Review: Weller brings Modfather magic to the Marquee

In some respects I was a poor choice to review a Paul Weller gig.

Since seeing Weller front The Jam sporting a Heinz tomato soup apron on March 27, 1980, yes I even remember the exact date, I have been a massive fan of the Modfather — his effortless style and his ever changing music.

It stands to reason, then, that any review I might pen would inevitably be somewhat biased, given that I have seen Weller live more times than I care to remember and he has never disappointed.

Following an introduction by Cork comedian and political activist Tadgh Hickey, accompanied by a video decrying the appalling situation in Gaza with the pointed message that playing Israel in football is “supporting genocide”, Weller swaggers onto the stage — the very epitome of cool.

Kicking off with a rarity, Rip The Page Up, Weller and the band launch into The Jam classic Precious and a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up, followed by Come On/Let’s Go.

For a man who normally lets his music do the talking, Weller was in an unusually chatty mood, telling the crowd how much he loves Cork city, and even giving a mention to the idea of putting a statue outside City Hall of the mosquito that supposedly killed Oliver Cromwell, much to he delight of the adoring audience made up of young and not so young fans.

“We’ve got a long set tonight, we gonna bring you right through the years. Through the decades,” Weller says.

True to his word, Weller and the backing band played a blistering set, covering the Changingman’s long and winding career from The Jam standards Strange Town, That’s Entertainment and Man in the Cornershop, to Style Council tracks including Shout To The Top! and Long Hot Summer to classics from the Modfather’s solo career including The Weaver, Stanley Road, and Out of the Sinking, bringing the initial set to a conclusion with Peacock Suit.

The inevitable encore turned out to be a mini-gig all on its own, kicking off with All the Pictures On The Wall, followed by tracks including Wild Wood and The Eton Rifles, finishing up with the stone cold classic A Town Called Malice, much to the rapturous delight of the audience that was hanging onto every word.

Although old enough to have his own bus pass, Weller rolled back the years at the Marquee with a career-spanning set that would satisfy even the most jaded of musical palates.