Review: Paul Weller, Dalby Forest (From Gazette & Herald)

Review: Paul Weller, Dalby Forest

11:04am Wednesday 1st July 2009

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AN eerie mist descended over Dalby Forest and the rain proceeded to follow, but nothing was going to dampen the spirits of the crowd at Paul Weller’s sold-out concert on Saturday.

The directions to get to Addlestone Field were not so easy to follow (we and plenty of others ended up having a three-mile hike through the forest from one drop-off point to get there) but we made it in time to catch support band, Twisted Wheel, whose lively set warmed the crowd of die-hard Weller look-alikes, who were all patiently waiting for their hero to arrive on stage.

And arrive he did, in much style, to deliver a well-thought out and energetic set that belied the Modfather’s fifty-something years.

Spanning the eras, from early Jam, through Style Council to his solo work, and genres from rock and country, to flamenco and West Coast psychedelia, Weller and his tightly-knit band delivered classic song after classic song, with one or two tracks from his most recent album, 22 Dreams, which provided the only slight lulls as the fans waited expectantly for the sing-along anthems they had come to hear.

They weren’t to be disappointed, as, topped by a fire-fuelled version of Eton Rifles, the set was then charged with favourites such as Style Council’s Jump To The Top, and Weller’s own The Changing Man, Broken Stones and Wild Wood, and, once the crowd was all fired up and didn’t think he could better what had come before, he returned for two encores including The Jam’s That’s Entertainment and Town Called Malice, which left everyone exhilarated, excited and gasping for more.

Mention must also be given to the forest itself, which provided a perfect and magical background to the evening’s entertainment.