Pearl Jam

[Badger]

Saw them last night at the O2. I was sat a billion miles away from the stage, in the rafters at the back but the sound in the arena is excellent. We got to our seats about 8ish and shortly after the standing crowd started cheering and the lights dimmed. We were still wondering if there was going to be a support and then Eddie walks onto the stage, followed by the opening bars of Release.

In the space of one verse 20,000+ people went from mulling about, drinking beers and talking on their phone to singing "Release me!" in perfect unison. I can't describe just how epic that felt.

I've been to a lot of gigs and this was my first Pearl Jam. Like I said, I was sat counties away and I think it still ranks as the best I've ever seen. That might be because I'm still buzzing, but it's definitely up there. The atmosphere made it, and you could see the band feeding off it. The lights came up for Yellow Ledbetter because they'd already run way over but just couldn't leave the stage!

I could go on, but it's turning into an essay so I'll just give you the setlist and leave the rest to your imagination :)

# Release
# Animal
# Corduroy
# Why Go
# Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
# Immortality
# The Fixer
# Even Flow
# I Got Id
# Rats
# Got Some
# Whipping
# Light Years
# Insignificant
# Black
# Life Wasted
# Blood
# Supersonic
# Hail Hail
# Footsteps

Encore:
# Love, Reign O'er Me (The Who cover)
# Do The Evolution
# Alive

Encore 2:
# Better Man
# Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams cover)
# Leaving Here
# Porch
# Yellow Ledbetter

[MachEnergy]

Wow, that set list looks awesome. I'm going to have to see PJ some day. Glad you had fun.

Also, I love your avatar logo. Did you make that yourself?

[Grifter]

Pearl Jam was the first real (non local) bands I saw in concert almost 16 years ago.

[Nuggsy]

Pearl Jam has always been a great live act. I've seen them several times and they have never failed to amaze me. Their longevity has been very impressive too, as most of the big grunge acts of the nineties fell apart. damn. . .now I'm getting all nostalgic for the halcyon and flannel days of my youth.

[Badger]

Wow, that set list looks awesome. I'm going to have to see PJ some day. Glad you had fun.

Also, I love your avatar logo. Did you make that yourself?

Honestly they blew me away. How Vedder is just as passionate about their music as he was in 1990 is outstanding, and he still belts them out. Mike McCready was on top form, shredding through extended solos on Corduroy, Why Go, Even Flow, Alive, Porch- basically anytime he could squeeze an embellished lick in.

Black also got an extended outro, with the whole crowd singing the "do-do-do" bit over and over. The crowd momentum could have continued that on for another ten minutes! Fortunately the band cut us short, even if it did contribute to the show running twenty minutes past the usual 11pm curfew. Awesome stuff.

And yeah the logo is my own work, cheers :)

[roboninja]

Awesome setlist. Pearl Jam is probably the only band that I still have to see at some point.