Ah the route of Kings, or King Size Rizlas if the fragrant, scorched summer air inside Hyde Park is anything to go on. Sandwiched between the champagne tent and incongruous TV ads on the big screens for skin lotion (not exactly punk rock is it Paul?) Mr. Weller's ever-faithful throng are entertaining themselves by topping up the tan and throwing lager bottles at each other in front of the stage.
Weller stops all that as the spiralling climax to 'Sunflower' comes to a halt. "We're all grown ups ain't we?" he chastises, strutting the stage in a rather interesting blue and silver paisley smock. And by the time a spot on 'Friday Street' explodes into the evening, everyone's on their best behaviour and proceedings have settled into a familiar groove.
Today's show is being used to promote the forthcoming 'Illumination' album and tour and Jocelyn Brown and Carleen Andersdon are on hand to join in for the opening newie 'A Bullet For Everyone', a trad Weller r'n'b jam (sorry) featuring some blistering guitar work from Paul and inaudible backing vocals from the ladies. It's good but not as good as 'Leafy Mysteries' with its poppy chord changes and 60s feel winning out over some slightly hesitant playing. 'All Good Books' changes to mid tempo - Paul on piano now - further sharpening the appetite for the new album.
'Up In Suze's Room' rolls out with OCS stars Damon and Steve performing magnificently (Cradock, of course is the coolest man in London today, despite wearing a tie and three piece suit and playing a guitar which resembles a stealth bomber). Then back again to the 'Wild Wood' album for 'Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)' which flags up a problem. Weller's rediscovered joy of playing the guitar, and the esteem in which he rightly holds Steve Cradock's playing, can prove overwhelming at times as they trade licks and solos and songs stretch out to accommodate the fun evidently being had on stage in mid-set.
"Are you still with us?" asks a rightfully concerned Weller. Yes, but don't push it. Get behind that piano and mix things up a bit. 'Broken Stones' proves a respite and a soulful soundscape as Concorde blazes above us and Steve White limbers up for 'Picking up Sticks', sadly the only song tonight from the 'Heliocentric' set. 'You Do Something To Me' gets things firmly back on track and Damon Minchella cajoles and encourages through 'Stanley Road' and an angry 'Peacock Suit' before 'Changing Man' takes a bow and the place erupts. Time for another new song - 'Standing Out In The Universe' and they're done.
Steve White looks concerned as Weller welcomes "Kenny Jones" on for the encores, but it turns out to be Kelly and the Stereophonics man duets with Paul on the funky blues groove of 'Call Me No. 5' before joining in the fun (as many guitars as Lynyrd Skynyrd now folks!) on the finale of 'Wood Cutter's Son'. A storming beginning and end, but like many of us here tonight - the Weller set could be a bit trimmer around the middle.
