Paul McCartney Still Gets Butterflies When Performing On Stage

He might be one of the music industry's biggest legends, but Sir Paul McCartney says he still gets butterflies in his stomach - especially when he plays in small venues.

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Ex-Beatle McCartney, who these days has been making more headlines for his love life than his music career, admits that while he has no problem playing in front of massive crowds in arena-like settings, it's the more intimate gigs that still makes him nervous.

McCartney told Britain's Absolute Radio: "I'll tell you what does get me nervous, when you're playing to small groups of people."

"It it's at all kind of corporate - so in other words, charity does - you don't know who you've got in the audience. It can be people who really don't like rock and roll, and you're sitting there going 'Yeah, we're going to have a great time tonight' and they're just chatting to each other."

He adds: "I sort of turn around to the band then and give a look which says, 'We're working, we're going to have a to work this one, you know, there's no relaxing.'"

But when it comes to bringing in the real crowds, McCartney says that when he feels his best.

The music legend explains: "I don't get that kind of nervous, because if they tickets sell really well, you get an idea that these people really want to come and see you. And I kind of feel that about the people who come and see me, we're sort of mates. We get this kind of thing going, so I don't feel too bad."