Lucy sat on a stool in the wings watching her husband on stage. He was in his element, with a huge grin on his face as he bantered with the audience! Klaus too got almost as much of a reaction as Paul and they were fantastic together. She tapped her foot as they sang together on the Everly Brothers classics 'Bye, bye love' and 'Walk right back' then listened, fascinated, when Klaus described hearing The Beatles perform the very same songs in Hamburg over ten years ago when he first got to know Paul and the others.
There was then a change of pace as Paul left the stage and left Klaus to perform some songs on his own.
"Enjoying yourself?" Paul asked as he joined her.
"Very much!" She reached up and hugged him, "You are fantastic! I love the way to talk to the audience! And I never realized you and Klaus have know each other for so long!"
"Thanks love!" He kissed her softly, "You made this happen Lucy my darling. YOU!"
"What do you mean?"
"You encouraged me to get out there again! You gave me the confidence to do it!"
She laughed. "I'm glad! You're great....you both are!"
The couple sat together watching Klaus and clapped and cheered with the audience at the end of his pieces. Finally Paul stood up and returned to the stage. Lucy watched as he had a brief discussion with Klaus. Klaus nodded and laughed and Paul walked to the microphone.
"This song came from my solo LP McCartney. Enjoy it!"
He launched in a piano only version of 'Maybe I'm amazed' with Klaus on bass. At the end the audience went wild once more.
He got up from the piano and stood at the centre of the stage,
"Before we do the next song," he told the audience, "I want you to meet someone who helped Klaus and I write it." He turned to where Lucy was sat. "Lucy love!" he called, gesturing for her to join him.
She shook her head hurriedly, immediately panicking. "I can't!" she mouthed to him.
"Excuse me a minute ladies and gentlemen!" he shrugged and grinned at the audience before going off stage and taking her hand. "Come on, I want you to come out."
"NO!"
"Please love. It's important."
"But Paul..."
Suddenly the crowd, following the chant started by Klaus began to shout "Lu –cy! Lu – cy!' over and over again.
"See, they want you love!" said Paul.
Reluctantly Lucy stood up and let Paul take her hand and lead her onto the stage. People cheered as she appeared and cameras flashed. Paul held up his hand to silence the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen. There's someone I want you to meet." He pulled Lucy closer to him, "This is, as many of you will know, my wonderful wife Lucy. Now the reason why I wanted to bring her on stage tonight is to tell you that without Lucy, you wouldn't be here tonight to see Klaus and I perform. You see, this woman has changed my life so much. After the break up of the band, I thought I couldn't do music anymore. That I was no good without the other lads!"
"You'll always be amazing Paul!" someone called from the front of the audience. Paul smiled and thanked whoever it was.
"You see, apart from loving and marrying me and then having our three gorgeous children, Lucy has gone out of her way to make me believe I can go on and still be involved in music. She was the one who got me and Klaus together, jamming at home." There was a cheer again and Paul smiled.
"It's true!" called Klaus, grinning. "It's Lucy's fault!"
Lucy tried to pull away from Paul and leave the stage.
"Hang on woman!" he said, "You can't go yet! We need you!"
"What for?" asked Lucy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is completely unrehearsed, so please be patient! Lucy love, remember when Klaus and I asked you to come and listen to a song we'd just written. All about love and understanding?"
Lucy nodded. "Yes."
"Do you remember what you said about it afterwards?"
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I thought the words were lovely." She looked at the watching crowd and shrugged her shoulders, still unsure what Paul was doing.
"You did say you liked the words." Paul agreed. "You suggested something else too."
"I did?"
Paul nodded. "Klaus?"
"Lucy, you told us it needed a heavy beat of the bass drum all the way through it!"
"Remember now?" said Paul.
She nodded slowly, looking worried.
"Well, Klaus and I are going to perform that song in a minute Lucy love. And as you can see, me and Klaus are both on guitar so I wonder who can play the drum for us?" Seeing the realization of what Paul wanted cross Lucy's face, he called to the crowd. "What do you think folks? Who should play the drum part?"
"LU-CY! LU-CY! LU-CY!" They chanted over and over once more.
Lucy looked panic stricken. "Paul, I can't!"
"Please love," he whispered away from the microphone, "Just like we did at home! Come on, the audience love you!"
Seeing Paul wanting her to share this with her she had no choice but to agree so she nodded. The audience began to cheer as Lucy made her way to the drum kit at the back on the stage. Once comfortable she signalled to Paul and Klaus that she was ready.
"1..2..3..4!"
Lucy began to play and very quickly Paul and Klaus joined in with the vocals and guitars. The audience joined in with the chorus and even Lucy found herself beginning to relax and enjoy what she was doing. She sang along with the chorus, maintaining the steady beat as Paul wanted. Finally the song drew to an end. The audience cheered and clapped as Paul and Klaus took each of Lucy's hands and made her bow with them.
"Can I go now?" she asked Paul, laughing.
"If you want."
He hugged her and then Lucy turned and waved to the audience before returning to her seat at the side of the stage. She was breathless and full of adrenaline as she sat down. As nerve-wracking as it had been to perform in front on so many people, she had actually enjoyed herself more than she realized!
Lucy sang along from her place at the side of the stage as the pair performed their finale and took their bow. The audience went wild, cheering and clapping and asking for more. She knew Paul had an encore planned so immediately the twosome broke into another song and then, with sound of the crowd still ringing in her ears, Paul and Klaus came off stage. She followed them down the corridor and into Paul's dressing room.
"You were both brilliant!" she cried, hugging Klaus then Paul. "I've never seen anything like it in my life!"
Suddenly the dressing room door opened. It was one of the security men from the venue.
"Press Mr McCartney."
Paul sighed. "Send them in!" he called, sitting on a chair with Klaus facing him. "Lucy love, come and sit with me."
Lucy sat on the arm of his chair, Paul holding her hand.
"Hello gentlemen!" said Paul as the press entered, "What did you think of the show?"
Lucy watched as Paul and Klaus were interviewed about the show and how they felt it had gone. They were photographed in different poses both with and without a guitar in hand.
"Could we ask you some questions Mrs McCartney?"
Lucy looked up, surprised. "Me? Why?"
"You appearance tonight? Was it planned?"
Lucy cast a glance to Paul.
"If you want to answer the questions love, go ahead!"
Lucy smiled. "No, it wasn't planned."
"Was the story true, about you making suggestions about the song?"
"Yes, it was. Paul called me in to listen to the song late one evening when he and Klaus had been jamming." She smiled at Paul and Klaus, "I'd put the children to bed and was sat watching TV when they asked for my opinion."
"Paul, do you often ask Lucy's opinion on songs?"
Paul nodded. "Of course. I trust her judgement and I know she'll be honest with me. She even suggested it would make a good single release...and she was right. It became our second number 1!"
"You played the drums tonight Lucy. Are you a musician?"
She shook her head. "No, not really. I can hold a beat pretty well though!"
"That's not true!" said Klaus, "Lucy plays the piano beautifully and has a lovely singing voice."
"She does," agreed Paul, "That's how we met. She was singing on my doorstep!"
"On your doorstep?"
Lucy laughed. "My dad is a vicar. I used to run the church choir for him. We were carol singing to raise money and we happened to knock on Paul's door."
"I fell for her there and then!" said Paul, looking at her fondly, "She was singing a carol I remembered singing with my mum and dad!"
"Has Lucy encouraged you to return to music Paul?"
He nodded. "Very much so. I'd lost all my confidence after the break up. So yeah, thanks to Lucy and Klaus, it feels great to be out there performing again!"
"Some people might say it's not the done thing to have your wife on stage with you Paul. How would you answer that?"
Paul laughed. "I wouldn't let it bother me what people think. I wanted the fans to see Lucy and know what she's done for them and me and Klaus."
"Is this the start of you music career then Lucy?"
"Not a chance!" said Lucy firmly, "We have three children under two years old. There aren't enough hours in the day as it is!"
"And on the note of out children," said Paul standing up, "I think we'll call it a night now gentlemen. Our children are sleeping back at the hotel. Personally, I'd like to go and check on them." He held his hand out to Lucy. "Ready love?" Grabbing her bag and coat, Lucy went to him. "Got everything Klaus mate?"
Nodding, Klaus stood up. "Farewell gentlemen." He said politely to the reporters and followed Lucy and Paul from the room to their waiting car.