Before Paul Weller even sets foot on stage, the crowd is already chanting.
Modfather. Modfather.
It’s a title that’s followed him for decades, and judging by the reception in Cork, it’s one he’s in no danger of losing.
But first, the stage belongs to someone else.
Activist and comedian Tadhg Hickey, recently recognised for his involvement with the Global Sumud Flotilla, walks out to immediate recognition from the crowd. The stage is draped in Palestinian flags, and Hickey’s purpose is unmistakable. To loud applause, he speaks about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Weller’s long history of humanitarian activism. It’s not what many were expecting, but it feels entirely fitting. Weller has never pretended that politics and music exist in separate worlds.
When Weller finally appears, the band waste no time. Guitars, drums, percussion, brass, synths and keyboards lock together into something rich, warm and effortlessly assured. A sound refined over a lifetime. Weller moves through an expansive back catalogue with ease, the set feeling less like a greatest-hits package and more like a conversation spanning five decades of songwriting.
A joyous cover of Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up is one of the evening’s highlights, and a natural fit. Weller’s admiration for Mayfield has never been a secret. Later, an extraordinary rendition of Shadow of the Sun brings the marquee to a standstill, reminding everyone that his newer material deserves to stand alongside the classics.
The humanitarian thread continues throughout the performance. Before My Ever Changing Moods, Weller pauses to address the genocide in Gaza, not with grandstanding, but with a brief, understated statement of solidarity that feels entirely consistent with the artist he’s always been.
Ryan Ward, frontman of support act Marra, returns to the stage to share alternating verses on That’s Entertainment. The collaboration gives the song an unexpected emotional weight, two voices carrying lyrics that have lost none of their sharpness.
The encore delivers exactly what it should. All the Pictures on the Wall, The Eton Rifles and The Changingman steadily raise the temperature before a euphoric Town Called Malice sends the Cork crowd home buzzing. Fifty years into his career, Paul Weller remains an artist who refuses to become a nostalgia act. His songs still have something to say, and judging by the reaction inside the Marquee, people are still listening.
Tadhg Hickey photos:
Paul Weller photos:
Photos & words – Shane J Horan @shanejhoran