There is no one quite like Paul Weller. His discography spans decades and genres, and his unique ability to continuously reinvent himself musically is nothing short of astonishing.
His vision has never been compromised, and whilst he will always include classic cuts from The Jam and The Style Council in his blockbuster sets, his newer material, including the brilliant ‘66’ from 2024 and more recently his collection of reimagined interpretations in the shape of ‘El Dorado’, shows that his restless nature and appetite to evolve sonically shows no sign of slowing down.
Having seen Paul at a number of indoor and outdoor gigs over the years, I was very much looking forward to his gig as part of the ongoing Southampton Sessions. With 31 (count ‘em!) tracks on his burgeoning set list, I was extremely excited to hear what songs would be included.
Miles Kane – a superb support act for Paul Weller in Southampton
With anticipation levels through the roof, the sold-out crowd were first treated to a swaggering set from the ever-charismatic Miles Kane. Having previously interviewed him and reviewed both ‘Change The Show’ and several of his earlier live outings, I was no stranger to his captivating stage presence. Once again, his effortless charisma and razor-sharp delivery ensured the evening got off to a flying start.
Looking effortlessly cool in a crisp white shirt and dark khaki trousers, Miles was in fine form, tearing through ‘Cry On My Guitar’, ‘Troubled Son’ and ‘Without You’ from his latest solo album, ‘Sunlight In The Shadows’. The title track followed, further cementing the record’s status as a worthy addition to his ever-expanding catalogue.
Mixing in the new material with the older cuts, he also served up an irresistible rendition of ‘Rearrange’, ‘Inhaler’ and a powerful performance of ‘Coup De Grace’. Miles always packs a real punch when it comes to playing live and his high-energy set really got the crowd going.
Paul Weller’s 31-track setlist was a career-spanning journey through the ages, drawing from every corner of his catalogue and weaving together The Jam, Style Council and his solo material with ease.
Paul Weller live at the Southampton Sessions
However, being Paul Weller, the set kicked off with the unexpected choice of ‘Rip the Pages Up’ from ‘22 Dreams’, swiftly followed by The Jam’s ‘Precious’ and a rousing reworking of Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Move On Up’. Long associated with Weller through both The Jam and The Style Council, the track was elevated further by Jacko Peake and the brass section, which helped get the crowd moving early.
‘Come On / Let’s Go’ injected early momentum into the set, lifting the energy in the room, before ‘The Weaver’ followed in a similar fashion. Its line “Can you put a smile back on all these faces” neatly reflects the mood of a clearly uplifted, sold-out crowd.
Evidently in a reflective mood, Paul revealed that ‘The Weaver’ was the first song he and guitarist Steve Cradock ever played together – a detail that hits harder given Steve has now been his right-hand man for over 30 years, the two still trading guitar lines with instinctive ease.
Their musical exchange was nothing short of mesmerising, with Steve Cradock’s flair and precision a key part of what makes Weller’s live shows and recordings so consistently compelling.
It almost beggars belief that tracks like ‘Strange Town’ and ‘Man in the Corner Shop’ are over 40 years old. Even Paul Weller joked that this part of the set wasn’t just to go in-between decades – but centuries! Bassist Jake Fletcher took on lead vocals for the latter and did a great job. Despite being released in 1980, the lyrics still feel as relevant as ever.
‘Hung Up’ (another brilliant addition from ‘Wild Wood’) was as fresh as ever and the meditative ‘Village’ was almost otherworldly at times. I am a huge fan of the effervescent ‘Broken Stones’ from the incredible ‘Stanley Road’ which is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favourite albums of all time.
Paul Weller has consistently used his songwriting and platform to speak out on the state of the world and call out injustice. Turning to the situation in Palestine, he challenged suggestions that politics should be kept out of his music and performances, arguing that political expression has always been central to songwriting, particularly within folk music traditions.
“It doesn’t matter what your politics are, on a humanitarian scale, what has been happening in Palestine is a fucking disgrace.” he said, speaking with real emotion, before dedicating ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ to the people of Palestine.
This was closely followed by two additional Style Council songs which included ‘Have You Ever Had it Blue’ and a euphoric rendition of ‘Shout To The Top’ with ‘Long Hot Summer’ also making an appearance further into the sun-dappled evening.
Why Paul Weller’s band are the best in the business
From there, the set rolled into a highlight from ‘Stanley Road’ with its title track, showcasing deft guitar work from Steve Cradock and rich keys from Tom Van Heel.
‘You Do Something To Me’ was utterly spellbinding, with Paul switching to piano. Brimming with slowly building power and emotion, it remains one of his greatest love songs, delivered with real conviction.
Drumming with real finesse, both Steve Pilgrim and Ben Gordelier impress throughout. Truth be told, Paul Weller’s band are an integral part of his live sound, with every member an awe-inspiring musician. Steve Cradock’s guitar playing remains a defining feature of Weller’s live arrangements.
Having recently turned 68, Paul Weller is looking and sounding fantastic, clad in double denim at the top end of the set, he stripped off to a simple black tshirt and jeans and his sartorial choices saw him look as sharp as ever.
With the main part of the set drawing to a close, it was time to revisit the anthemic ‘Out of The Sinking’ and ‘That’s Entertainment’ which landed as a ferocious, fervent highlight, propelled by propulsive drumming and a powerful, rolling bassline from Jake Fletcher.
Full of swaggering energy, ‘Peacock Suit’ stood out as a punchy highlight, before the set closer ‘Shadow of the Sun’ opened out into exhilarating guitar interplay between Paul and Steve.
The encore opened with just Weller and Cradock, and ‘English Rose’ landed as a powerful, intimate moment and this was followed by ‘All The Pictures On The Wall’ and a heart-stopping rendition of ‘Changing Man’ which is a song that truly embodies Paul Weller’s attitude to continuously evolving artistry.
‘Eton Rifles’ was as blistering as ever – full of irascible yet sagacious sucker punches delivered by Paul who retold the story of how former Prime Minister David Cameron misunderstood the meaning of the song despite him name checking it as his favourite song from The Jam.
Politics aside, sadly the night was coming to an end, but not without Paul Weller and the band serving up ‘Wild Wood’ which he described as ‘a song of hope’, ‘Rockets’ and a storming ‘Town Called Malice’
Thirty-one tracks, nearly five decades of music-making, and over two and a half hours of commanding performance. This was a career-spanning masterclass from Paul Weller and his band, delivered with real brilliance throughout, moving seamlessly through eras of his catalogue with confidence, power and ease.
A reminder, as if it was ever needed, that Paul Weller remains one of British music’s greatest songwriters and one of its most compelling live performers.
Photo Credit: Lorna Lleahy
