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25.4.06: Pearly Pearly Jam Jam

I listened to Roxette at the weekend, and it didn’t feel the same. I used to be a big fan, see. And at the time Julian was well into Pearl Jam. It was a thing we had where we’d not like each other’s band on purpose (although I knew he secretly had an admiration for the Scandinavian poprockstrels every bit as strong as mine). Hence, I never really ‘got’ into Pearl Jam. I was underdeveloped muscially at that stage. Another friend of ours was freakishly into Alice Cooper. It was a rough childhood.

I gave Vitalogy a brief go when it came out, and although I liked bits of it, but I just wasn’t that fussed by the directly inaccessible moments. I’d had Oasis and Blur to sort me out by then… so I was getting on the right road anyhow.

Last Thursday, I was lucky enough to see Pearl Jam play a rare ‘intimate’ show at the London Astoria. Tom was one of the lucky few to be able to get tickets within the two minutes that they were available, before selling out more or less the very moment they were released. I was really quite nervous, desperately trying not to look like a non-believer to the couple of thousand people in the queue which stretched right to the opposite side of Soho Square. Some fans had paid in excess of £500 for the privilege and there was me, only knowing a couple of songs which they probably wouldn’t play anyway. It felt just that little bit wrong.

Kicking off with the new single, it’s clear that Pearl Jam fans know how to behave at a gig. The entire standing area instantly throbs with energy, and it doesn’t ever let off for two hours. I sing along to “Better Man” - and Vedder appears taken back by the entire crowd singing all of the words back at him. They just don’t do that stateside, apparently. Rounding up with the double act of “Yellow Ledbetter”, quickly followed up by an unexpected airing of “Alive”, I am honestly quite moved by what I’ve just experienced. These guys really know how to put on a show. They know their fans, and their fans love them for it. I never thought I’d say it, but Pearl Jam rocked.

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Spinning the once-highlight of my collection - Roxette’s “Crash! Boom! Bang!” - for the first time in years, I feel slightly numb. I had been fooled. I have to turn it off. It’s hurting my ears.