Watch Paul McCartney and Neil Young play Beatles' classics at Desert Trip

Paul McCartney & Neil Young at Desert Trip (Image credit: Kevin Mazur \/ Getty Images)

If the egos could be managed and logistics aligned, the one thing uber-festival Desert Trip was almost certain to supply was onstage pairings of the kind you won’t get at either the Dog & Duck or Download.

This weekend Paul McCartney got the ball rolling, with Neil Young stepping out halfway through McCartney’s set for a casual blast through a trio of Beatles classics.

Young, who’d already performed his own Promise Of The Real set, joined McCartney onstage to play A Day in the Life — which segued into Give Peace A Chance — and Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?, a song McCartney had never played live before, but one that Young made his own with a blistering, climactic solo.

Latest Videos From Louder

The weekend was rounded off by sets last night from The Who and Roger Waters — whose own surprise was the appearance of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump flashing on the giant screen — while the second weekend will start October 14 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Tickets are on sale now.

Classic Rock is the online home of the world's best rock'n'roll magazine. We bring you breaking news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features, as well as unrivalled access to the biggest names in rock music; from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, AC/DC to the Sex Pistols, and everything in between. Our expert writers bring you the very best on established and emerging bands plus everything you need to know about the mightiest new music releases.

Latest in

Cradle Of Filth performing in 2021 and Ed Sheeran in 2024

Cradle Of Filth’s singer claims Ed Sheeran tried to turn a Toys R Us into a live music venue

"The quality is unreal. How is this even possible to have?" Record shop owner finds 1962 Beatles' audition tape that a British label famously decided wasn't good enough to earn Lennon and McCartney's band a record deal

“My totalitarian rule might not be cool, but at least we’ve made interesting records. At least we polarise people”: It took The Mars Volta three years and several arguments to make Noctourniquet

"When the storm clouds clear, the band’s innate pop sensibilities shine as brightly as ever": In a world of bread-and-butter rock bands, The Darkness remain the toast of the town

"What happens next, you give everyone a hard-on and then go around the room with a bat like Al Capone?!” Ginger Wildheart's wild tales of Lemmy, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and more

"This is my baby, my passion – because Rosetta deserves": Lizzo to play rock'n'roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in upcoming biopic

Latest in Features

"What happens next, you give everyone a hard-on and then go around the room with a bat like Al Capone?!” Ginger Wildheart's wild tales of Lemmy, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and more

“We spent seven months on David Gilmour’s boat and almost bankrupted ourselves. But Bob encouraged us to dream big”: How Bob Ezrin brought out the prog in Kula Shaker

Psychic tests! Pet wolves! Chicken coops! Guns N' Roses and the wild ride towards Chinese Democracy

"Exul ended up being recorded at 10 different studios over two and a half years." Ne Obliviscaris and the heroic story of their fourth album

“We embrace the spirit of early 70s prog as being the way that you should always approach music." Mastodon and their prog epic Crack The Skye

More about classic rock

"He and I have that kanaka thing, we're bros!" Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett on his friendship with Jason Momoa

"What happens next, you give everyone a hard-on and then go around the room with a bat like Al Capone?!” Ginger Wildheart's wild tales of Lemmy, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and more

See more latest

Classic Rock Newsletter