Fans Praise Paul McCartney and David Gilmour’s “I Saw Her Standing There” as Pink Floyd Icon Lets Loose
via David Gilmour Tour / YouTube
A Rare Cavern Club Performance
A live version of “I Saw Her Standing There,” performed by Paul McCartney and David Gilmour, continues to draw praise from music fans. The Beatles legend and the Pink Floyd guitarist shared the stage in 1999 for a special show at Liverpool’s famous Cavern Club, giving the early Beatles classic a fresh and energetic sound.
The night was part of a star-filled event that also featured drummer Ian Paice. McCartney and Gilmour had already worked together in the 1980s and 1990s, but this small-club performance of a few Beatles hits stands out. Many listeners call it one of Gilmour’s finest live moments, noting how the guitarist “cuts loose like an old rocker” while backing McCartney’s band.
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Fans React to the Recording
The performance has been shared widely online, especially on YouTube, where longtime fans continue to comment on its energy. One viewer wrote, “We’re so used to seeing Dave Gilmour playing those oh so serious Pink Floyd songs that it’s nice to see him just cut loose here on an old Beatles rocker.” Another agreed, adding, “It’s still interesting that no matter what he plays, his sound is so his. You can tell it’s him even without looking.” A third fan summed up the excitement with, “The universe is not ready for David Gilmour and Paul McCartney to be in the same room.”
For many, the thrill came not just from the song itself but from seeing two rock icons relax and have fun. Their chemistry on stage made the familiar tune feel new, giving the classic 1963 hit an edge that only Gilmour’s guitar tone could provide.
Imperfections Add to the Charm
Listeners also noticed that the show’s raw quality made it even more appealing. One fan remarked, **“You know what I really love about this? Paul’s voice is really pitchy on this. No auto tune! And David’s solo isn’t outrageously perfect, it’s just kinda run of the mill.
“It goes to show you that these incredibly talented people are human after all. Both are incredibly famous, and deservedly so, without question in my mind. But I love seeing what happens when you just throw them into a situation where they just kinda wing it. It makes you realize how much skill they have to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’.”**
The comments reflect how audiences appreciate the honesty of live music. Even with small flaws, the performance shows the natural ability of both artists to create something exciting on the spot.
A History of Working Together
Though they have rarely appeared on stage as a duo, McCartney and Gilmour have crossed paths in the studio many times. McCartney was even set to appear on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, singing at the end of “Money,” but the part was cut by Roger Waters.
Gilmour later played on McCartney’s 1984 single “No More Lonely Nights” from the film Give My Regards to Broad Street. In his book The Lyrics, McCartney thanked Gilmour for the memorable solo, writing, **“Word dancing I call it. You begin with a thought, and then you start word dancing, and then it’s step, step, step. That was a straightforward love song, really, about a lonely person saying, ‘Can’t wait till we’re together.’
“David Gilmour plays the solo on the record. I’ve known him since the early days of Pink Floyd. Dave is a genius of sorts, so I was pulling out all the stops. I admired his playing so much, and I’d seen him around; I think he’d just done his solo About Face album. So I rang him up and said, ‘Would you play on this?’ It sounded like his kind of thing. I wrote this song specifically for a film that I also wrote: Give My Regards to Broad Street.”**
Their shared history adds weight to the Cavern Club show, a night where two legends met in a small room and reminded fans why their music continues to inspire.
