Paul Weller, the Modfather himself, brought his unrelenting energy and trademark swagger to Newcastle City Hall. The night was a masterclass in blending rock, postpunk and acoustic brilliance and was a testament to his legendary career.
I first experienced Weller way back in the days of The Jam. My blog entry of the time jogs my Memory (At Least A Little): “The Jam 1977 And 1978. When We Think Of Late 70s Punk Rock, We have a certain image of safety pins, spitting, the pogo, and fast furious rebellious rock. In reality the punk scene was a pretty broad church, which drew from a wide range of influences.
The Jam burst onto the scene in 1977, blending mod, sharp suits, with attitude, arrogance, and great catchy pop songs. They had obviously been influenced by, soul, R&B, The Who and Small Faces and you could tell that lead singer and guitarist Paul Weller was a huge fan of Steve Marriott and Pete Townshend.
I attended a few early Jam concerts in the Northeast, at Newcastle Mayfair and at Sunderland Seaburn Hall. These gigs were pretty wild affairs with Weller and the guys having to dodge a hail of glasses (and they were real glass in those days, not plastic) and waves of spit.
The Seaburn Hall gig (see postcard of Seaburn which I recently purchased on eBay, Seaburn Hall is top left) was particularly ferocious; it was attended by a group of skinheads (“We hate punks”) who were looking for trouble and there were several scuffles. The Jam set in those days drew from their first album, their early singles, and a nifty cover of the Batman them closed the show. They were a breath of fresh air, and it was evident even at those early gigs, that this was a band that stood above the rest and would ultimately transcend the punk movement.
By 1978 The Jam had graduated to playing Newcastle City Hall (see ticket above), a venue that would be host to some great Jam gigs over the next few years. I also saw them headline the Friday night of the Reading festival in the same year. Sample Jam setlist from 1978: The Modern World; London Traffic; I Need You (For Someone); The Combine; Aunties & Aunts; Standards; Here Comes the Weekend; Sounds From the Street; News of the World; London Girl; In the Street, Today; Bricks and Mortar; In the City; In the Midnight Hour; Carnaby Street; All Around the World.” Thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the picture of the Jam in concert at Newcastle City Hall in 1982, a concert which I almost certainly attended.
I saw Paul many times after those early performances including further Jam concerts at Newcastle City Hall, their farewell tour at Whitley Bay Ice Rink (the first concert at that cavernous, cold venue), and when he formed The Style Council (see my recent purchase of the single “Ever-Changing Moods” by the Style Council) including momentous performances at Live Aid and as part of Red Wedge, which Paul founded with Billy Bragg.
The tour was to mark the release of Paul’s latest album 66 which is his 17th solo album and was released on Polydor Records on 24 May 2024. The artwork was by Sir Peter Blake, who designed The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s LP all those years ago, again demonstrating Paul’s 60s influences. 66 is named partly for his age at release and partly, he claims, for 1966 – the year that produced much of the music that fired him up in the first place. (From Newcastle University website).
Such memories swirl around my head as I go to see Paul Weller again. It has been some years since I’d last seen Weller live; his arena tour in 2009 to be precise. So, I figured it was about time to see him again. Supporting Paul was Liam Bailey an English singer-songwriter from Nottingham. Liam is noted for his soul, reggae, and blues-influenced vocal style. He was an excellent opening act, warming the crowd up for the main man. Paul Weller kicked off the evening with “Cosmic Fringes”, and “That Pleasure”, Weller wasted no time, igniting the crowd and reminding us all what a great performer he still is.
Backed by his excellent band, he smoothly moved through an eclectic mix of music from his solo work, Style Council hits and even provided a nod to his Jam days. The audience erupted during “Start” and “Shout to the Top”, songs that remain as anthemic as ever! Midway Weller softened the pace with poignant renditions of “Broken Stones” and, later “Wild Wood”; his voice strong, filling the hall with warmth. The audience were captivated as they were taken through the depth and breadth of his career.
During the encore, the energy reached an all-time high. “That’s Entertainment” and “Town Called Malice” had the entire hall on their feet, singing every word as one. I was reminded of all the times I’d seen The Jam, and, for a moment, it felt like no time had passed since those days. Indeed, leaving Newcastle City Hall that evening, it was clear to me that Weller continues to be a great live performer and remains a true rock ‘n’ roll legend.
He is a world class act through and through. In many ways he carries his mod colours loud and proud; the 60s, Small Faces, The Who and my own particular hero Steve Marriott resonate throughout his every move and sinew. Class indeed. Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs, along with Laura for helping complete the entry and Jan and Chris for navigating the site.
Setlist: Cosmic Fringes; That Pleasure; Soul Wandering; My Ever-Changing Moods; Have You Ever Had It Blue; All the Pictures on the Wall; Headstart for Happiness; Above the Clouds; More; Stanley Road; Glad Times; Village; Hung Up; Shout to the Top!; Start!; Broken Stones; Nothing; Jumble Queen; Out of the Sinking; Into Tomorrow; Peacock Suit.
Encore: The Changingman; Porcelain Gods; You Do Something to Me; Wild Wood.
Encore 2: That’s Entertainment; Town Called Malice.
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