What a line-up, what a cause, what a blast. And an emotional evening at that, as Liverpool’s own, Steve Pilgrim, joined forces with the Amos Trust to curate a special show in the heart of the city, raising funds for (and further awareness of) those affected and heavily impacted by the ongoing horrors in Palestine.

I heard whispers a while back that this event was coming, so when the announcement finally arrived I was straight in for a ticket… and was fairly surprised it didn’t sell out there and then. Later, Billy Bragg was announced as a special guest, but from the outset there were more than enough top-drawer acts involved to convince me to follow the Pilgrim’s way, Paul Weller’s bandmate having secured an array of acclaimed musicians, the stars aligning for this Friday night Grand Central Hall happening.

While I don’t intend to turn this into an overtly political post, there’s clearly a danger that Gaza and Palestine’s plight are slipping down the news agenda, as if that sham of a ceasefire was actually being upheld (the harrowing stats and information leaking out proving that’s clearly not the case). And as with all such conflicts it’s those on the ground – or in this case where the ground once was – that are the victims, the Palestinian people truly deserving a moment where the world finally sits up and pulls together to speak out and hold their oppressors to account.

Like the Arabic word ‘sumud’ itself, this event – befitting the spirit of those affected – was about steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience, but that wouldn’t count for much in isolation if not for the over-riding message of communal love running alongside. And thankfully there was plenty of that in the house, the artists appearing for free to help the cause, in turn inspiring an outpouring in support of those in desperate circumstances for no fault of their own.

I had a drive back to Cornwall the next day, and many of us came from afar – north, east, south and west – yet it was worth every mile to tap into that talent and energy on this Renshaw Street stage (and what a great venue) and feel the camaraderie, friendship and affinity between artists and audience, in what proved to be a sincere celebration of great music, sound values, and – let’s face it – the best of humanity. In an era in which the greed and selfishness of populist world leaders and their financial backers makes it all the more difficult to counter far right wrongs and nationalism rears its ugly head to fresh heights (or new lows – you decide) in the false name of patriotism, I feel we need more and more events like this showcasing positivity, compassion, and highlighting the better side of human nature. And this was a love crowd for sure, behind each act from start to finish.

I’ve not been so early for an evening gig for some time, but four and a half hours on my feet was worth the cramped wander back across town (many a past afternoon watching non-league footie down the years thankfully giving me terrace legs), drawn in from the start, Aziz Ibrahim up first for a brief but full-on three-song set giving us pointers to his live presence. ‘Longsight M13’ proved a great way to open proceedings, while his take on Jagger-Richard classic ‘Paint It Black’ further showcased his electric sitar prowess. And yes, you read that right.

For the uninitiated, Aziz has worked with an array of acts (Simply Red among them), more pertinently in this case Ian Brown and a certain Paul Weller (including the atmospheric ‘Spring (At Last)’ from 2002’s Illumination, and as the voice of ‘God’ on 22 Dreams). And he was joined on the night by Birmingham-based Leeds lad and long-time associate Dalbit Singh Rattan, a master of ‘tabla on tables’ as Aziz put it during a pre-show video plug, the pair working up a veritable power surge, us early arrivals totally tuned into the groove as Aziz shredded those strings and worked an array of effects at his feet like an F1 driver on speed, while Dalbit added earthy rhythmic soul to the equation.

Steve P’s curation certainly made for an eclectic mix of musical styles, the guests clearly with much in common while offering very little in the way of repeat traffic, as seen in the artistic range between the opening act and Amelia Coburn, then between Ian Prowse, Rasha Nahas and Declan O’Rourke, and finally Paul Weller and Billy Bragg. Yet every artist came out of this with great credit and plenty of new fans. Amelia and Declan, for two, admitted early nerves, but their respective talents and a receptive audience ensuring it all neatly threaded together.

Our ukelele-wielding Teeside lass’ 2024 LP Between the Moon and the Milkman was prominent on this occasion, the haunting folk noir of ‘When the Tide Rolls In’ her first highlight, the achingly beautiful music box soap opera ‘See Saw’ and inspirational ‘Sleepy Town’ (inspirational to anyone who’s ever found themselves in a rut, looking to get away) also making quite the impression. There was no time for her to return later to join Weller on ‘One Last Cold Kiss’ – as they did for his Find El Dorado covers album – but she proved her worth again and again, that voice and her songwriting quality providing plenty of highlights, ‘Oh Captain! Guide Me Home’ the icing on the cake.

Until then, it’d been Ian Prowse with the introductions, but it was left to Steve Pilgrim to invite up on stage his fellow Mersey soul, the people’s champion from Ellesmere Port, New Jersey, joined by bandmates Fiona McConnell (flute, whistle, harmonies) and Nico (violin), an as good as local trio hitting the ground running with a singalong flourish – and there were plenty of Pele, Amsterdam and IP t-shirts around me – on the engaging Amsterdam number ‘Taking on the World’ and ‘Keynote Speech’ from this year’s rather marvellous No Names LP, the latter’s ‘enough is enough’ mantra just what was needed on this big night.

Like his Born to Run hero across the water, inspiration is never more than half a song away with Ian, and 2022’s ‘Battle’ also chimed, big time, his set over far too soon, a somewhat apt ‘I Did It For Love’ from 2014 also met with call-and-response crowd passion before our impassioned friend and his trusty assistants went out on what else but the sublime ‘Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?’, two decades after it first made a huge impression on much loved late broadcaster and adopted ‘Pool legend John Peel. Perfection.    

Then came Rasha Nahas, from Haifa via Berlin, setting something of a dark tone, homeland experiences among the drones and bombs and amid the sniper pot-shots and sheer horror of it all woven into song by an artist somewhere between Suzanne Vega, Sinead O’Connor and Leonard Cohen for these ears. My personal highlight was one of her older numbers – inspired by a friend’s comment on a rooftop in Jerusalem when she was 17 – ‘The Skies Don’t Care’ making for pensive hearing. Yet live music holds cathartic properties, and as her set unfolded, the warmth in her smile and demeanour started to let the light in as she hammered home her message without over-playing the drama, more proof of that ‘sumud’ we were here to honour and the notion that we really can’t afford to stand idly by.  

Powerful moments arrived at regular intervals, a case in point an acapella take on Tracey Thorn’s ‘Protection’ over the PA (‘This girl I know needs some shelter…’ had me in the moment from the off) accompanied haunting images on the big screen from a young Palestine photographer working with the Amos Trust, his despatches from the frontline portraying all manner of love, destruction and steadfastness (yes, that word again), this punter again with eyes swimming, a spur of the moment freedom chant following from the balcony while our compere, back at the mic, waited patiently to introduce the next act.

Yes, Declan O’Rourke had to follow that, but boy, did he do that perfectly. In fact, I got the impression this rightly feted Dublin singer-songwriter was also caught up in the moment as he delivered a deeply-seated, stinging diatribe by way of introduction, a litany of curse words directed at all that’s happening under Netanyahu, Trump, Musk, Putin, Farage, and their ilk, railing against nationalism, flags and much more before launching into a hauntingly beautiful ‘Have You Not Heard The War Is Over?’, a veritable ‘We Shall Overcome’ and ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’ for the 21^st century,  as if (controversial, I know, but) Dylan had learned to sing as well as write achingly poignant commentaries on world ills.

There’s far more to Declan’s armoury than protest songs though, and he was soon on to the love stories, ‘Sarah (Last Night in a Dream)’ a prime, heartfelt example. Actually, he revealed he didn’t think he’d ever cursed before on a stage in the manner of his intro, seemingly more relaxed now and happy to ride rightful waves of adulation, dedicating ‘World on Fire’ to ‘the people of Palestine and Gaza,’ reassuring them ‘we will never stop advocating on your behalf and standing beside you – you are our brothers and sisters.’ Powerful words, deep gulps all round.

As it was, Declan gave us another contender for song of the night, ‘Galileo’, the joyous number Weller gave us on his aforementioned 2025 covers LP, and as the next act put it, he was a hard act to follow.

Ian Prowse was certainly on a choked, emotional high as he introduced the fella who initially inspired him to pick up a guitar, sing and form a band at the age of 14, having caught The Jam less than half a mile from where we were now at the Empire Theatre in late ’78. And Weller – three months on from a Liverpool Docks summer show he described as a spiritual experience – had the audience in his palms as he warmed up with a reflective ‘The Loved’, further proof of this genius songwriter’s long history of hidden gems beyond A-sides and album tracks, one of the latter up next as he – cue tears – caught me out with ‘Clues’ from his debut solo LP, your scribe transported back to the early ‘90s, there in spirit on that bus at dawn, my muse back in the room after a year travelling the world, Weller re-finding himself and this fan boy happy to see his creative return to form and acknowledgement in song of his (and my) roots.

The night’s co-organiser was soon at his side, Weller and Pilgrim emulating Lennon and McCartney strumming and picking in their teenage bedrooms… albeit with hidden camera letting us in on the experience as ‘Mayfly’ took flight, more bluesy than I recall with that two-guitar treatment. Then Steve’s bandmate Martin Smith (past credits including time with Merseyside master Michael Head’s Red Elastic Band) shuffled on, standing alongside awaiting his cue, his subtle brass touches adding Bacharach and David charm to 2018’s ‘What Would he Say?’

Next was another personal favourite from Paul’s solo canon, Erland Cooper co-write ‘Gravity’, its waltz-like swirl perfectly presented before another showstopper, offered up ‘to the people of Palestine’, eyes swimming again for ‘Wild Wood’. Even the old dog shed a tear, as my old man would say (not a dry house in the sea, as we’d later put it down the pub).  

An uplifting ‘Out of the Sinking’ was next, Paul and Steve looking like they could be on for a long night. Nobody would have complained. But the latter then made his way off and the Woking wonder treated us to a solo send-off, his rendition of ‘Small Axe’ another quality choice, giving Bob Marley’s mighty original a gorgeously poignant interpretation.

Along the way, inspirational messages were delivered by the Amos Trust’s Chris Rose and Nick Welsh, none of it preachy, more a gratitude for the money donated while setting out how it was spent and how it would continue to help those on the ground in Palestine. What followed was a little ‘what now?’ as the stage was re-ordered for Billy Bragg. I still half expected a Council Collective type finale. Maybe a run through ‘Come Together’ or ‘Golden Slumbers’/’Carry That Weight’ given the setting (or even Pete Wylie’s ‘Heart as Big as Liverpool’), or perhaps ‘Move On Up’ or ‘Shout to the Top’, with guest cameos from all those involved.

As it was, the Bard of Barking was in combative mode, on his tod and fired up from the off, flying through an impassioned set with his punk rock electric guitar, as The Members put it, his Leon Rosselson-penned Diggers tribute, ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ followed by a similarly feisty run through ‘Never Buy The Sun’, incorporating plenty of venom but also respectful love for his Scouse ‘brothers, sisters and siblings’.

While the 68-year-old Weller still clearly carries that passion for his music and immense creative output, he seems less angry these days on stage, perhaps more able to channel his energies, while Bragg – five months his senior – on this evidence still flaunts that passion he took on board from The Clash and The Jam back in the day. A generalisation maybe, but on this occasion he barely paused for breath but for occasional backs to the audience tuning, heading into BB soapbox mode between songs, warming to his themes, the night’s special guest (one of many of course, but that’s what the poster said) spitting out Woody Guthrie’s ‘All You Fascists Bound to Lose’ before updating its message to the present with contempt for the combined right-wing  ‘arseholes’ of Southport, Portsmouth and Dover, leading to his salute to Minneapolis and its stand against Trump’s ICE goons on ‘City of Heroes’.

Another singalong followed, the audience almost word perfect on ‘To Have and To Have Not’’ before many a defiant fist was raised for ‘Power in a Union’. And when he finally slowed up a little, it was for the heart-wrenching ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears’, Billy going on to pay his own tribute to the night’s cause with poignant 2025 Palestinian charity single, ‘Hundred Year Hunger’. And soon enough – house lights already up, it seemed – our Essex visitor brought the proverbial curtain down in style with ‘A New England’, adding the verse he wrote for much-missed Kirsty MacColl, a neat and fitting end to a cracking evening of quality music, the event’s communal showcasing of the best of humanity giving us food for thought and future optimism.

The Amos Trust is a creative human rights organisation committed to social justice, gender equality, climate justice and Palestinian rights. It works with local and international peace activists, partnering with grass-roots projects, campaigning for Palestinian equal rights and an end to Israel’s apartheid policies. For more details and to get involved, head here.

Paul Weller will be part of an Artists For Gaza bill at Scala, London on 27 September, a special fundraiser bringing together live artists and DJs in support of Health Workers for Palestine, helping rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system. He will be joined by Madness quartet Suggs, Mike Barson, Mark Bedford and Lee Thompson, Dexys frontman Kevin Rowland, acclaimed record producer Clive Langer, Roxy Music sax legend Andy Mackay, singer-songwriter Lisa Moorish and many more on the night, with further names still to be announced. For ticket details head here.

A further Gig for Gaza is lined up for 24 October 2026 at The Troxy in London, a Crosstown Concerts and Paul Weller Presents event, the bill including Sleaford Mods, Baxter Dury, Joe Armon-Jones and Sinead Ashiokai, with ticket details here.