So we strapped in for two and half hours of the finest rock music you can get. These fifty somethings still have the energy they did twenty five years ago. Mike McCready only stops moving to perform another epic guitar solo, Jeff Ament thrusts his bass around like a bayonet looking for an emo to decapitate, Matt Cameron provides the driving beat on drums and backing vocals and Stone Gossard is probably the only member to stroll around getting down and dirty on rhythm guitar. Then of course there’s Eddie. After joking about seeing two vocal doctors that day that advised him it would cost a million dollars to sound like Adele but for fifty quid they could make him sound like Liam Gallagher its clear that it wasn’t a joke. The next day they cancelled for the first time in their career due to vocal problems. Luckily for us he left it all on the stage tonight in an epic performance.
There is little time to draw breath through a twenty seven song set both for us and especially the band. The only respite was a short acoustic interlude that only showcased the musicianship of these guys further and further.
In a night of highs early set songs ‘Low Light’; and ‘Elderly woman’ were superb but the closing three songs of ‘Black’ ‘Alive’ and ‘Rockin in the Free World’ were on another level. It’s got to be a close call between Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters as who are the best live rock band around at the moment.
A stunning five star gig that’s difficult to find any fault with. (Apart from playing the whole of Ten).
Keep on heavy rockin y’all