Vedder on form
+++UPDATE – A FEW MORE PICS OF PEARL JAM AND THE HIVES HERE +++
Pearl Jam are the band that most of this enormous Hyde Park crowd have come to see … if the almost solid log jam of fans spreading two hundred or so yards from the stage wasn’t enough of a clue, you only have to look at the T-shirts … yeah, the Seattle rockers are definitely a T-shirt band, and someone is making a lot of money out of this merchandise.
However, beyond the merchandise and the classic grunge hits, Eddie Vedder found time to pay tribute to Joe Strummer early in his set (which kicked off ten minutes or so late).
Apparently Strummer was a “man who liked festivals” and was instrumental in bringing Pearl Jam together.
According to Vedder, he was “lifting amps for Joe in San Diego” when he really got to know the other members of the band, and Pearl Jam, as a concept, and a reality was born.
After telling the crowd how sadly missed Strummer is, he broke into Arms Aloft in Aberdeen, which the crowd received in the spirit with which it was intended … they loved it.
And the crowd go wild for them
But the 50,ooo strong crowd know what they want – Evenflow, complete with monumental guitar solo and an epic singalong version of Better Man to complete the pre-encore set.
Support act Ben Harper joins the band for Red Mosquito and with curfews approaching, Pearl Jam satisfy the masses with Porch, Go and Alive.
After living in Nirvana’s shadow for so long, Pearl Jam demonstrated that they are finally worth their place in the music hall of fame from which Hard Rock Calling headliners are chosen. Over to Stevie Wonder on his 60th birthday to top the Seattle grungers.
