“True to himself,” said Teenage Cancer Trust patron Roger Daltrey by way of an introduction to Paul Weller at this fundraising concert.
Bloody-minded might be a better description for a classic songwriter who wasn’t exactly charitable with his set list. There were several songs from an album not released for six weeks, but nothing by The Jam or Style Council.
Perhaps that explains why the Modfather got a surprisingly lukewarm reaction at times — some even left early during the second half of the two-hour set.
It didn’t get off to an auspicious start when Weller had to abandon the stage (“big f***ing technical problem,” he grumbled) after the hollering blues of new single White Sky. But he soon settled into a solo back catalogue that now numbers 12 albums, more than he released with his former groups.
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From the strutting rock of From the Floorboards Up to the muscular, melancholy Friday Street and the crunching riffs of Peacock Suit, Weller and his band — with two drummers and a guest appearance by guitarist Johnny Marr — were formidable.
At 56 his raw, tobacco-infused voice sounded better than ever on You Do Something to Me, though Weller could also test fans’ patience: the languid jazz-rock of These City Streets had no place in an encore.
All was forgiven with the furious finale of The Changingman, a concession to crowd-pleasing from an enduring artist who’s earned the right to do things his way.
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