Tickets for a series of concerts by Sir Paul McCartney have sold out within 30 minutes.

Fans clamoured to get their hands on the 75,000 tickets for the former Beatle's Driving USA tour, his first there for 10 years.

He will kick off the 19-date tour in Toronto, Canada, in April where all 15,000 seats were snapped inside half an hour.

The story was the same across all venues including Washington, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.

US promoter Clearchannel was stunned at the response to the ticket frenzy.

"Maccamania is here again. We knew the gigs would be hot but this demand is boiling," a spokesman said.

Beatles classics

The last US tour Sir Paul performed was the New World Tour in 1993 but his popularity in the US has been heightened by the support he showed in organising a benefit concert for the victims of the US terror attacks.

Sir Paul brought together stars such as Billy Joel, Eric Clapton and the Backstreet Boys for the Madison Square Garden gala, where 6,000 tickets were given out to the rescue services and the families of those killed on 11 September.

The Driving USA tour will see Sir Paul perform tracks from his new album, Driving Rain, as well as hits from the Beatles, Wings and his long solo career.

The tour was originally only going to last one month but was extended because of demand.

Tickets for his Oakland and San Jose gigs go on sale on Sunday, while tickets for Rutherford, New York, and Detroit are available from Monday.