McCartney gives surprise concert in New York club

Paul McCartney staged an intimate concert in New York on Wednesday evening in support of his new album Memory Almost Full.

The hastily arranged show for about 700was at the Highline Ballroom in New York's Chelsea district and featured a 20-song set by the ex-Beatle and former Wings singer-songwriter.

Passes to the show were given away after an announcement on McCartney's fan website on Tuesday.

The show opened with the Beatles standard Drive My Car.

"Well, here we are in a little club," a relaxed McCartney said. "We should do this more often."

McCartneyplayed a dozen songs from the Fab Four catalogue, including Hey Jude, Lady Madonna, Let It Be and Get Back.

"I remember writing this next song in a little house we used to live in Liverpool," he said before performing I'll Follow the Sun.

"I was standing in the front parlour looking out through the little lace curtains and thinking, 'I'm going to be a star,' like you do, but it never happened," he joked.

The rest of the set included solo hits and selections from Memory Almost Full, including Dance Tonight and Only Mama Knows.

Memory Almost Full,which is being sold through the Starbucks coffee chain, has debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. charts, McCartney's highest placing in 10 years.

McCartney also dedicated the song Here Today "to fallen heroes John, George [and] Linda,"referring to hislate bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison, and his first wife, Linda.

Lennon was shot dead in 1980, Harrison died of cancer in 2001 andLinda McCartney died of cancer in 1998.

McCartney is divorcing his second wife, Heather Mills.