More about: Paul WellerMadness

The mod-father returns to the Royal Albert Hall, armed with a seven-piece acoustic band sporting identical dubious haircuts to open for Britain's favourite ska band, Madness.

The night starts with an introduction from Radio Magic’s Emma B to explain the importance of the night, convincing the crowd to donate and then bringing out a calm and collected Paul Weller.

From the second the 63-year-old icon takes his seat, the entire aura of the Royal Albert hall shifts, as fans watch on, waiting to see what Weller has in store during this unconventional set.

A calm “hello” is followed by a rich, full-sounding wall of sound complete with warm bass, vibrant piano and even flute as Paul Weller starts the evening in a tranquil manner. Jangly guitars are complemented by Paul’s soulful southern voice as the room settle into a performance that's clear to challenge the ideas of what is expected from a Madness support act.

Lesser-known B sides are juxtaposed by fan favourites 'Out of the Sinking' and an unexpected performance of The Style Council’s 'Down in the Seine', before being outshone by a moody and atmospheric rendition of the beloved 'Wild Wood', complete with rich harmonies that fill the century-and-a-half old building like a sticky musical syrup.

However, despite the occasional highs the set brings, the performance leaves the room feeling lethargic. A lack of some of the bigger hits—and the slower moody vibe orchestrated by the Surrey native—creates a sad atmosphere that is left to sit and marinate during the interval. As Emma B takes to the stage for a second time, the room is emotional.

This emotion is played on as the radio host talks about the cause that has bought the week’s events together: childhood cancer. A video of a fifteen-year-old girl with cancer plays before a spotlight is shone upon a group of cancer survivors sitting in the audience. A young man presents his heartbreaking cancer experience before becoming enthused and introducing Madness to the stage, an introduction which the nutty boys gladly embrace.

The Camden veterans take to the stage wearing swagger that could only be achieved by decades of immaculate performances. From the offset, lead singer Graham McPherson (aka Suggs) exudes confidence, screaming “Hey you, don’t watch that, watch this”, the spoken intro to their 1980s hit 'One Step Beyond', and whilst the band drag behind the lead singer as they struggle to find their footing, their energy is undeniable.

The Madness energy couldn’t be more different from Paul Weller's. Gone are the obscure tunes and slow pace, and in its place is a crowd-pleasing, bombastic performance of the hits set to a soundtrack of Suggs and his crew laughing and joking at every opportunity. Sample quip: “I came here last night for my set and Take That were playing, I slipped on and no one noticed.”

However, between jokes come technical and performance issues. It often feels as though the group are playing at different tempos to each other, with Suggs even giving up singing at the end of 'Shut Up'—and during key songs such as the impeccably catchy 'NW5' Suggs' vocals get lost whilst fighting with the sounds of the brass section and funky bass.

The boys, however, hit a golden stride with their last songs, with their biggest hits 'Our House', 'Baggy Trousers' and 'It Must Be Love' performed with the energy and perfect musicianship the songs deserve, creating a roaring party that echoes from dancing on the ground floor to the heights of the top rows. 

By the time that the night is coming to an end and the excitement from the encore of 'Madness' and 'Night Boat To Cairo had caused, spirits were high, but it was difficult to shake the feeling that the two wildly different acts had caused a night that, whilst enjoyable, was mostly disappointing.

The night felt less like a perfectly orchestrated celebration of the Teenage Cancer Trust and all their incredible work, but more of a poorly paired meeting of two British legacy acts to appeal to an older, nostalgic generation, which left a bitter taste for an evening that’s heart was in a good place.

To donate to Teenage Cancer Trust, visit: https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

See photos of the night by Jordan Hughes:

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More about: Paul WellerMadness