Live Report: Paul Weller delights with hits old and new during Trinity Summer Series gig

If you’re a fan of Paul Weller, one familiar with all his tunes, then his showing in Trinity last night was an amazing gig. If however, you came only to bask in the big hits, then the experience might have been somewhat different.

From the number of people in the audience chatting around me, it seemed that most were of the latter ilk. In fairness, at the age of 66, Weller has built up such an extensive back catalogue that it’s hard for people to keep up.

An exceptional Paul Weller gig @ Trinity Dublin last night, best I’ve seen in the many years since I first saw The Jam!
As the man himself said during the gig “there’s something in the air tonight” (& he wasn’t quoting the Phil Collins tune!).
That’s entertainment! 🎸😎 pic.twitter.com/vchokzaiW6

— PlaylistGuy (@PlaylistGuy) July 5, 2024

The singer welcomes everyone, acknowledges that it’ll be a long set and tells us all to settle in. The band kicked off with the crowd-pleasing 'Nova', originally released as a single in 2017. The evening continues at a steady pace with songs predominantly from his solo career, with a smattering of songs from his Style Council and Jam years.

There is a poignant moment and a roar of approval from the audience as ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ is dedicated to the women and children of Gaza.

‘You don’t have to pick a side. Genocide, ethnic cleansing are wrong.’

Paul Weller, Dublin. 04/07/2024
⁦@paulwellerHQ⁩ ⁦@PaulWellerNews⁩ #FreePalestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/TL3lgmBSOe

— Stephen Doyle (@dubsoulrebel) July 4, 2024

Deep into the set, at about the song number twenty mark, a flurry of classics are played back-to-back. The crowd get into a consistent groove with 'That's Entertainment', 'Start!', 'Peacock Suit', 'Into Tomorrow', 'The Changingman', 'Wild Wood Rockets', 'Broken Stones' and 'You Do Something to Me'.

There's no mention of the UK election (which took place on the same day) until the very end, when Weller alludes to change being in the air, before steaming into 'A Town Called Malice'. The timeless tune from the Jam's 1982 opus The Gift has its desired effect, leaving punters buzzing as they make their exit.