THE
biggest show of the year at King George's Hall more than lived up to its
billing last night.
Paul Weller
turned in a powerful and at times soulful performance, the work of a man at the
height of his powers - and one who was clearly relishing performing in a more
intimate venues than the arenas he normally frequents these days.
This was
truly a special night and not just for the fact that the sold-out show broke
all records at the venue - the largest attendance and the highest grossing box
office receipts for any single gig. From the outset Weller attacked the show
like a man half his age. After just two songs, the jacket - immaculately
tailored naturally - was thrown off and the energy levels never dropped.
Backed by
a great five-piece band including long term sidekick Steve Cradock on guitar,
Weller showcased a number of songs from his forthcoming album Saturn's Pattern
and the signs are that he's once again come up with a minor classic.
With a
career spanning over 35 years there's no way Weller can ever satisfy all the
fans by playing their own particular favourites. But it's a testament to the
quality of his song-writing that a set liberally sprinkled with new material
kept the swaying mass enthralled throughout.
As he sat
behind the keyboards and introduced You Do Something To Me as "something
from the last century" a wall of camera phones shot into the air.
Songs from
Stanley Road and 22 Dreams were also given an airing. After two encores and a
finale of Changing Man it was all over.
In Weller
terms this was an intimate evening. For the audience it was simply a special
one.
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