31 March 2022 (gig)
29 March 2022
For many of the audience attending the Paul Weller gig at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on Tuesday, the concert had been delayed for a couple of years, due to Covid restrictions. This wait was recognised by Weller who thanked the audience for “holding onto your tickets” – and warned them they’d need “some stamina” for what turned out to be an epic trip through the musical journey of the Modfather; from his heyday in The Jam, through to The Style Council and his equally fertile solo career which surprisingly now spans over 30 years (his eponymous solo LP was released in 1992).
As is customary with Paul Weller’s concerts, demonstrating his support of bright young musical talent, the warm-up act was Nia Wyn, a soulful songstress from North Wales who has worked with Paul in his famous Black Barn Studios – an experience she described to the audience as F***ing brilliant! You can see why Paul chose Nia whose beautiful voice and prowess on the guitar, accompanied by an equally talented young bass player by her side, created an uplifting and positive vibe ahead of the main act.
Bouncing on stage, Weller cuts an energetic figure, looking as slim as ever, but with his trademark silver hair marking the passage of time since the Changing Man’s formative years as a dark-haired mod, gracing many a teenager’s bedroom wall (mine included!) as lead singer of The Jam.
Surrounded by a rock-solid band of the Weller faithful – guitarist Steve Craddock, bass player Andy Crofts, drummer Steve Pilgrim and second drummer Ben Gordelier, the band launched into two rousing songs from the 2015 Saturns Pattern album - psychedelic rock tune White Sky and funkier Long Time.
Setting the dynamic tone for the rest of the show, this was followed by the floor stomping From the Floorboards Up, getting the crowd moving to the catchy beat of this popular classic from Weller’s first solo live album Catch-Flame! In 2005.
It was then time to rewind to The Style Council era and Headstart for Happiness prompted the audience to enjoy a much-appreciated trip down memory lane to the Café Blue album days of 1984. Other Style Council tracks included the Absolute Beginners movie soundtrack song Have You Ever Had it Blue and the much-loved Shout to the Top! Would have been great to hear Speak like a Child, Solid Bond in Your Heart or Long Hot Summer, but we can’t be too greedy!
Jam fans had a little longer to wait before Start! emerged after a stream of solo hits, from the catchy and uplifting Village (On Sunset), to the pivotal Stanley Road – the title song of Weller’s third solo album in 1995, named after the Woking road of his childhood; those “summer nights that seemed so long” – echoes our own special childhood memories too.
Fat Pop – the title song of the album released in 2021 after being recorded during lockdown – seems a little out of kilter with Weller’s usual vocals and style, sounding uncannily like the late, great Ian Drury with his pronounced Cockney vocals. It’s catchy though in a 70s pop sort of way, but that’s the whole idea after all.
The song More from the same album brings us back to the vocal style we know and love from Weller, while Woo Se Mama ups the tempo with this signature tune rousing the band, clearly enjoying the moment as they whoop it up with the audience.
Some much-loved classics are delivered after the first encore including That’s Entertainment, which gets the crowd animated after the mellow and beautiful tones of Broken Stones, You Do Something to Me and On Sunset. The enigmatic Wild Wood proves to be another obvious crowd pleaser and to top off the night with the encore was Jam classic Town Called Malice, which got the crowd jumping in unison.
The Changing Man always goes down a treat, as does the mystical Porcelain Gods from the halcyon days of Stanley Road, which were also top of the bill.
We were lucky enough to be right near the front and what a privilege to witness Weller and the band up close and personal. Weller shows no sign of slowing down, springing from guitar to piano at the drop of a hat, and occasionally shaking his tambourine, clearly loving playing live after the restrictions of lockdown. Cutting a sometimes quirky figure on stage, at times animated and hunched over his piano, Weller is like a mad professor of modern music, let loose after being confined in his laboratory (Black Barn Studios) for two long years. The fruits of his labours are his well-received albums - On Sunset (2020), a personal saviour for me during lockdown when Weller’s mellow vibes were balm to my soul during my long bike rides to escape the house! Fat Pop was also essential lockdown listening as well as an Orchestrated Songbook (both 2021), bringing a whole new richness to Weller’s repertoire. All three of these latest albums show that the Modfather is just as musically fertile as ever and still has much to add to his amazing canon of music. The band’s love and enthusiasm is clearly evident and shows that the passing of time has built up a solid bond between these long-standing bandmates, all too evident through their effortless and accomplished performance and true comradeship on stage. A truly memorable night as always and an absolute privilege to celebrate the Changing Man’s diverse and musical journey, while being thoroughly and movingly entertained with the soundtrack of our own lives.
