McCartney hands out concert tickets in NY

new york: some new york city firefighters got the visit of their lives on friday when sir paul mccartney dropped in at downtown manhattan firehouses to hand out 100 tickets worth $2,000 each for saturday's madison square concert benefiting victims of the attack on the world trade center. "we found out that some of the guys here didn't have any tickets," said the former beatle, whose father was a fireman."this concert is happening to honor brave guys like these, so when heather (mills, mccartney's fiancee) told me they didn't have tickets i thought, 'well, we've just got to fix that, haven't we.'" accordingly, mccartney dropped in on ladder company 55 on broome street and ladder company six on canal street, both of which sit within blocks from the smouldering ruins of the world trade center where some 5,000 people were killed in the sept. 11 attacks by hijacked jetliners. mccartney surprised the firemen, who his publicist geoff baker said were "sitting and talking, having coffee," handing out 100 $2,000 tickets to the concert that features eric clapton, u2's bono, elton john and david bowie in addition to mccartney. hollywood stars including harrison ford and susan sarandon are also slated to appear. mccartney has written a special song, freedom, which he will premiere on saturday night at the concert. "it will be an honor to perform for them at the show tomorrow night," mccartney said. mccartney was in new york when the planes struck. "i was sitting on a plane at new york airport and watched it unfold through the windows. it will live with me forever," he told britain's sun tabloid in its saturday edition. he said he hoped the concert would raise morale as well as money. "people have to keep going at this difficult time," said mccartney, who called the event "one of the most daunting gigs i have ever done." "my kids are half american and i was in new york when it happened, so i feel i am connected," the 59-year-old singer told the sun. "singing is the only way i know how to help the people of new york."