Weller switches to the piano and Morrison’s classic bluesy, raw vocals fill the stage. ‘Glad Times’ is amplified again by some delicate use of the strings, with a lovely orchestral build to the chorus.Įnter James Morrison in a silk shirt looking devilishly handsome. ‘Carnation’ changes the visuals again to blues and purples, and although not one of Weller’s best songs – any la-la-la-ing is a no-no in my book – aesthetically it is stunning. The camera keeps panning to the unsung hero of the evening, a flute player with one of the best moustaches alive! Considering the flute-heavy arrangement, we keep getting close-ups of this most expressive musician. ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ has a soulful addition of trumpets, and in ‘On Sunset’, the light switches to only the fairy lights, creating a surprisingly intimate moment in the cavernous hall.īoy George’s voice has ‘definitely improved with age’. Jules Buckley’s arrangement is understated throughout, allowing Weller to remain the focus, but enhancing rather than smothering his music. I swear, if they accompanied my local rubbish truck as it wakes me up at 8am every morning, I would not even mind. ‘English Rose’ is where that raspy quality of Weller’s voice comes into its own, and the added tonal variety of the BBC SO is astounding. And off we swing into ‘Andromeda’, with a lovely depth provided by the orchestra. Weller, now seated, explains he’s going to sing “songs from a different era and some from a different decade”. The BBC Symphony Orchestra sits framed by hanging studio lights, with a few of the fairy variety twinkling overhead.

Weller, who shot to fame with bands The Jam and The Style Council before shining as a solo artist, looks as cool as ever, with impossibly straight white hair cropped brutally at his shoulders. Looking every inch ‘The Modfather’, Paul Weller, standing in the Barbican’s echoey foyer, introduces us to an evening of himself. Paul Weller during his first live gig in two years, but still without an audience, from the Barbican Hall.

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