Gig review: Paul Weller in Auckland
BY DUNCAN JOHNSTONE
British legend Paul Weller found himself in a bit of a jam last night.
Does the man known as the Modfather play his greatest hits or mix up his new music?
Given that this was his first appearance in New Zealand, there really was only one answer - the punters wanted the 34-year drought broken with a flood of familiarity
But Weller ignored that too much during this 90-minute Kiwi debut.
He started superbly and finished very strongly, belting out the snappy anthems that made his original band The Jam so influential in the late 70s and early 80s.
In between things fell a bit flat with Weller guilty of being a little self-indulgent in playing tracks that seemed to be lost on the capacity crowd.
Given his peculiar absence from these shores - noted by Weller early on the night: "It's been a long time but we finally got here." - the man who transposed punk with a cool edge, should have read his audience better.
They were there to hear The Jam and The Style Council, they didn't really want to ramble down Stanley Road.
And the crowd was the perfect barometer. The Eton Rifles had them up early as did Shout To The Top.
And the thumping renditions of That's Entertainment and Town Called Malice had the ground floor bouncing about. But they came too late in this slick show.
The middle stages of such an anticipated night were a little under-Weller-ming.
That's Weller though. He's always been his own man. His creativity burns too strongly to be stuck in the past for too long. Why else would he break up The Jam at their peak? He has maintained his drive and energy to consistently win critical acclaim and sell a stack of solo albums.
It always been done with his trademark style. There's a uniqueness to Weller that has allowed him to transcend the decades with massive respect.
Just last month Weller ranked No 6 on the annual "cool list" of NME with the UK's musical bible earlier handing him their Godlike Genius award in February.
The reasons for that were obvious in Auckland. He poured his heart into Sea Spray, his distinctive voice dominated That Dangerous Age and there was an old edge to a track that was born out of collaboration with Oasis' Noel Gallagher.
The fact this show sold out so quickly is reflective of Weller's standing, his longevity and his unmistakeable sound.
It will be interesting to see if he adjusts his sets for tonight's second show and Sunday's third.
The 52-year-old has plenty up his sleeve. Don't forget The Jam charted 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the UK, including four No 1 hits.
That's clearly what the punters here want after being denied for more than 30 years.
And Weller has the goods to dish it up. He really is Mr Cool as the centre of attention and his guitar-driven four piece band are superb.
Paul Weller
October 29: The Powerstation, Auckland
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Well it was definitely worth it. Paul Weller is a chameleon and won't please everyone all the time. "Denying punters what they really want after 30 years" is in my opinion, a load of cr*p - if you want that, b*gger off to your nearest RSA where the house-band will be more than obliging to play you some crowd bopping hits. Your review was average, the gig was superb to those who could see beyond rating his show like some awful skating performance.
Punters can read far better gig reviews via international media.
It was an excellent gig. I thought the crowd were extremely appreciative last night, the call for encore was loud and long. True there was no mosh pit but it was an older crowd there more to appreciate the talent than slam dance the night away. QUALITY.
Duncan you should have gone to see from the jam and done a review about what it would be like to see Paul Weller live....worst review i have ever seen of a show..
I totally agree that the reviewer misunderstood the fact that this was a Wake up the Nation Tour. I too hadn't expected any Jam songs and was blown away when they were played. I saw The Jam in 1978 and this took me back to my early teens as did the sticky beer soaked flooring - priceless. That said I went to see Paul Weller on Saturday night, not The Jam or The Style Council and I was not disappointed. I love the new album and I think Paul Weller is an awesome musician and performer. Good for him for not living solely in his past glory days!
Ha ha, glad I'm not only one who thought this review sucked eggs!
Rubbish review, rubbish reviewer. Weller has earned the right to do what he wants. Do you go to many gigs, Duncan? If you want a greatest hits package, go and see a covers band. If you want to see an artist at the peak of his powers still pushing back the frontiers while striking a balance with old and new, go to a proper gig. Last night was just about perfect. Your review, however, is far from that.
I can't believe some of these comments, I for one went to a Paul Weller gig, and doing so i expected to hear tunes made by the man himself, I thought the gig was amazing and was more impressed that he did actually play some Jam and Style Council stuff as i was'nt really expecting him to play as much as he did!!!. So to all you wanna be weller fans go see somebody else and stop complaining!!!.
Probably the worst review I have ever read of a gig in my life. This was Paul Weller Wake Up The Nation tour. I was there on Saturday night and thought the older stuff was great (Pretty Green, Art School, Peacock Suit etc etc) but Wake Up The Nation is the album and this is the tour. Those that wanted to hear Jam songs should have gone to see From The Jam when they were here. Same goes for small minded reviewers who thought they were going to a Jam reunion. Mate, you really have to wake up to this artist (and others like him) who tour new material. I thought Weller, Craddock and Co showed versatility and a commitment to the new, harder edge of WUTN. 'Trees' was superb, Fast Cars Slow Traffic blew the roof off the place and the albums title track rammed itself right through the very heart of those who said Weller was over after Heavy Soul. WUTN is a hard edged album with a deep message, one we could all do with heeding. We as a world are losing the art of conversation and communication generally, this gig was a billboard for that. Those of us who know the album more than reading song titles off the sleeve notes will get that. Your review was off the mark mate, you were at the wrong show
as a 20 year old lad..seeing weller last night was biblical
and being right at the front...what a gig
im sick of those 'fans' who want P.W to play all Jam songs..for me id rather have 2 more council songs in there to balance the books so to speak
best gig ever...even got rowdy at the end toward Malice
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Poor Review. Weller is about the future and exploration, producing new music/albums which are different from the last. His solo career is some of his best work and he is still producing no.1 albums so why should he show up and play a greatest hits tour. If you were a true fan you would appreciate all of his music and also maybe be able to write a better review!!