Paul Weller sure has a back catalogue on him. As frontman of The Jam and The Style Council before venturing into a solo career that seems never-ending, Weller is not short of a good song or two. He brought the ’66’ tour to Portsmouth this week in celebration of his newest studio offering of the same name.
Opening the show with the synth-soaked anthem ‘Cosmic Fringes’, the lead and opening song from his 2021 effort Fat Pop, was not to be anticipated. As a singer firmly rooted in the rockier side of things, a song drenched in electronic fuzz is the last thing you’d have expected him to bring out for the live shows. However, he did, and it paid off, hooking the crowd from the get go. Following this was the stomping single ‘Soul Wandering’, from his latest record 66, released in celebration of his latest birthday (any guesses how old he is?). Listening to him play this one, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was an established part of his set and had been in the Weller cannon for many years. It demonstrated that Weller still not only has flair artistically, but is more than capable as he approaches his seventies to put on a show worth investing your money in.
A Trio of style council classics followed, most notably the dancehall version of My Ever Changing Moods. This song works well as both its dance version and its more subdued acoustic cousin, but running with the upbeat one for the live show was certainly the right choice. Blending style council songs in between solo material gave the set a burst of energy at much needed moments. After reflecting on his (own words!) old age before ‘Old Father Tyme’, the opening notes of ‘Shout to the Top’ saw the room breathe a sigh of relief. Weller’s newest solo material can be rather drab in places, tending to focus on his ageing in a fast moving world, but the fact he weaved these between stone cold funk-rock classics means there will be no complaints here. It certainly did not impact the flow: If anything, songs like ‘On Sunset’ gave the crowd a chance to take a moment to prepare for the bursts that followed it- or alternatively, the chance to head to the bar. Many capitalised on that.
Credit: Kye Preston
Only two songs from Weller’s time with The Jam graced the setlist, as tends to happen these days. Although this has been a reoccurring theme since the 90s, you can’t help feeling like he needs to ‘start!’ delving back into their catalogue (pun absolutely intended). The Jam have a songbook that could floor any modern band, and quite honestly he could have chosen any from those years to play. Regardless, he treated the audience to renditions of ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘Town called malice’, arguably the two most successful songs of that era. Weller’s open defiance against becoming a heritage act, opting to look forwards and never back, is well documented. And honestly, his musical output is better off for it. Taking the time and consideration to craft entirely new worlds album-to-album opens up a whole new realm of possibility when it comes to playing live that most other artists are confined by. The refusal to be boxed in is what arguably kept the crowd engaged: they weren’t there to see him run through ‘Going Underground’ for the Umpteenth time, because Weller has a habit of keeping it fresh. It is a very welcoming aspect of his artistry.
In fact, the lack of his early work does little impact in the context of the set as a coherent narrative. He flew through offerings from his solo career, a highlight of which was ‘The Changingman’, which has been a long established Weller classic. Songs like ‘Wild Wood’ and ‘You Do Something To Me’ also made an appearance, exuding the same confidence they did when they were laid to tape all those years ago. Even the newer offerings, like ‘Rise up Singing’, felt firmly established.
A truly captivating performance from The Modfather. There is no one on earth that could ever do it the way he has, and quite frankly I don’t think there ever will be.
66, the latest studio album from Paul Weller, is out now. His tour continues through the winter.
