Benicassim
Apparently due to previous act Cooper overrunning, Paul Weller arrived onstage roughly half an hour late yet his belated arrival was not what most of the crowd were paying attention to. During the break between acts a fire had broken out just off the site and thick plumes of black smoke could be seen bellowing dangerously close to the VIP seating area. Even Weller himself seemed distracted as a quickening wind not only added to the nearby emergency but dragged the sound around. What should have been an impressive opening with 'Peacock Suit' instead acted as a mere diversion to the drama that unfolded offsite.
Gradually, the fire seemed to be under control and finally attention was paid to a serene rendition of 'Out Of The Sinking' which led to a stirring performance of 'Changing Man'. A quick glance to the front man and behind those shades lay an apparent hurriedness made evident in his voice and the malevolent guitar thrashing reminiscent of his youthful exuberance in The Jam.
Putting aside the past this was a single laden set featuring the more recent efforts from Weller’s solo career. Not only was 'All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You)' given a stomping airing but Weller practically snarled his way through F'rom The Floorboards Up'. As if he was making up for lost time, Weller barely spoke a word to the crowd, let alone a greeting or goodbye. What should have been one of the more memorable sets from The Modfather became just that, alas his performance was not the main talking point.