Paul Weller is paving the way for a mostly tone-deaf generation by bringing music and politics together and standing for, and calling out, what is right. He captivated his adoring fans at Newcastle’s O2 City Hall, two nights in a row.
The Modfather set the example for how to bring music and political conflicts together seamlessly, showing that they are well and truly intertwined. One of his lines during his first of two sold out shows in Newcastle was “I wrote this song about twenty years ago, but it feels even more relevant to me now”, draped over his stage piano was a Palestinian flag. Gaza Go Bragh (Gaza Forever) collected donations outside, and had travelled with him all across the country. For me, this evening’s performance was a captivating and emotional one by a musician and a human I have admired for years.
His soulful Mod sound proved timeless and was amplified by some fantastic brass layers, two drummers, and a keys player running between two instruments. He played songs from across the many years he’s been releasing music in bands and as a solo artist, and this eclectic collection of tracks takes us on a soulful, bluesy rollercoaster ride that is infectious to say the least. He brought an energy to the stage not even his audience could properly match, although they all nearly jumped out of their chairs as he closed the night with ‘A Town Called Malice’.
His voice has aged like fine wine and his energy is charming, addictive, made us want to keep watching him pace up and down the stage, moving back and forth between guitar and piano. Most band members got a word in, showing their gratitude to their Newcastle audience, which made for a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Although I thoroughly enjoyed hearing a personal favourite in ‘Village’, and swaying along to ‘Shout To The Top’, ‘Start!’, and first encore ‘The Changingman’, I loved it most when he sat down behind the piano, as it added an extra richness to his sound and showed the passion he has for his music.
Paul Weller has inevitably gathered an expansive fanbase over the years that include his time in The Jam and The Style Council, and they showed up and, despite a lack in overall enthusiasm for his lesser known solo releases, brought a wonderful ambiance to the O2 City Hall. Although I am a big fan of his latest solo album ’66’, the cherry on top was the explosive energy of the very last song on the set list, world hit ‘A Town Called Malice’ can hardly be beat…
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