Paul Weller dazzles at Sherwood Pines gig

A seasoned professional, Weller kicked off his two-hour long set with I'm where I should be, before diving into The Style Council hit My Ever Changing Moods.

Intertwining The Jam classics with his Style Council hits and solo material, Weller kept the crowd captivated and dancing on a warm summer evening, in the beautiful dappled sunlight of Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe .

Supported by The Stone Foundation, the seven-piece band joined Weller onstage again for three of his encore songs,

Returning to the pines for a third time since his debut in 2004, he made playing to a sell-out crowd look effortless.

The set advanced with Weller's 2015 single Long Time, and That's Entertainment was an early crowd pleaser from the Modfather.

Former Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock expertly intertwined his guitar solos throughout the set, and former From The Jam keyboard player Tom Van Heel tickled the ivories.

Weller was also backed by Andy Crofts, The Moons bassist and drum duo Ben Gordelier and Steve Pilgrim.

Of course, the night wouldn't be complete without a sprinkling of The Jam classics - Man in the Corner Shop, That's Entertainment, and Start! were solid crowd-pleasers, as were as a smattering of songs form The Style Council.

Re-emerging from backstage for his second encore, Weller and the band played two stunning tracks to bring the house down; a cover of Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up, and Jam classic Town Called Malice, complete with sing-along.

And with those two giving a rousing finish to the evening, the crowds headed home.

Weller’s tree-shaking performance proved to any doubters that he is still at the top of his game.

Weller's gig was part of Forest Live 2019, a string of woodland-set gigs promoted by the Forestry Commission.

Weller now plays Cannock Chase Forest Staffordshire, on Saturday July 6 as his next forest stop, before heading on to London's Royal Naval College Chapel on July 7.

Forest Live concerts have been operating since 2001, they take place at seven different forest locations across the UK in the summer months.

They are an annual British music festival featuring predominantly pop and rock bands and artists.

The series of concerts are organised by the Forestry Commission, and all profits go back into looking after the forest sites.

Information about Sherwood Pines and the Forestry Commission can be found here: https://www.forestryengland.uk/

https://www.forestryengland.uk/sherwood-pines