Tonight was the first of two sold-out nights for The Modfather at the O2 City Hall in Newcastle. There was a time he would sell out the bigger arenas, but for now, the perfect place is these medium-sized venues, where he can sell out and pull off a blinder of a show.
There are a few more bald heads than Weller cuts these days, yet he still commands a loyal following. With a back catalogue like his, it’s no wonder. Tonight was a night of nostalgia, with Weller commenting that it would be “a long set tonight with loads of tracks to play”, which would be the full breadth of his long musical career as it would turn out.
Before all that, though, we were looked after by Nottingham-born singer/songwriter Liam Bailey, who Weller hand-picked to support him on this tour. Opening the night with his brand of bluesy reggae and soulful vocals backed by smooth jazz, Bailey put on a vibrant show and no doubt courted a few more fans.
Starting with the gentle folk track Summer Rain, Bailey’s laid-back set of Summery, Caribbean-inspired jazz was well received. Bailey himself came across as a fun-loving, confident frontman, and when not dancing across the stage, he managed to coax some audience participation out of the Geordie crowd.
Mentioning that he had to “cut back the chatting as he was getting a bit Phoenix nights,” he played well to the crowd, engaging various sectors of the crowd and using the large stage to his full advantage. Bailey delivered an impressive solid set, with his moustachioed guitarist taking much of the work with sweeping chords, quick-stepping rhythms, and even a solo or two. He was integral to the overall sound.
It felt like a long wait as the floor started filling up before an energetic Weller burst on stage, acknowledging the audience with a bow and going straight into the first track, ‘Cosmic Fringes’. With a Palestine flag decked stage, something Weller alluded to on the first of his work with previous bands as he introduced ‘Have You Ever Had It So Blue’, commenting on how the conflict in the Middle East was a genocide.
We have all gotten used to the bigger sound of the modern-day Modfather, and with multiple guitar changes, two drummers, and a one-man brass and woodwind section, but that big band sound of late Weller filled the venue, delighting the fans. As I mentioned earlier, it wasn’t that long ago that he was touring the larger arenas, but now he’s comfortably filling these smaller, more intimate venues, which makes the experience a whole lot better, in my opinion.
Introducing a track from the last century, he mixed in The Style Council tracks with his solo stuff, keeping his Jam tracks for later on in the setlist. We were treated to roaring renditions of ‘My Ever Changing Moods’, ‘Have You Ever Had It Blue’, and ‘Headstart For Happiness’, all met by riotous applause and dancing in the stalls.
Possibly one of the most recognised voices, he still sounds bold and soulful, albeit with a more resounding baritone. The tracks still sound fantastic live. With the numerous guitar changes, Weller also took to the piano for several tracks. ‘Stanley Road’ and ‘Peacock Suite’ made an appearance, along with some newer tracks, ‘Jumble Queen’ and ‘Soul Wandering’ off the new album ’66’.
‘Shout To The Top’ got the first biggest cheer as the camera phones came out in abundance and the crowd found their voice. ‘Start’, dedicated to anyone from the 80s, carried the good vibes on, and it felt like the night had indeed started. ‘Broken Stones’ saw Weller on the piano again before leading the audience with a clap along.
He then moved into a new track taken from his new album, 66. ‘Nothing,’ co-written with Suggs from Madness and Cheeky White, settled the crowd back down, although not for long. The next few “Fast Songs”, as Weller described them, brought the room right back up again with ‘Out Of The Sinking’ and ‘Into Tomorrow’ before closing the set with a Weller classic, ‘Peacock Suit’.
With the baying crowd wanting more, the band returned for the first of two encores tonight, starting with a belting rendition of ‘Changing Man.’ Be forgiving in thinking this band hadn’t just turned out a 21-song set already, such was the energy in the room. This more solo Weller-focused encore also featured ‘Porcelain Gods,’ which slipped into a deep bass love and a beautiful moment as the camera phones were back out for ‘You Do Something To Me’.
Second encore: What would it be like to have a Weller gig without these two tracks? ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘Town Called Malice’ brought the house down, leaving the Geordie crowd satisfied. Something that a Paul Weller concert never fails to do.
Tonight was a masterclass in songwriting. The guy has never written a bad album, but there is no escaping from the fact that tonight, the biggest cheers happen to be for his older stuff.
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