Paul Weller
REVIEW
5/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
UK Autumn Tour
23rd November 2021
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
REVIEW
5/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
UK Autumn Tour
23rd November 2021
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
There was a bit of a hoo-ha a few years back when Paul Weller made the decision to play a setlist consisting mostly of songs from his most recent album. Die hard fans who had been following the former The Jam and Style Council front man from the early days were up in arms that Weller didn't play the anthemic songs that gave so much impetus to their teenage rites of passage. Weller made no apologies and subsequently created even more new music and albums abundant with songs and tunes covering a whole plethora of genres. One of his most recent offerings has been to record the upcoming, An Orchestrated Songbook with Jules Buckley & the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as well as writing On Sunset (the original tour album) and Fat Pop (Volume 1).
What Weller has come to appreciate now is that the fans need to hear those early songs and on this tour, delayed for almost 2 years, he has gone all out. I don't think anyone could be disappointed with the massive selection of songs on this tour's set list.
A 2 year delay has not only clearly given Weller an opportunity to write and create but to also get back on stage and deliver to his fans exactly what they want to hear.
With a setlist consisting of a whopping 27 songs, Weller and his band played for over 2 hours, much to the delight of the Southend crowd. Playing a variety of songs from old and new albums including Wild Wood, Heavy Soul, Saturns Pattern and the self titled, Paul Weller, the Stanley Road selection probably went down the best with the 'Fred Perry' and 'Ben Sherman' set. Naturally the biggest cheers were for the oldies; Everchanging Moods and Shout to the Top were obvious winners but there was also a lot of love for More, Village and Old Father Tyme.
Weller has a fantastic band behind him not least with Steve Cradock, his writing partner and band stalwart. These guys are hugely talented musicians and all sound amazing. Weller's vocals are better than ever and he really looked like he was enjoying being back in front of a crowd. He was certainly more animated than I was expecting with quite a bit of chat in between songs.
Naturally the encore brought with it the favourites and the whole venue were up on their feet for A Town Called Malice the final song which Weller declared "should be our f**king national anthem"! Not sure about that, perhaps, but one thing's for sure, Weller has become a national musical writing legend; his contribution to British music over the last 45 years has been nothing short of phenomenal and on this form the 63 year old Modfather is likely to be around for a good while yet.
Kim Tobin
What Weller has come to appreciate now is that the fans need to hear those early songs and on this tour, delayed for almost 2 years, he has gone all out. I don't think anyone could be disappointed with the massive selection of songs on this tour's set list.
A 2 year delay has not only clearly given Weller an opportunity to write and create but to also get back on stage and deliver to his fans exactly what they want to hear.
With a setlist consisting of a whopping 27 songs, Weller and his band played for over 2 hours, much to the delight of the Southend crowd. Playing a variety of songs from old and new albums including Wild Wood, Heavy Soul, Saturns Pattern and the self titled, Paul Weller, the Stanley Road selection probably went down the best with the 'Fred Perry' and 'Ben Sherman' set. Naturally the biggest cheers were for the oldies; Everchanging Moods and Shout to the Top were obvious winners but there was also a lot of love for More, Village and Old Father Tyme.
Weller has a fantastic band behind him not least with Steve Cradock, his writing partner and band stalwart. These guys are hugely talented musicians and all sound amazing. Weller's vocals are better than ever and he really looked like he was enjoying being back in front of a crowd. He was certainly more animated than I was expecting with quite a bit of chat in between songs.
Naturally the encore brought with it the favourites and the whole venue were up on their feet for A Town Called Malice the final song which Weller declared "should be our f**king national anthem"! Not sure about that, perhaps, but one thing's for sure, Weller has become a national musical writing legend; his contribution to British music over the last 45 years has been nothing short of phenomenal and on this form the 63 year old Modfather is likely to be around for a good while yet.
Kim Tobin
All images above are the exclusive property of Southend Theatre Scene and Jon Webber and may not be reproduced, copied, stored, downloaded or altered in any way without permission. If you are interested in Jon's photography please get in touch by clicking the email link below.
All photos copyright Jon Webber - contact [email protected]
All photos copyright Jon Webber - contact [email protected]
Paul Weller is finally back on the road this Autumn with his rescheduled March tour dates. The tour follows the success of his latest No.1 album "Fat Pop (Volume 1)" - his 16th solo album since the release of his self-titled debut in 1992.
Fat Pop (Volume 1) is a diverse selection of sounds. No one style dominates. There’s the synth-heavy, future-wave strut of Cosmic Fringes, the stately balladeering of Still Glides The Stream (co-written with Steve Cradock), the chunky percussive groove of Moving Canvas (a tribute to Iggy Pop no less), and the kind of dramatic immediate pop symphonies on Failed, True and Shades of Blue with which Paul Weller has hooked in generation after generation of devotee.
Fat Pop (Volume 1) is a diverse selection of sounds. No one style dominates. There’s the synth-heavy, future-wave strut of Cosmic Fringes, the stately balladeering of Still Glides The Stream (co-written with Steve Cradock), the chunky percussive groove of Moving Canvas (a tribute to Iggy Pop no less), and the kind of dramatic immediate pop symphonies on Failed, True and Shades of Blue with which Paul Weller has hooked in generation after generation of devotee.
|
Autumn 2021 Tour Dates:
24th Nov - Margate - Winter Gardens 26th Nov - Stoke on Trent - Victoria Hall 27th Nov - Sheffield - Octagon Centre 29th Nov - Glasgow - Barrowland Ballroom 30th Nov - Aberdeen - Music Hall 1st Dec - Middlesbrough - Town Hall 3rd Dec - Norwich UEA 4th Dec - Lincoln - Engine Shed 5th Dec - Cambridge - Corn Exchange |
|