McCartney proves he can rock in French un petit peu

QUEBEC CITY (Canada)  - Paul McCartney showed off his newly-acquired French language prowess Sunday at a concert decried by Quebec nationalists as a second British invasion.

More than 200,000 screaming fans flocked to Quebec City's Plains of Abraham for the ex-Beatle's only concert in North America this year. "Bonsoir les Quebecois (Good evening Quebecers)," McCartney told the crowd jeering a controversy over his invitation to the 400th anniversary of the founding of this city by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608. "Je parler seulement un petit peu francais (I only speak a bit of French)," he said in broken French under a pink sunset, his words translated in English simulcast on massive screens, much to the crowd's bemusement. "So I will be speaking (mostly) in English," he added. "But I think most of you get it." Fans mobbed the airport upon his arrival, camped out at the gates of the park for up to six days hoping to see their idol from the front rows, and emptied local record stores of Beatles albums and memorabilia.

Some dressed as Paul in a Sergeant Pepper uniform; others waved the British Union Jack alongside Quebec's Fleurs de Lysee.

Quebec-born Pascal Abraham, who opened the show, said she was awestruck by McCartney. "The Beatles got me interested in music. When I was young, I learned English by reading the Beatles album sleeves," she told the daily Journal de Quebec. Police estimated it was the biggest crowd ever gathered in the city, by nearly double.

hatchets."

"I'm very friendly with the French people that I know. I know people of all nationalities. Hey, I'm friendly with German people. By that argument, I should never go to Germany or they should never come here (to Britain)," he said to try to calm bickering between federalists and separatists, split over whether to toast Canada's beginnings or the cradle of French civilization in North America.

On stage, he asked "Comment allez vous (How are you doing)? What do you think of my French?" The crowd went wild with excitement.

McCartney reportedly learned the bit of French to try to impress his fans in this bilingual country. A friend actually helped him write the French lyrics for the Beatles' 1965 Grammy Award-winning ballad "Michelle, Ma Belle."

At the show, "Michelle, Ma Belle" generated the loudest applause alongside his "A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance" medley.

The crowd, whipped into frenzy, also sang along in English to most of his hits, including "Jet", "Yesterday," "Hey Jude" and "Sergeant Pepper."

McCartney answered back with a broad grin, seemingly relieved the controversy was quelled by show time, after each: "Merci beaucoup (Thank you very much)."