Beatle gets back to his roots

The Cavern Club: Rock 'n' roll history

Sir Paul McCartney is to play at the Cavern - the Liverpool club where he and the Beatles found stardom - for the first time in more than 30 years.

No member of the legendary band has performed there since they began their ascent to fame and fortune 36 years ago.

Sir Paul's solo performance, which will be free, will be a "one-off, end of the millennium tribute to rock and roll".

I can't think of a better way than to rock out the end of the century

Sir Paul McCartney

Some 150 to 200 fans picked from an international ballot will pack the venue on 14 December.

Sir Paul told Michael Parkinson, in an interview to be broadcast on BBC One on Friday: "Rock and roll has shaped my life and changed the sound and the thinking of the century.

"Before the Beatles ever got big we started out playing rock and roll at the Cavern. I am going back for just one night as a nod to the music that has always and will ever thrill me.

Sir Paul McCartney: 280 Cavern shows behind him

"I can't think of a better way than to rock out the end of the century with a rock and roll party at the Cavern."

It will be Sir Paul's 281st show at the club, where the band entertained their home town audience as they worked on their early recordings.

Tickets for the Cavern show will be made available through a nationwide raffle, with application forms available in HMV stores in Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and London from Monday.

Any disappointed fans who miss the concert can still watch it live on television, a spokesman said.

"Millions are going to want to be at this gig and the fact is that millions are going to be disappointed," he said.

The interview, to be shown at 2130 GMT, will include performances of Yesterday and the Long and Winding Road as well as songs from Sir Paul's latest album, Run, Devil, Run.

Remembering Linda

Sir Paul also talks about coping with the death of his wife Linda last year.

"When she died I thought, you know what, I've got to do that r&r album.

"I left it for about a year, didn't really want to do anything, just see how it was going to affect me, rather than just jump into work and get busy and try and ignore it and deny it all."

Sir Paul said he expected them to be together "80 years old sitting on a porch on our rocking chairs".

He added: "I'm very, very lucky to have had 30 glorious years with her.

"It makes it harder to lose her but there are some people who have 70 years and don't really like each other."