At the end of a week in which Paul McCartney somehow found himself replacing Kurt Cobain, we’ve been wondering which other bands the former Beatle and Wings frontman could commandeer for the sake of our own amusement!
On Wednesday night, Macca teamed up with Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, the surviving members of Nirvana, and grunge and punk guitar veteran Pat Smear in an unlikely one-off performance to raise money for the victims of hurricane Sandy. The set was dubbed as a Nirvana reunion show, with McCartney succeeding Kurt Cobain as the group’s lead singer – the stuff of hysterical nightmares for many of the bands most ardent fans and a surreal curiosity for music news followers.
The performance itself, truth be told, wasn’t half bad. Rather than risk defiling the memory of the late Grunge icon or his songwriting, the temporary four piece jammed out an entirely new song entitled “Cut Me Some Slack”.
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The gig got us thinking – which other bands out there could Macca front? Below is our Top 10 list of groups we’d like to see the Live And Let Die singer front, mostly for all the wrong reasons!
Check out the list, tell us what you think and offer up your own ideas and opinions in a comment below.
Here are 9 bands for Paul McCartney to front next!
Read our suggestions, play the songs, close your eyes and just imagine. Crying with laughter or wincing in disgust is entirely optional!
1. The Libertines
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We thought we’d give Sir Paul McCartney a bit of a chance with our first suggestion, so he’s going down in Albion with The Libertines – arguably one of the many feted torch bearers of British songwriting that have come and gone since The Beatles.
Whether he were to step into the shoes of Carl Barat or Pete Doherty, Macca would soon find himself in the familiar surroundings of a front man, songwriter partnership, and with some fairly laid-back and easy vocal lines to get to grips with. There would even be ample opportunity for plenty of McCartney pop wailing, “oh oh, oh oh!”
2. Beastie Boys
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Paul McCartney isn’t known for his vocal free flow abilities, and as an unlikely third of a new-look Beastie Boys line-up, Macca would certainly add something unique to the mix.
Everything about this match-up would jar in such a tremendously hilarious manner that we’d pay to see it, film it and watch over and over again on YouTube for years to come.
3. Destiny’s Child
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Why should the boys have all the fun hogging McCartney’s talents as a songwriter, performer and collaborator? Alongside Beyonce and co, Macca could boast of his abilities to support himself as an independent (wo)man.
4. Guns N’ Roses
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Let’s say the former members of Guns N’ Roses decided to reunite in all but name, and needed an iconic new frontman? Step forward the man who wrote We All Stand Together and The Frog Chorus.
Could McCartney somehow supplant Axl’s skyscraping vocal ability? No, but we’ve certainly never heard Paradise City or Welcome To The Jungle sung in slightly scratchy and professionally polished scouse.
5. Iron Maiden
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If Macca can live with the one man percussion stampede that is Dave Grohl tearing about a drum kit behind him, surely he can lead from the front of Iron Maiden’s galloping metal antics should Bruce Dickinson decide to pilot, full time?
6. NWA
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As a prolific hit maker, Paul McCartney has never had any trouble expressing himself, and the forever affable stage pro certainly knows how to knuckle down and make the best of whichever musical scenario he finds himself in.
That’s why we’re backing Paul to pull this one out of the bag, and who knows? If he gets along well with his new band mates such as Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, whose to say a West Coast rehash of With A Little Help For My Friends wouldn’t be on the cards.
7. Prodigy
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What better way for McCartney to connect with a new generation of fans than aligning himself with one of the most recognisable and popular bands of the dance breakout in the 1990s.
Having meddled with tape loops and studio gear, Macca might be interested in playing around with the array of synths and samplers used the group, although we’re not such he’s got the aggression to pull off his role as Firestarter in-chief.
8. The Smiths
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If Morrissey won’t reconcile with Marr and bring back The Smiths, then we’re touting McCartney as a not-so-ideal substitute. It’d be a rather more earnest sounding Macca in for the usually lucid, foppish signature Mozza delivery!
9. The Fall
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From one Manchester icon to another, with Mark E Smith and The Fall.
This would never work, and that’s why we’d like to hear it – a statement that in all likelihood we’d later regret.