Pearl Jam - Wembley Arena - June 2007

Idlewild – Bleh. Didn't really interest me in the slightest. The only point to note was that they were heavier than I thought they'd be. Apart from that, I was bored, and left to go get some food They don't get a rating

Pearl Jam – As close to perfect as it's possible to be without them playing Black! Despite me being seated I honestly think it was one of the best gigs I've ever seen. Great punk energy and spirit, mixed with classic rock showmanship, and Eddie Vedder still sounds as good now as he did on record 16 years ago. What was especially cool was the final two songs, where the houselights were turned on ... felt like it was all just one big party!

The setlist was almost perfect too .... some unexpected greats like Immortality, Present Tense, State Of Love And Trust, and Inside Job ... in fact, the only thing stopping it being perfect was the lack of Black! Goddammit ... one of my favourite songs ever, and according to their website their third most played song, and after seeing them live twice I still haven't seen them play it! Grrrrrrrr! Ah well, maybe next time, whenever that'll be. Still reckon they should have taken out Parachutes and Bu$hleaguer (never liked that song) and replaced them with Black though!

Higlights of the show:

Severed Hand – Just a kick ass song with an awesome riff

Given To Fly – again an awesome song

Green Disease – cool song that I haven't seen them do live before

Immortality – Incredible song, and completely unexpected!

Present Tense – As above!

State Of Love And Trust – And ditto again!

Porch – One of the songs from Ten I hadn't heard live, utterly explosive

Inside Job – Probably the song I wanted them to play most, apart from Black of course!

Crazy Mary – A cover song that I'd never heard before, but it was awesome

Alive – 'Nuff said!

No More – Eddie gave a poignant speech before about how this song came about from his discussions with a soldier who came back from the war in a paralysed condition; and got the crowd to sing along with the "No more war" chorus part

Rockin' In The Free World and Indifference – All the house lights were up, so RITFW was like a party, and Indifference was a beautifully atmospheric closing song.

So to conclude … absolutely stunning! And you have to admire how they change their setlist so much from night to night. Seriously Pearl Jam fans, combine the setlists of the two times I've seen them, add Black, and you've got almost all their best songs right there ...

Reading 2006:
Set 1: Interstellar Overdrive, Corduroy, Do The Evolution, Animal, World Wide Suicide, Severed Hand, Dissident, Even Flow, Sad, I Am Mine, Jeremy, Grievance, Wasted Reprise, Better Man, Save You, Blood, Rearviewmirror

Encore 1: Soon Forget, Given To Fly, Once, Crown Of Thorns, Comatose, Alive

Encore 2: Why Go, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Wembley Arena 2007:
Set 1: Long Road, Severed Hand, Grievance, Comatose, Given To Fly, Low Light, I Got Id, Faithfull, Green Disease, Marker In The Sand, Immortality, Down, Present Tense, State Of Love And Trust, Why Go, Save You, Porch

Encore 1: Inside Job, Parachutes, Crazy Mary, Do The Evolution, Alive

Encore 2: No More, Bu$hleaguer, World Wide Suicide, Rockin' In The Free World, Indifference

Most definitely 5/5 worthy!