Date: 02/07/08
Rating:
The second night of this year's iTunes Live festival sees the hugely hyped Glasvegas open for Paul Weller in the confines of Koko. Any contemporary band supporting Weller is going to have their work cut out for them, and the four Glaswegians are semi-successful in winning the crowd over. All dressed in black, Glasvegas are earnest and competent (although their plodding, extremely limited drummer won't be giving Matt Helders sleepless nights), and create a mighty, epic sound that, alas, is not matched by mighty, epic tunes. Worryingly samey, new single 'Geraldine' appeared to have been played already... before it actually turned up in the set.
Koko's grandeur is befitting of the modfather, and swish purple curtains unveil a decidedly chipper Paul Weller taking to the stage with his band. Launching into 'Peacock Suit', Weller is energised and on fire, creating an electric atmosphere immediately. Gigs for competition winners tend to be strange affairs, with the artists taking on a pedestrian slant, and not taking many chances. You can't really imagine Weller playing it safe, and sure enough, he surprises by playing a lot of new material from this month's '22 Dreams'. 'All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You)' feels vintage thanks to Weller's distinctive voice, which tonight sounds as powerful and fresh as always. Not all the new songs keep the atmosphere going though - the overwrought 'Invisible' is a bit of a flat moment for such a gig.
Weller is up for fun tonight, and transforms 'Wild Wood' with its dub slant. 'You Do Something To Me' is kept in its original moving and tender form, thankfully. 'The Changingman' is the epitome of the ballsy Weller, and leads to a nice surprise. Earlier in the night Weller teased the audience by asking for requests, which leads to guitarist Steve Craddock asking if anyone wants 'Going Underground'. Well, that wish is not granted, but the audience is thrilled when the band close the set with 'Eton Rifles'. With such a body of work at his disposal, it's mindboggling that Weller returns for an encore of The Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love'. Ironic, perhaps, after the acerbic nature of his earlier work, to do so. It's a crowd pleaser though, but feels an unnecessary and wrong end to the night.
Claire Scofield
Paul Weller Official Site
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