Paul Weller has obviously struck a Faustian pact. Not only does he look much younger than his 48 years, but for the duration of this two-hour (yes, a full 120 minutes) show, he displays the energy of someone that has just supped from the cup of eternal youth.
He struts, jumps, throws shapes, toasts the crowd, flicks plectrums at us, changes guitars more often than Christina changes costumes and chews that stick of Wrigley’s like his life depends on it, with the odd bit of gobbing thrown in for good measure. At times it seems like the musical version of Speed; perhaps if his performance level slips below a certain pace the stage will explode, or worse, the Modfather’s crown may slip – but there’s no fear of that happening anytime soon.
Tonight’s set is culled from his 30-year career. The latest single ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ sparkles amongst other solo gems such as ‘Wild Wood’, ‘Broken Stones’ and ‘The Changingman’. Jam devotees are treated to two rarely-performed early numbers, ‘Thick As Thieves’ from Setting Sons and ‘Running On The Spot’ from The Gift, both older than a fair amount of attendees.
Part of Weller’s allure is that he is as compelling on slower numbers like ‘You Do Something To Me’ and ‘I Wanna Make It Alright’ as he is belting out ‘From The Floorboards Up’. Another trump card is the fine band: guitarist Steve Craddock, bassist Damon Minchella and drummer Steve White, whose chemistry is the magic dust on this performance. But the secret ingredient is undoubtedly Paul Weller’s artistic capacity for change and reinvention.
Built on shifting sands indeed.