Into Live Music Review: Paul Weller

During the summer of 1982, I was walking with my partner on Princes St, Edinburgh. In town for a concert that evening, it was our first unsupervised visit to the capital. Catching the sights, and taken by the rugged beauty of the Castle, we nearly didn’t recognize the three young men with English accents who walked past us…

One hour later, courtesy of an invite from Weller, Foxton & Butler, we were watching The Jam soundcheck. This mind-blowing event was topped by a twenty-five song set which still rates as one of the best days of my young life. 

Forty two years later, I was looking up at Edinburgh Castle again. On a hot summer’s evening, it remains a beautiful place to watch a gig. Unfortunately though, this was not one of those evenings. It had been raining all day and continued to do so when Woking’s finest took to the stage to kick start the gig with the upbeat Krautrock of Nova.

Weller has been a solo artist now for over thirty years, more than double the time he spent operating as leader of The Jam/Style Council and in recent years the setlist on any given night has lent heavily on his post-band albums. Check out the Into Creative review of his latest release 66 here by David F.Ross). 

Though the opening songs were well-received (especially Soul Wandering from the new album), early proceedings did feel a little bit flat. Nothing however that couldn’t be rectified by the double whammy of My Ever Changing Moods and Headstart for Happiness, two classic Style Council tracks from the Café Bleu period. Both were beautifully played, with the band clearly enjoying the songs as much as its audience.

With the crowd firmly on-side, Weller and the band delivered All The Pictures On The Wall from the Wildwood album. Like much of that epochal album, it’s a track with hidden depth, the jaunty acoustic backbeat belying lyrics that reflect on a previous failed relationship, one that clearly cut deep;

In a funny kind of way
This empty room was full one day
Full of love that we once shared
Now it all looks so bare
The silent walls whose cracks I feel
Is there room to let the hatred heal?

In my view, it’s one of the finest songs he has ever written, and he knows it too. It also showcased the seven-piece band to full effect. Their ensemble performance on this one was beautifully understated with a camaraderie that reminded me in many ways of Springsteen’s E Street Band, with guitarist Steve Craddock assuming a Steve Van Zandt style bandleader role. A special mention at this point to Jacko Peake, who turned his hand to saxophone, flute and melodica over the course of the evening. The ‘farting’ sax riff on the Roxy homage Jumble Queen was especially fun!

Mid-set, Village and Hung Up provided a very chilled vibe and all the better for it ( Hung Up is a ‘fuckin great tune’ according to Craddock). Shout To The Top managed to get all those sitting down off their backsides for some Saturday night ’80s retro Northern Soul dancing as the mood moved up a considerable notch.

Towards the business end of the evening, That’s Entertainment led to a crowd response with a full throated singalong, which continued into Start. Even if you were only at the gig as a casual Weller fan, it would have been impossible not to be blown away by the now electric atmosphere.

A few more bangers followed, finishing with his first solo single Into Tomorrow, and the band were gone. Thankfully, the audience were treated to an encore on what was the last night of the summer tour. 

Weller has always had a political streak and is not shy when facing the issues of the day. A Palestine flag was draped across his piano as a clear indicator that he remains ready to actively support causes he believes in. Back on stage, Weller reiterated his solidarity for the people of Palestine, and told a story about the time recently when his ‘ missus’, Hannah Weller, was collecting for the charity Gaza Go Bragh outside a gig, when someone came up to her and told her she was a ‘cunt’ for doing so. 

Weller’s reply was succinct to that person and those like them. ‘You’re the cunts, and don’t ever forget that’.  Broken Stones was then performed with feeling, an achingly soulful vocal with reflective lyrics that really resonated. 

Encore highlights? Wildwood’s mass singalong, – introduced as a celtic folk song! – Craddock’s blissful slide guitar during Rockets, and all finished off by a final nod to former glories with a rousing rendition of Town Called Malice, which remains as good a pop single as The Jam, or anyone else has ever issued. 

Postscript: On the way out, we stopped to make a small donation and say hello to Hannah & Nicky Weller, who were collecting again on the Royal Mile for Gaza Go Bragh. 

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As far as we could make out, it was, of course, a cunt-free zone.