Ananova:

Sir Paul McCartney is aiming to do a series of surprise shows for his first tour in eight years.

He plans to show up unannounced and perform like he did in his early years with post-Beatles band Wings.

His shows, with a new band, will be the first time in 30 years he has toured without his late wife Linda playing by his side.

In the aftermath of the Fab Four's split, Sir Paul launched Wings by taking the band and his family out on the road and driving themselves to venues in a van.

He tells the story in a documentary which took him three years to put together. Wingspan is on Channel 4 this Saturday.

Now he says he wants to go on the road gypsy-style and play again: "That would be good; I do fancy that actually," he said. "I've got a new studio album coming out in September and I think it is very likely that I might tour around then.

"I like to go out on the road with a new album and I'm very excited by this one. Recording new songs makes you enthuse and want to get out and play them.

"The band I've been recording with are a really good band and I think it would be fun to do it with them. So I'd like to get out there around September."

Sir Paul has overseen a CD retrospective of the group, also called Wingspan. He recalled the early days: "We didn't book any gigs, we just showed up at British universities and knocked on the door, asking if we could play the students union hall the next day.

"It was all a bit gypsy, we literally just winged it - we just got in a van and headed north up the motorway looking for work. But it was great fun and it was very fresh - I liked the freedom of doing it like that."