For 45 all-too brief minutes on Saturday Paul Weller thundered through a vast swathe of tracks from his new Saturns Pattern album, with his double drummer set-up constantly pushing the record’s very direct sound forwards.
This was a guttural Weller, and even the older tracks he played (Peacock Suit, The Changing Man - none dating further back than the 1990s) sounded full of fire. Opening with White Sky, the slightly forced nature of the recorded version fell away here, its meaty riff more akin to something from Royal Blood or The Black Keys.
Even when the pace did slow, as on a sublime, vintage, Above The Clouds or the ponderous newby These City Streets, muscle still lurked in the shadows, in a wave of the arm dealing out a guitar motif, or in the yelp Weller sometimes lapsed into when the passion held him.
While at points he seemed rushed, with few words for the audience, Weller was nevertheless hugely and visibly engaged with his music. And as a slightly truncated, trial run of new material few of the invited audience had even heard, this Hove show felt every bit the privilege.
Four stars
* Amazon will be airing the performance exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video. Follow @AmazonMusicUK or visit Amazon Music UK.
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