Paul In London

Oct. 19, 2004 @ Scala

Thanks to all for the reviews and thanks to Helen for the great stage shot below. Click here for more pictures, thanks everyone for sending them in.

Setlist:

Waiting For Somebody

Final Hurrah

My Dad

Another Girl, Another Planet

Let The Bad Times Roll

Valentine

Born For Me

High Time

If Only You Were Lonely

Crackle and Drag

Lush And Green

Sadly Beautiful

First Glimmer

I Will Dare

Knockin On Mine

Alex Chilton

Mr Rabbit

Left Of The Dial

Swinging Party

Love Untold

Skyway

Here Comes A Regular Encore:

Can't Hardly Wait

A little bit of "Customer", followed by a stab at "Kentucky Rain"

Just wanted to let you know that last night's gig at the Scala was a an absolute stormer. The place was packed, and the sense of goodwill was almost tangible.Paul was on great form. Sure, he puts the 'sham' in shambolic, but that's part of the charm. I'm afraid a set list is beyond me, alcohol and adrenalin having wiped everything but the smile off my face. But he came on and played Waiting for Somebody, wearing shades (of course) and a red cravat, or necktie or whatever.

Early on he played heartfelt version of My Dad, in which he impersonated his Dad -- very funny -- and howled out the name 'Johnny' at one point, after the line 'one and only grandson'. It would have made a statue weep. In no particular order, he played: High Times, Crackle and Drag, Knocking on Mine, Love Untold, Born for Me (after which he said something like, 'but she was so stupid, she didn't know she was and it was three years before I could write a song, which was this' and launched into High Times), Let the Bad Times Roll, and I think there were few other solo songs in there too. He played a cover of Another Girl, Another Planet too. And while they were all rapturously received -- everyone was singing along -- it was, of course, the Mats songs that brought the house down. He played I Will Dare, Little Mascara (which he said he'd learned specially for us, though it seemed he neglected to learn the words and we had to fill in). He played a stumbling, bumbling but beautiful version of Left of the Dial too, as well as a soft and sweet Swingin' Party (when it came to the solo part, he struggled to play it and said, 'That was Bob') Alex Chilton was in there too, and could have gone all night for me. Somewhere in my mind it's still playing.

My highlight of the whole night though was when he sat on the sofa at the back of the stage and sang 'Sadly beautiful'. At some stage he invited everyone on stage and before the bouncers could stop anyone, the stage was heaving and throbbing. people couldn't believe it; things like that simply don't happen in London. It was amazing. He played Skyway and here Comes a Regular, or rather the crowd sang it and he strummed along. I think the affection he was given truly knocked him back. He went off stage, but was soon back, everyone still on stage, and played a rocking, shocking version of Can't Hardly Wait. The guy next to me was sobbing like a baby. He started playing another song, forgot it, said 'Fuck it' and that was that.. He fought his way off stage, being hugged and kissed, back slapped but all of it well in order. The man is a God, a saint, a true gent and we love him Come back soon pal.

--Cassiel

Westerberg played to a sold out show at the Scala across the street from Kings Cross Station, London. I showed up without a ticket, and paid £30 (double face value) to a nice elderly scalper. After waiting for what seemed like hours outside, they finally opened the doors. Cool venue, bar £5.60 for a pint of beer (ouch), and multiple levels for your viewing and listening pleasure. 500-750 max capacity. By the time Paul came on stage wearing his red trousers, black satin shirt, red tie and blue round shades, the place was packed to the gills.

Paul opened playing four songs with a black Gibson electric guitar.

1. Waiting For Somebody
2. Latest Last Chance??
3. My Dad (I think the only song off Folker he played all night)
Paul’s first funny quote to the audience happened when he could remember the lyrics to this new song off Folker - 'I dont know any of the f***ing words' Out came Paul’s song book, and an obliging-fan held the book up for Paul to use while he sang the song.

4. Another Girl Another Planet - with a nice little reference to ‘a girl in Tokyo'
Paul then switched to one of the many guitars laid out on the super long brown leather couch on the back of the stage, a six string acoustic.

5. Let the Bad Times Roll

A few fans shouted out requests. '''Just play some bloody f***in rock-n-roll''. 1st comment from cockney accent in crowd.Paul switched to a fender electric guitar and fired up the following gems.

6. Valentine
At the end of which Paul smiled and said 'I practiced this next one just for you' Paul, then proceeded to play one of the loosest, purposely poorly played versions of
7. Little Mascara
It was so bad, it was good. Sort of like a jazz improvision, that seemed on the verge of a train wreck, but Paul was in complete control throughout, and the song built to a crescendo that left us all crying for more….

8. Born for Me - This was a brilliant song. Paul finished it saying, 'She was so stupid she didn’t even know it, then I didn’t write another song for 3 years until I wrote this..'
9. High Times
Paul switched to an Acoustic 12 string. A fan shouted out ‘If Only You Were Lonely’ so Paul obliged…
10. If Only You Were Lonely – Paul normally knocks this one out of the park. Unfortunately, maybe because it was so early in the set, he completely drew a blank on the second lyric. Overzealous fans started singing the third lyric, Paul went with them, so we missed the whole Video Game part of the song.

11. Crackle n Drag- beautifully played.
In between songs, Paul mused, 'Here’s a little ingenuity, using the same chords..'.
12. Lush n Green – Clearly Paul was getting into his rythym.
‘Ill take requests now’ a smiling Paul teased the crowd. Out came shouts for Take me to the hospital, I will dare, and Mr rabbit, prompting a second comment from a cockneyed accent in the crowd '''Play whatever you f***n please---you’ve earned it''
Paul was fumbling around the mike, then said 'Actually...', grabbed the mike stand and moved it back to the brown leather couch, sitting down and played…
13. Sadly Beautiful - The crowd was his (as if it wasn’t already when he walked off the long bus ride to get here (his words, not mine).

14. First Glimmer - Did I mention that all the songs he played with the 12 string were amazing? Paul switched back to the Black Gibson. Somewhat shouted out I will dare.. "Shut you d***head! Show some respect. Let him play what he wants to play" --3rd comment from cockneyed accent voice in crowd.
15. I Will Dare -smoking...good version straight forward up until the big guitar solo in middle. Paul made his first of many references to Bob (Stinson) then broke into a total speed punk thrashing of the final refrain, culminating in a super slowed down denouement. Paul was clearly having fun playing the guitar.
16. Knockin on Mine - Paul changed the lyric, catering to the home crowd ‘english teacher from sheffield..'. Paul continued his fun with guitars, unleashing fantastic guitar work throughout Knocking on Mine. He joked in between songs that these were not his guitars. Before the end of the song he asked.... 'Who can hit a high a?' then he ended it screeching twice knockin on mine.
Staying with the electric guitar theme, but switching to the fender, Paul continued with his Sheffield theme, saying 'I remember playing Sheffield.. A bingo hall. It was cool.' More calls for requests from the crowd. Another comment with a cockneyed accent in the crowd ''Paul don’t listen they’re a bunch of twats''
17. Alex Chilton - Ebbing and flowing, chord to chord...until he let out a wail to end it and then proceeded directly to
18. Mr. Rabbit - slow, low and note by note....Very Nightclub Jitterish from his ‘mats days. Halfway through the song he had a little equipment failure... 'cant fire em, don’t know his name', the crowd laughs, Paul, replugged in, picked up where he left off and finished.
19. Left of the Dial – This was practically an instrumental. Paul let the crowd sing the first half of the song, with Paul only joining in the chorus. About half we he tried to pick up the lead singing, but complained ' I don’t know it' Paul stopped and started and then found his voice around the time the lyrics get to the ‘on and on and on’ part, then the old Paul stepped in at ‘Pretty Girls keep growing up…’ and he took it home to the delight of the fans. Once more he went to the acoustic 6 string. Paul started strumming and joked 'this is by the eagles' then launched into

20. Swinging Party Time...This was a full on sing along, complete with another Bob reference during a guitar bit in between verses. I could be wrong, but it was almost in honor to Bob, that Paul performed some of his best guitar work of the night at this time. At the end of the song, some guy jumps on stage and gave Paul a great big loving hug. I’m pretty sure there were a few more in the crowd that wanted to do just the same.

Once the roadies cleared the interloper off the stage, Paul went back to the 12 string acoustic.
21. Love Untold - Did I mention that throughout the night his best performances were with the 12 string? At this time Paul did what we were all waiting for him to do… 'I invite you to join me on the couch.'.. So about 100 people got on stage, sat around Paul on the big brown couch, and started giggling with glee, and smiling dumb smiles that normally people don’t smile, and Paul started playing…

22. Skyway - Raucous roars and applause… then…
23. Here Comes the Regular

Paul leaves the stage, not sure how he made it through the human throng around him… Paul was back in about the time it took to get a cigarette out and light it. He approached the mike stand, smoking that cigarette, as if he was about to start singing without his guitar, then after the no-name-known-to-Paul – roadie gave him the Black Gibson electric guitar he finished up the show with..

24. Can't hardly wait
then a rarity…
25. I'm a customer... Although he only sang the First few lines... Do you have cigarettes....how bout sugarless...then he stops and says..’This reminds me of...’ and he played a couple of different tunes, neither to completion, and neither recognizable to me…. He ended it with a 'oh F*** it, goodbye...'

--Mark

Considering its eleven years since Paul Westerberg last played this country you might be forgiven for thinking what audience he had may have dwindled, you also might think the enthusiasm and familiarity with the material may be dimmed compared to that of an American audience, after all who knows the Replacements over here right? And then you might think that this crowd showed up out of casual curiosity. If you thought any of these things you would be completely utterly totally very very wrong.

Even before the show, the lines were around the block, and this was people who already had tickets, just wanting to get in and get a good spot. Once in the venue the level of anticipation was stratospheric. The stage, as on the Come Feel Me Temble tour, had a sofa at the rear with a few guitars leaning against it. When Paul hit the stage at around 8.45, thumping into 'Waiting for Somebody', the tone for the evening was set, frequently the Westerberg vocal was drowned out by the word perfect crowd, hands clapped time above heads, fists punched the air. I saw two Westerberg shows on the 2002 'Come Feel Me Tremble' American tour, and saw similar enthusiasm there, so I thought its an American thing, a Brit audience is more subdued, but its not an American thing it's a Westerberg thing, nobody was subdued here.

Despite Paul's assertion that there was no set list on a radio interview earlier in the day, there did seem to be something of a plan, at least as he rattled through the first few numbers. This portion of the set included the night's only song from Folker, 'My Dad', complete with a compulsory fluff of lyrics, and a mention for his son Johnny, at the line 'His only grandson' Paul said 'He was crying when I left, and he'll be crying when I get home'. This was followed by 'Another Girl Another Planet' which gave an indication that Paul was willing to play pretty much anything from his or the Mats back catalogue, as long as he could remember how to! After a vibrant 'Little Mascara', the mood was slowed for the touching 'Born For Me', as the audience finished singing that one, Paul said 'Then I didn’t write a song for three years, until this' and hit 'High Time' from Mono. It was about now that the plan ran out, and songs that were shouted for got played, 'If Only You Were Lonely' was probably the strongest singalong yet, the following 'Crackle and Drag' sounded a little thin in comparison. 'Lush And Green' proved too much for one audience member (scarf boy Alex!) who at the close of the song clambered on stage to grab Paul for an emotional hug, it was taken as it was intended and the guy left the stage delighted at having managed to express what everyone else seemed to be feeling.

The finest sequence of the night was a triple whammy of, 'I Will Dare' 'Knockin' On Mine' and 'Alex Chilton'. 'Knockin on Mine' was complete with lyric change, 'The English teacher from Vancouver' switched location to Sheffield, Paul explained the Mats once played a bingo hall in Sheffield to 9 people and a dog. 'Swingin' Party' rivalled 'If Only You Were Lonely' for audience volume. After 'Love Untold' to the confusion and irritation of the security staff, Paul invited the audience on stage, and sang Skyway and Here Comes A Regular surrounded by happy smiling faces. He clambered through the gathered bodies to briefly leave the stage, then returned for an encore of an electric 'Cant Hardly Wait', the ecstatic crowd singing like it was some kind of team chant. Paul had a stab at another request, 'Customer' and toyed with a couple of blues songs, before deciding that was it. I said to him after the show if he didn't know whether or not he had a UK audience, well he does now!

--Patrick