Paul McCartney at the Roundhouse, London. June 10th, 2026

The Boys of Dungeon Lane in Conversation

Story by Emily Strout

17/06/2026

Two weeks ago, if you were to tell me that I would get to spend an evening in the presence of the Beatle whose music and lyrics have fundamentally changed my life, I would have thought you were joking. Sir Paul and I have just about missed each other very time he’s toured—only the other day I was lamenting the fact I might never get to see him in the flesh. And yet, this past Wednesday I found myself far from the Beatles posters tacked up in my room in Glasgow, leaning over the balcony of the Roundhouse in London. Sir Paul McCartney himself was sat on stage, completely at ease, and I had to constantly blink to remind myself that this was no hallucination: Mr. Yesterday and Mr. Band on the Run was really there in front of me, chatting about his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

Earlier that day I’d entered the queue that stretched down several blocks from the Roundhouse, battling London rain that came and went, and when 6:30 hit the line slowly trickled into the 1700-capacity venue (an intimate place for a man as famous as Macca!). As we approached I began to see why it was taking a while: every phone camera had to be covered by a branded Boys of Dungeon Lane sticker. This was to be a strict no-photography event, which I did my best to adhere to even as I watched the drunk woman in front of me rip her sticker off and record long stretches at a time… Paul on stage was just as charismatic as he always seems in interviews. The format of the discussion was simple; each song of the new album was played over speakers in full, and then, prompted by host Rob Brydon, he and Paul would discuss the song, the inspiration, the process of making it, and whatever else seemed relevant. It was a joy to watch Paul as the songs were played: he would lip sync, mime the guitar with his hands, and even lean back in his chair and tap his polished shoes together to the beat (showcasing his Wings socks, which he pointed out at the end of the night). I found myself much more fond of the album than I was when I first entered the building, simply due to being guided through it by Paul himself. Just from his reactions as each song played, it was clear that he put a lot of love and work into the album, and it was hard not to be charmed by him. The Boys of Dungeon Lane is an album that deals a lot with memory and reminiscing, and therefore we were treated to bits of Paul’s past. Of course, mention of the Beatles was inevitable, but you could still hear a pin drop in the room when Paul mentioned John—and how very long it had been since his death. The audience was also treated to a story of Paul and George hitchhiking as youths in Liverpool, the tale culminating in George getting a zipper-shaped burn mark on his bum. Even at nearly eighty-four, Paul is still as witty and humorous as he’s always been, and the night was punctuated with laughs. Several of these anecdotes had already been shared across various points of the press tour, but no one in the crowd seemed to mind hearing them again, direct from his mouth.

It stuck out to me how he answered many of the questions Brydon posed to him with this: “I don’t know.” Even being a former Beatle, a chart topper, and a record breaker, Paul was still the first to admit that he isn’t fully sure how he does things or how they happen. Song writing process? How to choose an album opener? Secrets to staying young? He’s open about the fact that he is not an all-knowing deity. Rather humble for perhaps one of the most famous men walking the earth, and another reason why he is still so beloved. It’s comforting to know that even Sir Paul McCartney himself doesn’t have it all figured out, and that’s okay. And to those worried, Paul confirmed he’s not going to stop making music anytime soon. On the long tube ride back to my lodgings, I replayed every moment of the night in my mind with a goofy grin on my face. I felt immensely lucky to be a part of the small crowd that magical night, and it’s certainly a memory I’ll never forget.