REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
PAUL WELLER
8th April 2024
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
PAUL WELLER
8th April 2024
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
A text comes through - ‘Are you going to see Weller tonight?’ – it’s from Kim Tobin who runs the Southend Theatre Scene website. ‘I’ll be taking photos and am looking for someone to write a review’. ‘Of course, I am’ I reply, ‘Happy to help’.
Now, cards on the table, I’m a fan of Mr Weller, have been since The Jam, so I’m a little bit biased. Mind you, if I don’t like something then I’ll say so – and did say so to the man himself way back in 1982! (I wasn’t a fan of The Bitterest Pill video.)
I’d seen Paul the week before, kicking off the spring tour at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. That was a great gig and a hard one to follow, and I was hoping Southend wouldn’t disappoint.
A short walk for me to the venue, it was still light, very mild (don’t you just love the lighter evenings that spring brings) and there was a definite buzz in the air.
I got there early enough to get a good spot down the front and got chatting to other fans around me, reminiscing on previous gigs, favourite songs and the fact Weller, a pensioner, was now approaching 66 years old - still creative and producing new music. Hats off to the man!
Now, one bugbear of mine has been that some of the bands who have supported him over the years have been….how can we say….a mixed bag… some good, some bad and some downright ugly. But the band supporting him at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion on Monday night were absolutely great. Called Barbara – a nod to the 60s and 70s, I understand, and they certainly entertained. I thought they were a mix of many things, a bit of Keane, a hint of Queen, a touch of Jagger, a little bit of Pulp, some Divine Comedy and plenty of camp! They hail from Brighton and are certainly worth checking out. Catchy tunes such as Rainy Days in June and These New Communications went down well and appear on their 5 track EP Mildly Entertaining. They are supporting Paul on some more dates on this tour and I’m sure you’ll hear more from them in the future.
We didn’t have to wait long for the man himself. James Buckley aka Jay from The Inbetweeners comes out to introduce the band with the immortal line of ‘Bus Wankers! Please welcome to the stage, Mr Paul Weller".
A quick ‘evening’ to the crowd from Paul and off we go.
We kick off with Rip the Pages Up not a song everyone knows well but it sounds great … heads start nodding in appreciation and it’s onwards and upwards.
The interesting thing that was evident here, and at the Shepherd’s Bush gig was Weller’s cheerful disposition and his willingness to chat to the audience, he really did seem to be enjoying himself. I’m sure he’s sick of being thought of as moody; serious when he has to be, yes; but he has a great sense of humour, and he seems willing to show it more as he has aged and mellowed, like a fine wine...or a complex scotch. He seems happy and content with his lot - and a pretty good ‘lot’ it is.
A real mixed bag of 28 songs followed over the following 2 hours and 3, yes 3, encores. That’s Entertainment and Start! from The Jam era, wonderful renditions of Shout to the Top and Headstart for Happiness from his Style Council Days and modern classics (see what I did there Weller fans) including Above the Clouds, All the Pictures on the Wall, Wildwood, Hung Up, Stanley Road, You Do Something to Me, Broken Stones and Porcelain Gods, interspersed with more recent songs such as Fat Pop, Village and Mayfly along with some brand new songs – Jumble Queen (written with Noel Gallagher) and Soul Wandering from his up and coming album ‘66' – out to celebrate his 66th year around the sun, released the day before his birthday on 24 May.
The final song was, as always seems to be the case now, A Town Called Malice – a crowd favourite which went down a storm. I turned to look back at the audience to see everyone singing along, their faces lit up in joy and I thought to myself, what a great job he’s got; no wonder he’s happy and carries on. 66 – I’m sure he’ll be doing it when he’s 76!
A great night, lots of happy people and a real sense of seeing someone still on top of their game. Long may it continue.
When’s the next gig… I may just have to go again!
REVIEW: NEIL LANDS
Now, cards on the table, I’m a fan of Mr Weller, have been since The Jam, so I’m a little bit biased. Mind you, if I don’t like something then I’ll say so – and did say so to the man himself way back in 1982! (I wasn’t a fan of The Bitterest Pill video.)
I’d seen Paul the week before, kicking off the spring tour at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. That was a great gig and a hard one to follow, and I was hoping Southend wouldn’t disappoint.
A short walk for me to the venue, it was still light, very mild (don’t you just love the lighter evenings that spring brings) and there was a definite buzz in the air.
I got there early enough to get a good spot down the front and got chatting to other fans around me, reminiscing on previous gigs, favourite songs and the fact Weller, a pensioner, was now approaching 66 years old - still creative and producing new music. Hats off to the man!
Now, one bugbear of mine has been that some of the bands who have supported him over the years have been….how can we say….a mixed bag… some good, some bad and some downright ugly. But the band supporting him at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion on Monday night were absolutely great. Called Barbara – a nod to the 60s and 70s, I understand, and they certainly entertained. I thought they were a mix of many things, a bit of Keane, a hint of Queen, a touch of Jagger, a little bit of Pulp, some Divine Comedy and plenty of camp! They hail from Brighton and are certainly worth checking out. Catchy tunes such as Rainy Days in June and These New Communications went down well and appear on their 5 track EP Mildly Entertaining. They are supporting Paul on some more dates on this tour and I’m sure you’ll hear more from them in the future.
We didn’t have to wait long for the man himself. James Buckley aka Jay from The Inbetweeners comes out to introduce the band with the immortal line of ‘Bus Wankers! Please welcome to the stage, Mr Paul Weller".
A quick ‘evening’ to the crowd from Paul and off we go.
We kick off with Rip the Pages Up not a song everyone knows well but it sounds great … heads start nodding in appreciation and it’s onwards and upwards.
The interesting thing that was evident here, and at the Shepherd’s Bush gig was Weller’s cheerful disposition and his willingness to chat to the audience, he really did seem to be enjoying himself. I’m sure he’s sick of being thought of as moody; serious when he has to be, yes; but he has a great sense of humour, and he seems willing to show it more as he has aged and mellowed, like a fine wine...or a complex scotch. He seems happy and content with his lot - and a pretty good ‘lot’ it is.
A real mixed bag of 28 songs followed over the following 2 hours and 3, yes 3, encores. That’s Entertainment and Start! from The Jam era, wonderful renditions of Shout to the Top and Headstart for Happiness from his Style Council Days and modern classics (see what I did there Weller fans) including Above the Clouds, All the Pictures on the Wall, Wildwood, Hung Up, Stanley Road, You Do Something to Me, Broken Stones and Porcelain Gods, interspersed with more recent songs such as Fat Pop, Village and Mayfly along with some brand new songs – Jumble Queen (written with Noel Gallagher) and Soul Wandering from his up and coming album ‘66' – out to celebrate his 66th year around the sun, released the day before his birthday on 24 May.
The final song was, as always seems to be the case now, A Town Called Malice – a crowd favourite which went down a storm. I turned to look back at the audience to see everyone singing along, their faces lit up in joy and I thought to myself, what a great job he’s got; no wonder he’s happy and carries on. 66 – I’m sure he’ll be doing it when he’s 76!
A great night, lots of happy people and a real sense of seeing someone still on top of their game. Long may it continue.
When’s the next gig… I may just have to go again!
REVIEW: NEIL LANDS
Check out our photos below from Kim Tobin Photography from Monday night's Cliffs Pavilion gig of Paul Weller and Barbara..
All images above are the exclusive property of Southend Theatre Scene and Kim Tobin Photography and may not be reproduced, copied, stored, downloaded or altered in any way without permission. If you are interested in Kim's photography please get in touch by clicking the link above.
All photos copyright Kim Tobin Photography - contact here
All images above are the exclusive property of Southend Theatre Scene and Kim Tobin Photography and may not be reproduced, copied, stored, downloaded or altered in any way without permission. If you are interested in Kim's photography please get in touch by clicking the link above.
All photos copyright Kim Tobin Photography - contact here
BARBARA
💫 Fun, fantastical and theatrical 🍭 Add some Barbara to your life!…
For more info on Barbara click the link below
linktr.ee/barbaratheband
💫 Fun, fantastical and theatrical 🍭 Add some Barbara to your life!…
For more info on Barbara click the link below
linktr.ee/barbaratheband