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The legend that is Paul Weller made his third visit to the Island to partake in a spot of Summer Madness at Carisbrooke Castle fields on Sunday 29th August. Topping the bill at the newly established open-air event which last year saw British Ska band Madness take to the stage, the “Modfather” as he is often termed, did not disappoint crowds returning for a second year to this exclusive boutique bank holiday bonanza.
Having already played the Isle of Wight Festival in 2004 and Osborne House Summer Concerts in 2008, Paul Weller was no stranger to the Island, although this time his trip cleverly coincided with the International Scooter Rally, which broadened audience numbers and added to the overall ambience of the show. Carisbrooke crowds enjoyed several tracks from Weller’s tenth solo album, released in April entitled “Wake Up the Nation” as well as classics dating back to his days with The Jam and The Style Council, including “That’s Entertainment” and the haunting “You Do Something To Me.” With a back catalogue spanning all the way back to 1976, this icon of British culture had more than enough material to choose from.
Supporting Paul Weller in the picturesque valley beneath the walls of historic Carisbrooke Castle were the Brand New Heavies who had hits with “Dream on Dreamer” and “Midnight at the Oasis” in 1994 and The Coral who delighted audiences with live renditions of chart successes including “Goodbye” and “Dreaming of You.” Island band The Bees, who have gone from strength to strength since their formation in 2001 were invited by Paul Weller himself to be his support act, not just at the Summer Madness event but for the entire duration of his 14-date UK tour at the end of this year.
With the gates opening shortly after lunchtime and artists appearing on stage right through to the shows conclusion at 10:30pm, this proved to be the perfect way to spend the bank holiday weekend. Along with the first class music, event-goers were able to enjoy topnotch bars and catering outlets, many of which were local to the Island, that were a million miles away from the run-of-the-mill festival norm!