THE
CHANGINGMAN signs off another concert in the career of one of Britain's finest
post punk songsmiths.
Weller's
constant drive to plough new musical furrows remains unabated, which certainly
has to be admired after 40 years, even if at times he doesn't seem to give two
figs if he takes his ever-loyal audience with him - a few of who got an
unnecessarily expletive-laden mouthful for daring to shout out when he was
talking.
A couple
of new songs from his forthcoming Saturn's Pattern album were met with a muted
response at best, and for a Changingman, there was a distinct sense of deja-vu,
and haven't we heard this one before - notably the title-track and new single
White Sky. That said other new songs Long Time and These City Streets had more
light and shade, and dare one say, were more classic Weller.
Overall
the gig itself was standard rather than classic Weller, who, as now has become
the norm, switched between guitar and piano. Joined on stage by trusted guitar
lieutenant Steve Cradock, a drummer, extra percussionist, bassist and organist,
they certainly rocked - straight ahead on the likes of From the Floorboards Up,
to extended psych workout Porcelain Gods.
As far as
nostalgia went, there was no going back beyond the solo career - which itself
now stretches back 23 years - so anyone hoping for Town Called Malice or a
Style Council number was left disappointed, although the penultimate Broken
Stones certainly proved a crowd pleaser.
It was the
sort of gig fans have come to expect from The Changingman.
By Ian Hughes
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