovering and I’ll be happy if he can come to Japan again in the near future.”

The former Beatle, who rarely cancels concerts, said in a statement earlier this week that he hated to disappoint his fans. He came to Japan after a South American tour.

He said: “Thank you so much for your kind messages of support I’m so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight.

"I was really hoping that I’d be feeling better today. I’m so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.”

Sir Paul has said how he was “extremely moved” by the messages of support he has received.

A statement released on his behalf on Thursday night said: “Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo.

“He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world.”

Mike McCartney, Paul’s brother and singer with the Scaffold band, also said his brother was “on the mend”.

He told the Mirror: “I got a text from Paul yesterday (on Thursday). He told me he was recovering slowly but surely, so I’m sure he’s on the mend.”

Sir Paul cancelled a run of five concerts in Japan and South Korea.

The US leg of his “Out There” tour was expected to go ahead as scheduled starting in Lubbock, Texas, on June 14.

McCartney recovering after virus halts tour

ultimateclassicrock.com
Paul McCartney Expected to ‘Make a Complete Recovery’ Following Hospitalization
by Matthew Wilkening 
May 22, 2014

Representatives for Paul McCartney have confirmed that the legendary musician was indeed admitted to a Tokyo hospital, as reported earlier today.
Happily, they add that the former Beatle is expected to “make a complete recovery,” although they would not reveal whether or not McCartney had yet been discharged from the undisclosed facility.
“Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo,” the statement read. “He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world.”
Concern over McCartney’s health has been steadily rising throughout the week, as he postponed first one, then two, and then all of the dates on his planned tour of Japan. His next scheduled concert date is June 14 in Lubbock, Texas.


Kevin Winter, Getty Images






www.dailymail.co.uk
McCartney recovering after virus halts tour
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 22 May 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul McCartney is on the mend after being treated for a virus that led him to cancel his tour in Japan.
McCartney received treatment at a hospital in Tokyo, publicist Perri Cohen said in a statement Thursday.
The former Beatle is expected to make a complete recovery and will be taking time to rest. McCartney cancelled his entire "Out There Japan Tour 2014" this week because of his illness.
McCartney was also scheduled to perform at a Seoul stadium on May 28. It would have been his first concert in South Korea.
McCartney, who turns 72 next month, "has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world," the statement said.
The tour is scheduled to resume next month in the United States. McCartney will play a handful of shows starting June 14 in Lubbock, Texas.


FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2014 file photo, Paul McCartney performs at The Night that Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles, in Los Angeles. McCartney has been treated for a virus that led him to cancel his tour in Japan. Publicist Perri Cohen says in a statement Thursday, May 22, that McCartney ¿has received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo.¿ Cohen adds that the icon is expected to make a complete recovery and will be taking time to rest. McCartney cancelled his entire "Out There Japan Tour 2014" this week because of the illness. (Photo by Zach Cordner/Invision/AP, File)






tn.com.ar
Paul McCartney está bien: el músico se recupera de un virus
El ex-Beatle tuvo que cancelar una parte de su gira por Japón y su show en Seúl. Medios internacionales confirman su internación. Especulaciones sobre su estado de salud.
Jueves 22 de Mayo de 2014

Varios medios internacionales informaron que el ex-Beatle, de 71 años, tuvo que ser internado en un hospital por un virus que complicó su cuadro de salud. Por ahora hay mucho hermetismo respecto a la situación, sin embargo Usa Today aseguró que el músico ya recibió tratamientos y espera recuperarse en el hospital. 

"Paul recibió un tratamiento médico exitoso en Tokio", aseguró Perri Cohen, vocera del músico al medio estadounidense. "Hará una recuperación completa y se le aconsejó reposo y descanso. Paul está conmovido por la cantidad de mensajes que recibió de parte de los fans de todo el mundo", agregó. 

Paul McCartney canceló los cuatro conciertos que tenía previstos dentro de su gira en Japón los días 17 y 18 en el Estadio Nacional de Tokio, el 21 en el polideportivo Budokan de la capital y el 24 en el Estadio Yanmar Nagai de Osaka.

Un comunciado de la productora de la gira expresó que el artista no se encontraba en un estado de salud adecuado para subir al escenario. McCartney, por su parte, afirmó que "tenía muchas ganas de tocar en Japón tras el concierto increíble de noviembre", en alusión a su actuación previa en el Estadio Nacional Tokiota, y expresó su confianza en "volver a ver pronto" a sus seguidores japoneses.

"Cancelar estas actuaciones es muy decepcionante para mí también", señaló el artista en la nota, donde también da las gracias a sus fans japoneses "por su amor, mensajes de apoyo y comprensión".

El concierto del miércoles en el Budokan tenía un componente simbólico para los beatlemaníacos, al tratarse de la primera vez que McCartney volvía a tocar en ese escenario desde su actuación con la legendaria banda británica en 1966.

El concierto estaba previsto para el día 28 de mayo en el Estadio Olímpico de Jamsil, Seúl, también fue cancelado. Este recital era el primero del músico ya que nunca antes había estado en su carrera solista.

La siguiente actuación programada en la gira internacional "Out There" de Paul McCartney es el día 14 de junio en la localidad estadounidense de Lubbock (Texas).


DECEPCIONADO. Paul reconoció que no le gusta cancelar los shows.

www.PaulMcCartney.com

MAY

22

2014

A Statement From Japan

Statement:

Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo.

He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest.

Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world.

Paul McCartney reported hospitalized in Tokyo

m.innolife.com
Paul McCartney, hospitalized in a hospital in Tokyo
KOREAN WAVE INNOLIFE
Entertainment
2014-05-22

Paul McCartney, who canceled concert in Korea because of health issue, is hospitalized in a hospital in Tokyo. Japan’s Sankei Sports reported on May 22, “Paul McCartney is hospitalized in a hospital in Tokyo.” According to his spokesman, Paul McCartney had diarrhea and vomiting since the next day he arrived Japan, which is May 16, and he was hospitalized on May 20 in case he has further problem. The exact diagnosis result and when he will be able to leave the hospital is not told, but his spokesman said that he might need a surgery if it gets severer. Meanwhile, tens of Japanese fans worried of his news gathered around his hotel in Tokyo to pray for recovery.
Paul McCartney canceled 4 concerts at Tokyo National Stadium, Budokan, Osaka Nagai Stadium because of viral inflammation. He also officially announced his first concert in Korea, which was planned to be held at Seoul Jamsil Stadium on May 28.






www.youtube.com
Japanese Fans Worry Over Reports Of Paul McCartney's Hospitalisation

Publicado el 22/05/2014
By NTDTV
"I was always amazed by his extraordinarily health considering his age, but now that he has become ill, I can't help wonder if it is because of his age, and for the first time, I felt that he has become an old man"







www.blogger.com
Paul McCartney reported hospitalized

May 22, 2014 7:01 AM EDT — Japanese fans are concerned for singer Paul McCartney's health after reports he has been hospitalized with a viral infection after cancelling shows in Japan and South Korea. (Reuters)





www.facebook.com/claudiatapety

Paul sendo transferido pra o hospital














www.rollingstone.com.ar
Paul McCartney, internado por un virus

Tras cancelar varias de las fechas de su tour asiático, el Beatle fue ingresado a un hospital de Tokio
22.05.2014

¿Nos asustamos? Después de cancelar las fechas de su tour a través de Asia, informaron que Paul McCartney fue internado en un hospital de Tokio. Según trascendió, un virus afectó la salud del Beatle, de 71 años, en los últimos días pero nadie se esperaba que fuera tan grave como para llevarlo al punto de la internación.

El último reporte oficial por parte de sus agentes de prensa sostuvo que, además de los shows en Japón, se cancelaba su fecha en Seúl, pautada para el miércoles 28 de mayo. Iba a ser la primera vez que tocara en Corea del Sur. En su página, el mensaje que acompañó la suspensión de los shows de la semana pasada decía: "Les pido perdón a todos mis fans porque realmente quería tocar pero la situación se me fue de las manos. Junto a los médicos, estoy haciendo todo lo posible para estar mejor para el show de mañana y el resto de mi estadía en Japón", pero finalmente su estado no prosperó.

Luego, se agregó que estaba en reposo total y haciendo todo para mejorar, que él quería encarar el show a pesar de las indicaciones pero que su staff y los doctores -sabiamente- se lo impidieron. Según informan los medios locales, los fans japoneses ya están manifestando su apoyo en la puerta del hospital.


Este tramo de su gira Out There comenzó luego de su paso por Sudamérica: una vez, McCartney pasó por Montevideo pero no regresó a la Argentina. Hace unos días, estrenó el video de "Appreciate", en el que baila y toca junto a Newman, un robot.


Paul en Montevideo. Foto de Anabella Nolasco.






www.sanspo.com
Ｐ・マッカートニー、都内で入院…２８日韓国公演も中止
2014.5.22

　ウイルス性炎症により日本公演をすべてキャンセルした元ビートルズのポール・マッカートニー（７１）が、都内の病院に入院していることが２１日、分かった。

　関係者の話を総合すると、来日した翌日の１６日からウイルス性炎症による下痢と嘔吐（おうと）の症状に苦しんでいるポールは都内ホテルで静養していたが、前日２０日に精密検査を受けた病院に、大事をとって入院したという。詳しい診断結果や退院の時期などは明かされてないが、手術の可能性があるとの情報もある。

　さらに、この日になって今月２８日の韓国公演の中止も発表された。今後、米国で現地時間６月１４日から２カ月間、１９都市１９公演も予定されている。現時点で米公演に関する発表はないが、「日程が空いているし、そのころまでには回復するのではないか」と関係者の１人は話している。


　今月１５日の来日時は元気な笑顔を振りまいていたが、１６日に体調不良を訴え、国立競技場や日本武道館など全４公演の中止を立て続けに発表。当初は２６日に離日し、チャーター機で次の公演国の韓国に向かう予定だったが、これも白紙に。病院で付き添っている夫人のナンシーさん（５３）はポールの回復を待って英ロンドンに戻りたい意向だという。