Music / Reviews
Review: Paul Weller, Bristol Beacon – ‘Still the coolest guy in rock’
Paul Weller is a man of many talents and styles.
From the mod revival and rock genre found in his band The Jam to the pop and new-wave sound in The Style Council and then soft rock in his hit solo album, Stanley Road, Weller isn’t a man afraid to try new things.
This persona was on full display at his sold-out gig at Bristol Beacon, in anticipation for his new album, 66, which is released on May 24.
is needed now More than ever
With over four decades in the music industry, it’s always a worry that musicians still aren’t what they were when embarking on tour again.
It’s hard to watch the likes of Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger and Phil Collins on stage when you can tell that they are struggling, both vocally and physically.
However, Paul Weller negated this worry completely as he come out on stage looking like he’s never been away.
I’ve seen Weller on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and at The Downs Festival in 2018 and his gig at Bristol Beacon proved that smaller, indoor stages are where he shines best.
Joined by a full band, you couldn’t help but be in absolute awe of the talent on display on stage.
The whole band were multi-instrumentalists; the saxaphone player becoming a flutist, the drummer playing the maracas and the tambourine, Weller himself moving from guitar to keys and back again.
This range of instruments added so much depth and texture to the tracks, while the leading man’s vocals were just as strong as they were almost 50 years ago.
Weller is still the coolest guy in rock; owning the stage with his raw and husky voice while flexing his talents across several different guitars and the piano.
Weller was almost overshadowed by his extraordinary band. photo: @darrencphotography
Effortlessing moving from hit after hit, with tracks from all his different iterations; The Style Council’s Shout to the Top! and Headstart for Happiness,The Jam’s Start and That’s Entertainment, alongside his solo singles such as Stanley Road, Glad Times and Wild Wood.
Just when you think the stage is looking pretty full, one more musician squeezes on!
Steve Trigg, the trumpet player from Midlands based soul band, Stone Foundation joined Weller on stage for his performance of Shout to The Top!
While two encores may cause some eye-rolling and sighs of exasperation, you had to be impressed that, not only, could he perform on stage for two hours with only a small break between encores, he could also keep a sold-out crowd completely captivated, with no one moving an inch until he was back on stage and taking a final bow.
Over four decades later, Paul Weller still does not disappoint.
Main photo: @darrencphotography
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