LIVE REVIEW: Paul Weller in Royal Hospital, Kilmainham

Music
25 Jun 14

You can tell by the sheer amount of equipment on stage that Paul Weller means business tonight: Analogue synths, keyboards and pianos are positioned on the peripheries, two hefty drum-kits tower behind them, while stacks of vintage Marshall amps lie waiting for the never ending line of guitars stashed in the wings – impressive to say the least.

And Weller wastes no time putting all that hardware to good use with a fuss-free opening six tracks that span his 23-year solo career. Going all the way back to 1993, The Modfather opens with the gorgeous ‘Sunflower’, which has gained a few extra licks over the years. A couple each from 2005’s As Is Now and 2010’s Wake Up The Nation are followed by a spritely rendition of Wild Wood’s ‘Foot Of The Mountain’ and it’s clear that Weller, Craddock and company are on top form tonight.

Sadly, the (mostly) middle-aged crowd who had packed into the picturesque Kilmainham venue aren’t singing off the same hymn sheet. If Weller is slowly shifting through the gears on stage, the apathetic majority out front seem more interested in chatting, taking selfies, video recording, and emulating Weller’s style rather than settling into a grove and actually engaging with the music.

“I know,’’ exclaimed a frustrated Weller half-way through the main body of the set. “It’s early days and you need to warm up.’’ Wishful thinking. Despite the cracking, up-tempo ‘The Attic’ and the epic guitar journey that is ‘Porcelain Gods’ being delivered note perfect, the mood of the crowd hardly changes. The enthusiasm shown by the hardcore fans up the front fails to filter through, while any attempts to get some crowd handclaps going are quickly muted by more chitchatting.

On stage, however, Weller is the consummate professional, soulfully delivering the flawless ‘Above The Clouds’ before taking a seat at the piano for the wonderful ‘Dragonfly’, which comes with added bass and vocal effects. He finishes with ‘Peacock Suit’ and The Jam’s 1980 hit ‘Start!’, which at least manages to inject some life into the jaded crow.

You could forgive Weller if he’d called it a night there and then. But he rewarded his ardent Irish followers with not one, not two, but three encores: The last of six tracks being The Jam’s ‘Town Called Malice’, which drew a reaction that resembled 5pm in the office on a Friday more than the end of what was an excellent gig.

Weller: A+. Audience: Must try harder.