Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe
After rescheduling his Birmingham show in March due to heavy snow, Paul Weller will be performing at Genting Arena on the Friday 24th August – with support from Stone Foundation.
Doors open at the Genting Arena from 7:30pm, with all original tickets remaining valid for the rescheduled date. Further tickets are also available, priced from £48.61 + fulfillment fees. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.
Paul Weller has been back on the road as a precursor to his latest album, True Meanings, scheduled for release on September 14th 2018 through Parlophone Records. Weller has released a somewhat staggering 14 solo studio albums since 1992, underpinning a career that has seen him release a total of 26 studio albums as the frontman of three prominent ensembles.
Rising to fame back in the 1970s with his first band, The Jam, it wasn’t too long before Weller broke into the UK Top 40 – with their debut single, ‘In the City’, scrapping into the official album chart in May 1977. The Jam’s follow up and more politically charged ‘Eton Rifles’ made it to No3 in November 1979, before Weller scooped up his first No1 with The Jam’s ‘Going Underground’ in March 1980.
But six studio albums and multiple hits later Weller decided he’d had enough and left The Jam, much to the surprise of fellow band members Rick Buckler, Bruce Foxton and Steve Brookes. And seemingly their fans, as The Jam’s 1982 farewell tour sold out shows across the UK including five consecutive dates at Wembley Arena – 
while both their final single, ‘Beat Surrender’, and studio album, The Gift, reached No 1 on the official UK charts.
Determined to move on musically Weller was soon focused on another project, and so in 1982 The Style Council emerged. Teaming up with keyboard player Mick Talbot, drummer Steve White, and former Wham! backing singer Dee. C Lee, The Style Council explored different musical genres and styles including jazz, folk and R &B, and achieved modest success across Europe and America. Gaining his first ever No1 singles in America and Australia, with ‘You’re The Best Thing’ and ‘Shout To The Top’, Weller reportedly felt free from The Jam-shaped box which he had been confined to earlier on in his career. However as the 1980s came to an end so did The Style Council, announcing their split in 1989 after Polydoor refused to release their deep house tinged fifth studio album, Modernism: A New Decade.
Whilst many musicians would then live out the rest of their careers regurgitating past hits with an unenthusiastic backing band, Weller was always known for going against the grain – which was exactly what he did, as he paved the way for his solo career. After a slow start with his eponymous solo debut, Weller reinforced his place as one of Britain’s finest singer/songwriters with the release his Mercury prize nominated Wild Wood in 1993, followed by the widely revered Stanley Road in 1995.
Now with 13 solo studio albums tucked under his belt and another on the way, as well as numerous accolades including the 2006 BRIT Lifetime Achievement Award, it’s clear that The Modfather isn’t departing from the British music scene anytime soon.
True Meanings, with promotional material boasting a ‘grandiose-yet-delicate, lush orchestration’ with ‘Paul’s better-than-ever voice, singing some of his most nakedly honest words’, is scheduled for release on 14th September and features a variety of collaborations from artists including Lucy Rose, Rod Argent (The Zombies) and Noel Gallagher.
The lead single from True Meanings, ‘Aspects’, was released on 25th May to coincide with Paul Weller’s 60th Birthday, whilst the album’s latest teaser, ‘Movin’ On’, was released on 1st August.
‘Aspects’ – Paul Weller
Paul Weller plays at the Genting Arena on Friday 24th August, with support from Stone Foundation – the gig has been rescheduled from 2nd March, with all original tickets still valid. For direct information, including venue details and links to online tickets, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/paul-weller
For more on Paul Weller, visit www.paulweller.com
For more on Stone Foundation, visit www.stonefoundation.co.uk
For more on the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk
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She hasn’t looked back, eventually making the final of the Fringe’s prestigious award for stand-up newcomers, So You Think You’re Funny, in 2011.