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Pearl Jam
Marvel Stadium
In the mid- 90s there was a revolution in music, that saw the rise of grunge music and the sudden catapult into stardom for bands such as Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana and Soundgarden.
Probably one of the most influential bands of the era was undisputedly Pearl Jam, led by the charismatic Eddie Vedder.
Thirty plus years later and most of the grunge icons have disappeared either lost to drug addiction or faded into obscurity.
But the Kings of grunge remain and Eddie Vedder is back in Australia after a hiatus of several years.
Opening with ‘ Why Go’ Eddie and the band burst out onto the stage and its full tilt from the get go.
We see things slow down momentarily for ‘ Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town’ but then we are right back into the thick of things with ‘ Given To Fly’ which flashes aerial footage of iconic Victorian landscapes, such as Bells Beach and the Twelve Apostles on the screen behind the band.
The show is non- stop, and occasionally Eddie pauses to talk about the unbearable heat, or to bask in the atmosphere. He zooms in on a crowd member whose mother has brought her daughter to her first ever show. There is moment of pride for Eddie as the realisation that he has created a legacy that will be passed onto future generations sinks in.
The set list is an incredible walk through of the bands greatest hits, and each song more incredible than the last as the audience sing along to ‘ Dark Matter’ ‘ Garden’ and ‘ Even Flow’. A few phone lights go on for ‘ Better Man’ and Eddie pauses momentarily to tell the audience ‘ If we’re going to light this place up, let’s do it fucking properly and everyone get your torches on’ – lighting up the entire arena and turning into a sing- along.
Changing the set list to add in ‘ State of Love and Trust’ the lead single from the cult classic James Cameron movie ‘ Singles’ the crowd is relishing in every moment.
Music has the power to unite people, and tonight on stage Eddie Vedder is God, the audience his Church. He preaches his music to a legion of fans, that drink in every moment.
Closing out the set with the house lights on for ‘ Alive’, ‘ Rockin’ in the Free World’ and ‘ Yellow Leadbetter’, Pearl Jam have given an exceptional performance. Proving that sometimes you can take away all the props, fireworks, gimmicks and other tricks and just come out and play a really fucking good rock show.
Words by Amanda Lee Starkey
