Paul McCartney summoned Quebec nationalists to Smoke pipes of peace

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MONTREAL - Ex - Beatle and perennial love-advocate Paul McCartney summoned Quebec nationalists on Thursday "to smoke the pipes of peace" over their opposition to his free concert this weekend. (hb take: right Paul they need to freakin chill!) Ive added my own lil comments as seen below "hb take"

THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Lefteris Pitarakis
Several artists and politicians have been questioning McCartney's participation in Quebec City's 400th anniversary celebration because of his British roots. (hb take: ohh woooes me!)

But McCartney told Radio-Canada he was unmoved by their claim his presence evokes painful memories of Britain's conquest of New France in 1760.
(hb take: geeez half these people and even their great grand parents weren't even thought of?) how freakin lamo~lol

"I think it's time to smoke the pipes of peace and to just, you know, put away your hatchet because I think it's a show of friendship," he said. (hb take: Right on Macca!)

McCartney appeared eager to deflate the political rhetoric that nationalists are trying to attach to Sunday's show on the Plains of Abraham, site of the pivotal 1759 battle between British General James Wolfe and France's Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm.
"The kind of thing I read about in the schoolbooks when I was a kid was......who was General Wolfe?" he said jokingly. "I still haven't figured it out." (hb take: Paul don't feel bad I have no freakin idea who he is either!)

McCartney said he disagrees with the suggestion that he shouldn't play in Quebec City just because Wolfe's troops happened to defeat Montcalm's on the Plains.
"What, are you saying nobody but French people should play in Quebec?"
(hb take: Oh this is fresh! nobody freakin complained when Celine Dion played in Vegas all those years and she even got paid~ Where is Kathy Griffin when we need her? whatta maroon hahaha Kathy there is some great material here)

By that logic, he said, Britons and Germans should never visit each other's country because of the world wars.

"Hey, I'm friendly with German people," he said. (hb take:as you should be Paul)

As the 400th-anniversary celebrations continue, nationalists in the province have been seizing on various elements they feel are either too federalist, too anglophone, or both.
The most recent controversy was kick-started earlier this week by Quebec painter Luc Archambault, who circulated a petition decrying the "dangerous" presence of music with English lyrics. (hb take: are you freakin serious?)

But Archambault's campaign appeared to lose momentum on Thursday as he backed down from the tempest he stirred.
"I greatly admire McCartney... and I am counting on him as a socially engaged artist to be receptive to my proposal," he said.
"My proposal is to inform about the situation in which we (francophones) live in Quebec."
He added he is not opposed to McCartney's concert itself, but said Quebec artists should be given the same amount of attention. (hb take:see my Celine Dion comment above lmao)

The Parti Quebecois' culture critic, who signed the petition, also distanced himself from earlier anti-McCartney comments.
Pierre Curzi issued a news release Thursday to say he too is a Beatles fan and only wanted to remind McCartney about the precarious state of the French language in Quebec.
(hb take: BFD!!!!!!!!!! not everyone in the states speaks English c'mon these guys are trippin!)

"When you step on stage Sunday to celebrate this beautiful French city, remember with us that the language which gives it life is still fragile," Curzi said. (hb take: DRama!!!!!! lmao your life will NOT be ruined if Sir Paul McCartney sings in Englsih)

Archambault nevertheless stressed he wasn't moved by McCartney's appeal to cast politics aside.
"He was coached by the Quebec government, he was told what to answer," the painter said.
McCartney told Radio-Canada he has been working on expanding the few lines of French he used in the 1965 hit "Michelle."
"Naturally everyone speaks French," he said in French, momentarily disguising his Scouse accent.
The Liverpool native is expected to make use of his French, however limited, during the show. He also said he plans to spend part of the day seeing the city's sites.
"Come on Quebece-ins (Quebecers), love me baby," he said.

The open-air concert is McCartney's only scheduled appearance in North America this year and organizers are expecting a crowd of around 200,000.

"I would like people to say that was the best night of my life," McCartney said. hb take: and they will Paul and they will you GO Macca! wooohooooo

"I can say we've been rehearsing this all week and we've been having a great time with the band, so we're feeling good."