Gig review: Paul Weller at The Piece Hall, Halifax

Including artists such as Paloma Faith, Noel Gallagher, Duran Duran and Tom Jones, The Piece Hall is representing Yorkshire open air venues with a master class of effective event hosting with a series of summer shows.

Tonight is the tun of ‘The Modfather’, Paul Weller. For almost 50 years, Weller has honed his infamous style of new wave punk mod through infamous bands, The Jam and the Style Council. Although relatively short-lived, the hits produced from both outfits have contributed to the nation’s favourite playlists and influenced many artists over the decades.

From the early Nineties onwards, Weller has carved out a career which surpasses most other British singer/songwriters.

With a discography contribution of nigh on 25 studio albums and endless compilation and live albums, tonight’s set list could be a tombola of classics. Supported by English band, Stone Foundation, the weather is mild and the lager is flowing to an eclectic crowd of mainly over-forties.

As Weller takes to the stage within the historic stone walls, the jubilant crowd are treated to a very mild and somewhat jaded first half set. Opening with track, White Sky from 2015 album, Saturns Pattern, the first few songs are met with less furore than expected.

With tracks including, Floorboards, Headstart and Village, it’s as if the first half was going to be a ‘classics earner’. For the die-hard Weller fans the set would be a nostalgic play through of almost 30 years of superbly written tunes.

With the exclusion of Stanley Road, which was played early doors, there’s a very sizeable gap of crowd retaining ‘popular’ tracks. Features from albums Studio 150, Fat Pop and On Sunset keep with audience baying with just enough gusto until Shout To The Top is unleashed. With almost 20 songs in the bag, the band head off stage to the standard raptures of “more” from the crowd. Understandably they’ve paid a fair amount and want a festival-style set of classic Weller tunes.

The encore doesn’t fail and soon the crowd are treated to a wealth of Paul Weller signature masterpieces. Six iconic tracks are delivered quicker than Tim Vine one-liners and the atmosphere is euphoric.

Starting with Broken Stones, the voices are raised and magic is unleashed. That’s Entertainment and Wild Wood quickly follow until the tone settles with melancholic You Do Something To Me.

As the encore comes to and end, what better way to set the finale with Changing Man and the legendary showstopper A Town Called Malice?

From an uncharacteristically slow start, almost five decades of songwriting mastery plaits its way through the Calderdale hills and makes for an all-round great show by one of the country’s most gifted musicians.