From the Jam’s Nottingham gig sees original Jam member Bruce Foxton and co impress as they focuses on 1979’s Setting Sons.

The Jam, Rick Buckler on drums, Bruce Foxton on bass and the ridiculously ageless legend that is Paul Weller on guitar, were one of our finest punk exports.

A young trio who articulated the anger and frustration of youth in perfect three-minute bursts of Rickenbacker rage.

Unlike many of their contemporaries though they had the audacity to evolve and escape the straight jacket of three chords and having a shouty man at the front.

First signs of this came with their third album, 1979’s Setting Sons. It still retained the anger and the middle-finger but they wrapped the songs up in fantastic harmonies and genuinely lovely melodies (admitedly often hidden behind cloaks of feedback).

So tonight From The Jam reprise that fantastic album minus Paul and Rick but with Bruce at the helm playing the hell out of a thunderous bass guitar and Russel Hastings as a very authentic Welleresque frontman. Hastings not only looks a little like Paul but posesses a great voice and equally impressive guitar skills.

Add one keyboardist and a rock solid drummer and we are cooking on gas daddio as the kids say, probably.

Setting Sons is satisfyingly signed sealed and delivered, with stunning versions of Girl On The Phone and an oft neglected classic Wasteland. They they deliver every Jam song you can remember. So many fabulous tunes from Thick as Thieves and a tremendously volatile Eton Rifles to That’s Entertainment and Start!

Going Underground and of course Down in the Tubestation at Midnight also feature in From The Jam’s set.

Ray Davis of The Kinks is often cited as the best writer of quintesentially English pop songs. I beg to differ, on the evidence of these wonderful songs tonight I suggest that accolade must go to Weller, ably assisted by Foxton, the writer of News of the World among other Jam tracks.

Support for From The Jam tonight came from one hit wonders The Vapors, the band that Foxton discovered back in 1979 and supported the Jam back then. Perhaps you can remember Turning Japanese? I can’t, I’m far too young (honest).

Words by John Haylock, pictures by Arthur Hughes.

Calling all Jam and Paul Weller fans with a spare wad of cash.

Paul Weller has announced a charity auction together with Mini, in which the modfather is offering a one off version of the classic car designed by himself to the highest bidder.

Money raised will go to the War Child and Nordoff Robbins charities.

The deadline for bids is 11 December. For more information about making a bid vist here.

Weller said: “Now that the car has been manufactured, I thought it would be good to give it to two charities that I support to help them raise some much needed funds. War Child is an amazing charity which works tirelessly to provide protection for kids who live in some of the world’s most dangerous places – Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda and DRC.

“Nordoff Robbins is the charity that really uses music to transform the lives of kids and adults who are ill or disabled, helping them to engage and communicate with others. They’re endlessly fundraising to help and support these vulnerable people.”

The Mini Cooper designed by Weller would normally sell for £14,000 and
has a 1.6 petrol engine and goes from 0-62 mph in 9.1 seconds, with a top speed of 127 mph.