Pearl Jam - A Family (Re)Union

Setlist 

1- Interstellar Overdrive 

2- Corduroy 

3- Why Go 

4- Given To Fly 

5- Brain Of J. 

6- Amongst The Waves 

7- Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town 

8- In Hiding 

9- Even Flow 

10- World Wide Suicide 

11- Rats 

12- Lukin 

13- Not For You 

14- Better Things 

15- Nothingman 

16- The Fixer 

17-Do The Evolution 

 18- Last Kiss 

19- Just Breathe 

20- Comatose 

21- Unthought Known 

22- Porch

 23- Smile 

24- Green Disease

25- Love Reign O'er Me

26- Black 

27- Rockin' In The Free World 

28- Indifference 

 This is my fifth attempt at writing a review of the Pearl Jam show in Amsterdam on June 26th, 2012. The problem with the previous four efforts wasn't putting in to words how good the show was. Nor was it trying to capture what seeing this incredible band means to so many fans, old and new. The problem, if you can call it that, has been trying not to ramble on about the whole 30 hour experience we encountered in Amsterdam. And I failed. Miserably. So if you are expecting a quick appraisal of the 150 minutes or so that Pearl Jam played I suggest you give up now. I'm just going to waffle on about the Pearl Jam experience of that day rather than just the gig itself. I hope that anyone who has travelled to see this band will stick with it and can understand exactly where I'm coming from with this blog.

It was always going to be special. That goes without saying, this is Pearl Jam afterall. Every show I've seen has been special because that is what Pearl Jam do - they give each show something new, something different to ensure that every person in attendance gets "their moment". I remember reading something Bruce Springsteen said years ago about his live performances. He said he always leaves everything out there on stage each night because at each show there will be someone who has spent a month's salary to be there and he must ensure that that one person doesn't walk away disappointed. I don't think any band playing today carries this torch more than Pearl Jam. So when my countdown to Amsterdam began at 183 days (check my Twitter feed, I did start the countdown 6 months prior to the show) I knew it was going to be an experience that would never be forgotten.

I travelled out to Amsterdam with a friend from a gaming forum I frequent. Paul (@PS_FreNZee) had seen PJ once before, at The O2 Arena in 09 with me. He was the only person I had spent time with out of the Amsterdam group. We'd arranged to meet Sandro and Siobhan on the morning of the show as they had been out there for several days already. They were to be our tour guides and escorts in this strange city. Over the weekend they had met up with Sean, Kendal and Marlane from Houston who had flown in just for this one show (no more proof needed of the drawing power of Pearl Jam) so we all met up outside a little Irish bar - it was closed but their free wifi was very much appreciated. It's never easy to be dumped amongst complete strangers but the ease with which everyone got on immediately still surprises me. We travelled down to the Ziggo Dome on the Metro, a fifteen minute journey and by time we arrived I felt as though I had known these people months rather than the 45 minutes or so I had been in their company. It's a weird one to explain to people who don't know Pearl Jam and their fans but it's almost like meeting a long lost or distant relative for the first time. You know nothing about them but the blood tie (or PJ in this case) almost assures you of an affinity. Time and again this has been the case at every PJ show I've attended but none more so than in Amsterdam. I don't know if it was because we were all alien to Amsterdam and finding ourselves in the same boat but, for me at least, it instantly felt like some kind of bond was formed. It may just be me, as I've not asked the others, but I'd guess that to a greater or lesser extent, they'd agree. Or I'm gonna look like an asshole once they read this.

The seven of us spent an hour or so in the vacinity of the arena, chatting about what the others had got up to over the weekend (what happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. Right, Sandro?), shows we've seen, songs we wanna here and general nonsense. Paul and I had to leave around 1400 to go find our hotel and check in. We said our goodbyes and arranged to meet near the arena once we had picked up our Ten Club wrist bands.

We got back to the arena around 1545 and met up with the others at, to quote Siobhan "the round thing by the middle bit near the orange chairs" and decided to join in the beer drinking, or "killkenny" as Sean was known to call it. The setting was perfect - sat outside on a gloriously warm and sunny day, great company, wifi, beers and the cafe bar we were sat outside started playing a selection of Pearl Jam songs to complete the setting. Around 5pm we headed to the venue for early access.

I guess this is where I should really start to mention the show, it is the reason we were all there afterall. Before the show I was talking to Sandro about what songs we want to see that night. One of the two songs I wanted was In Hiding, a song that had only been played to a live audience 71 times in the 14 years since it was released on Yield, so I wasn't holding my breath. Track 8 that night was In Hiding. I thought I was going to pass out. What had already been a great day and a really impressive start to the show, went to a whole new level once I heard Stone start that riff. 8 songs in and I had already got three songs I had never seen live before. The show was brewing for me. They threw Rats in to the set fairly early on and there was quite a few people around who were pleased to hear this as it is another rare gem. Here is another example of the extraordinary force that is Pearl Jam live. It was only the 48th time the song had been played live since its release in 1993. Paul was attending just his second PJ show and he had now see this song on both occasions, yet there were fans who had seen countless gigs and never got this song before that night.

The middle section of the main set had some real thunder- Even Flow, World Wide Suicide and Lukin packed a hell of a punch before they slowed the pace, without losing any of the intensity we expect, with a fantastic rendition of Not For You. Then we got the gem that every fan who attends a show waits for. A premiere. For those of us lucky enough to be present that night we got the first live play of the fan club single Better Things by The Kinks. Time and again Pearl Jam find songs to cover that sound and feel like a PJ song and this was no exception. Ed sounded great and although it sounded a little loose in places, a new PJ cover had been added to the arsenal for future live shows.

The encore started with Last Kiss and Just Breathe. Two songs that seem to bring a lot of flak in the band's direction. Personally, I think they are great songs and really give the audience something to sing along to and I'm glad I got them both. Two more first plays for me. Comatose followed and then came one of their finest hours. Unthought Known is right up there among the best tracks this band have ever put out for our consumption but it's in a live setting where this track comes alive. The way it builds is perfect. Mike's understated guitar strangles the life out of the riff and you'd be hard pushed to finder a song that can capture everything that Ed is as a vocalist and lyricist.

I'm not going to recall every song for you. Most, if not all, of you have seen the songs before so you won't need me to tell you what they are like. Hell, you've probably seen them played more than me. It was a stunning set. Probably not the best set I've seen from them as the O2 Arena show in London in 2009 was really special but that's an irrelevance. They still deliver like no other band. They still surprise. They obviously still love doing what they do, you need only take a look at how much Mike puts in to each show to understand that they play every set like its the most important thing in the world. Watch Jeff getting the chance to play lead on Smile to see the pure joy they still get from jamming together. Priceless.

I'll wrap this up by saying I was gutted to miss night 2 in Amsterdam. I was watching the set come through on Twitter as I was travelling home. In PJ circles it's being called their greatest set ever and I wish I could have been there. However, I wouldn't trade the experience of 26/06 for the 27/06 for any money in the world. What makes a Pearl Jan show special is the family coming together and if I traded 26 for 27 I wouldn't have shared it with Siobhan, Kendal, Sean and Marlane. That's a price I wouldn't want to pay. I spent the best day imaginable with them, including Sandro and Paul and that is what the experience is all about.

Thanks for the memories, ladies and gents. Here's to plenty more of them together

Pearl Jam at 20

Happy Anniversary to the greatest band to ever walk this earth. 20 years ago this weekend they played their first show at the Off Ramp in Seattle. Still playing under the name of Mookie Blaylock they ran through a setlist of 8 tracks.

@grungereport on Twitter posted up the full show in individual videos on youtube last night and you can see the rawness of this fledgling outfit. The highlight for me is at the beginning of Alive. Before the song begins you can hear someone lady in the crowd harassing them "play something" etc. If only she knew what she was about to listen to for the first time. When Stone struck those opening notes, history was made as this song, along with Smells Like Teen Spirit was to change the face of rock/alternative music forever. No way could she have known, with her disrespect of this new band, that she was about to hear THE voice of the nineties...."Son, she said.....have I got a little story for you....what you thought was your daddy was nothing but a...."

Automatic..The definition of the 90s

Following up one of the best selling albums of 1991 was never going to be an easy task. For a band who had been together ten years by the time they had released Out of Time, becoming an overnight success story meant they had a lot of expectation in how to succeed their triumphant 7th studio album. Sales of Out of Time topped 10 million units worldwide, by far their most commercially successful album in their career. Losing My Religion became one of the most instantly recognised songs and videos of the decade, earning the band 2 grammys and 6 MTV awards, including Best Video.

The dilemma within the band was how to follow this up. As successful as Out Of Time had been, it was the most un-REM sounding album they had ever made. Do they make Out Of Time pt2 and bolster the new found global fame, knowing it will sell in the millions on the back of their previous outing, or tweak their sound again as they had constantly done in their career thus far? Not wanting to take the easy option, they decided to make a record that was a lot heavier and guitar based, wanting to move away from the acoustic dominant sound of before. Ultimately, these plans were thrown out of the window early on in the recording process

In the early Summer of 1991, straight off the back of the promotional work for Out Of Time, Mike Mills, Pete Buck and Bill Berry began meeting up for preliminary rehearsals. Michael Stipe was given finished recordings in early 1992 to begin working his lyrics into the music….

In October of 1992 “Drive” the first single from album number 8, “Automatic For The People” was released. The song gave us a glimpse of the darker, more passionate sound, lyrically and musically that the band had given birth to. The dark, brooding intro and distortion heavy riff marrying perfectly with Stipe’s vocals….Smack, crack, Bushwhacked, tie another one to the racks, baby. It was the first sign of what was to follow: something so much darker than had gone before, touching on mortality, fear, suffering and bereavement.

Although, by and large a slower, more contemplative piece, there were songs that touched on the lighter more melodic aspects of REM. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight and Man On The Moon had pop singles written across them from the very first listen, but they weren’t a sample of the album as a whole and even the sing-a-long nature of Man On The Moon touched upon death and the afterlife with Elvis and Andy Kaufman meeting at a truck-stop incarnation of Heaven.

Death and mortality play a huge roll on this album, in no small part magnified by the constant and consistent rumours about Michael Stipe’s health at the time. His gaunt image, coupled with the fact that the band were refusing to tour in support of this album and Out Of Time only fuelled the speculation about Stipe’s well being. The first direct reference to death came in the title of track two, “Try Not To Breathe” which has the protagonist wishing for the end after a long, happy life - I will try not to breathe – This decision is mine – I have lived a full life – And these are the eyes that I want you to remember.

The album was the last true great alternative album before the Grunge explosion completely turned the musical world on its head. Automatic preceded the negativity that seemed to sweep up everyone in the generation Y maelstrom, yet touched so many of the subjects that crept up in those Seattle Scene days. “Everybody Hurts” approaches suicide, offering hope rather than surrender, “Sweetness Follows” the aftermath of losing a family member and facing the future.

The most dramatic and little talked about aspect of this album is the stunning string arrangements provided by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones on Drive, Sidewinder, Everybody Hurts and the sublime Nightswimming. It adds such a fullness to the sound, orchestral pieces intertwined perfectly with the rhythm and guitars to create an absolutely vital sound for the album

There are so many highlights on this record it is almost impossible to talk about them all without this blog turning into an opus. Saying that, I must mention the final tracks off this album. Nightswimming and Find The River. Nightswimming is the simplest song on the album in that it only features Mike Mills on piano and Michael Stipe on vocals, apart from John Paul Jones subtle strings. It is a piece about innocence, about a youth long gone and alack of worry in life that few people outside of their teens can relate to any more. It is perfectly paced, and with your eyes closed you can conjure up the imagery so easily it is as if you lived the story yourself. As a lyricist Michael Stipe has few, if any, equals and nowhere in their entire back catalogue is this better exemplified than on the last two songs for this classic record. Find The River picks up the mood set by Nightswimming and runs with it. Words escape me when talking about Find The River. It is almost impossible to put in to coherent sentences what the song means to me. I will finish with this…If there was just one song I had to listen to every day for the rest of my life, Find The River would be it. Each nuance, key change and word expresses something different, something new with every listen. It is a special song to do that and Find The River is that special track

Automatic is fast approaching its 20th birthday and it is timeless. It is as fresh now as it was when I first heard it back in October 1992. There isn’t a weakness there. Each of the 12 tracks are stand out, stand alone works of art. Together, they form the definitive sound of the decade, nothing comes close to capturing the feel of that moment in my history and nothing ever will. REM have written better individual songs than the those that appear on here. Arguably they have made better sounding records with regards to spontaneity or rawness. As a complete body of work though, it is unparalleled in what it accomplishes. The bravery to walk away from the sound of Out Of Time and produce this master piece is testament to the strength and the belief these four men had in their abilities as musicians and songwriters.

Take a bow, REM. And thank you for the music

The Demise of Guitar Hero

As a reaction to an article on playfire.com about the sales slump with the Guitar Hero franchise I posted a reply. Here it is.....

I will get this out up front before I say my piece. I hate Activision with a passion, but I will try to be objective with this. I loved GH3, my first venture into the music game market on the PS2. I purchased Guitar Hero:Metallica for the PS3 (my last Activision purchase) and the game was great. However the online was horrendous when trying to hook up with people on my friends list. It wouldn't allow three of us to play together. Two or four of us was fine but not three for some bizarre reason. This problem had a knock on effect with online trophies within the game. My real gripe with this franchise began when I contacted their Customer Service with regards to this issue and I was told if I wanted to do the band trophies, get my mates around the house. So unsympathetic!

Rock Band all but killed the GH brand because they took the GH model and improved it. Online works perfectly, apart from the dodgy comms which puts the audio through the tv rather than the headset. They have a fantastic, diverse selection of original songs. This is where GH fell short, they had too many cover versions on their running list. RB is also cheaper for songs and song packs. In the UK RB charges 99p for a track compared to £1.49 for a GH song. The track packs (normally about 5 songs) are in the region of £4.79 on RB whereas you will pay about £1 extra for the GH equivalent.

Overkill will ultimately be the downfall of GH. Activision are churning out a variation of this game about 1 every 10 months or so. It has been two years since the core Rock Band game has been released. And the improvements with Rock Band 3 are simply electrifying. The new game engine, the improved career set up and the vast advancements in the instruments show that Harmonix are not taking anything for granted. Yes, they could easily have just churned out RB2 v2.0 but, as we can see with the reported demise of GH, they realised that they have to keep their audience, old and new, coming back for more. Not more of the same, they want MORE from each game. The Beatles:Rock Band brought us the first three part harmonies in this genre on top of the most beautifully presented music game ever, when Harmonix could easily have just stuck with the existing RB set up knowing that The Beatles would sell this game on its own

I don't want to see the demise of GH, even though I will never touch the franchise again. Any game that can encourage kids to get in to real music is a good thing. My children (aged 6 and twins of 5) recognise The Ramones, Pearl Jam, The Beatles and Smashing Pumpkins if it comes on a radio which is so heartwarming. Sadly, Activision have dropped the ball with GH by concentrating on the fast buck rather than not taking their once loyal following for granted

The greatest film ever made?

In 1969, after publishing two critically acclaimed novels that never achieved much in terms of sales, a pulp fiction novelist from Hell's Kitchen, N.Y. decided to base his next novel around the myths and anecdotes surrounding the Mafia organizations in America. He never set out to write a masterpiece, his motivation came out of a straight forward need to make money. The author, Mario Puzo, changed popular fiction and the history of cinema with his novel The Godfather

Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to the novel and the then head of the studio, Robert Evans finally settled on a young, up and coming Italian American director Francis Ford Coppolla, from the American Zoetrope studio who set up the company with George Lucas. Coppolla was never first choice for the film, in fact he came close on several occasions to being replaced as director due to grumblings and misgivings within Paramount about his ability to handle such a film. His casting of key rolls was called into question:- they didn't want Al Pacino (Robert Redford was the preferred choice of Paramount) or Marlon Brando (Ernest Borgnine was reportedly Paramount's choice) anywhere near the movie. Could you watch this film now and imagine it without these two actors?

Coppolla's future on the film hung in the balance for a long time. It was only the showing of one of the daily's that saved his position as director. That daily cemented his place and went on to become one of the defining moments of the film and one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history. The execution of McCluskey and Sollozzo in the Italian restaurant showed the executives that Coppolla had what was needed to make this film.

77 days of filming altered the face of cinema forever.



"I believe in America..." begins the masterpiece. From the very first shot as Bonasera delivers his monologue while the camera pans out, to the devastating final scenes as Don Michael Corleone secures his family's future, the film is perfection in every way. Dark, brooding, evenly paced. Tension, betrayal, loyalty, some humour ("leave the gun. Take the cannoli") and even a touch of romance all rolled into one timeless, breathtaking tale of post WW2 American mafioso. There is no glorifying of their actions, no sympathy to be gleamed for anyone within the film. It catalogues the callous nature of life within The Family, loyalty is all and betrayal comes at the ultimate price

Brando, Pacino, Keaton, Duvall, Caan, Cazale. The most perfectly pitched cast ever. Doubts about Brando were foremost in everyone's mind when he was employed. He stole every scene he was in. The iconic image of him on his daughter's wedding day, sat in a leather chair stroking the cat is ingrained in the mind of anyone who has seen it. Who can forget the Jersey Turnpike seen where James Caan meets his untimely death? And then there is that scene. Jack Woltz, after refusing to accommodate Johnny in his latest picture, waking to find the head of his beloved Khartoum in his bed. Never has one scene caused such a buzz and made the transition into popular culture

The transformation from decorated war hero to head of the Corleone family by Pacino is a remarkable performance. The understated nature of the ruthlessness he develops after his imposed exile in Sicily is nothing short of cinematic gold.

There is an argument that this film is surpassed by The Godfather pt2. I occasionally find myself agreeing with this point. In the end though, it comes down to The Godfather being the original. It worked as a template for the sequel which has an improved storyline but the classic nature of the movie, the style and pace were set out two years earlier. Nothing ever existed like this movie before Coppolla worked his magic. Countless films have since been made in the style of this masterpiece. The fact that no gangster stereotypes exist in this film, that there is no graphic language, that none of the violence is gratuitous or there just for the sake of being there all contribute to what makes this movie stand out from the rest.

Nearly 40 years after it's original theatre release this movie is still as watchable as it was back then. Every time you watch it, you find something new. A quote, a look, a scene, some lighting that adds just a little more to the enjoyment of the experience. I implore you, if you have never watched this film, do it. Do it now. Films like this will never be made again. It is timeless. It is ageless. It is a work of art that still takes my breath away with each viewing.

My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse....Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract...That's my family, Kay. That's not me

The downside to parenting

I have been a father for a little over 6 years now, my son was born in May 04 and then my twin girls were born in October 05. Yes, I have my hands full but it such a rewarding role when they are loving and playing nicely together. They get on pretty well as a rule, as long as it is only two out of the three playing together. Any combination of them works well but as soon as you introduce the third of them into the equation all hell breaks loose. Two's company right?

The downside to it showed it's ugly head again this morning. Illness. I can handle being ill, I am ok with seeing my partner unwell (don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy seeing her ill, I can cope with it though) but I just do not have the stomach to see any of my children feeling or acting under the weather. When they were born you could put me on the changing matt with any of them, regardlesss of how "unclean" their nappies/diapers were, and I would dive in to clean them. If one of them cuts themself I have no problem with being Nurse Dad and tending to wounds. I can not cope with them being ill though. It leaves me feeling complete ineffective and useless. When they have tummy/head/toothache there is nothing you can do to make them feel right. It is not like kissing or rubbing a grazed knee where you can make light of it, make the child giggle and distract them. You can't magic away the feeling of sickness within a child who is too young to understand why theyfeel as they do.

As I write this Madison, my younger twin by 59 minutes, is curled up next to me, feeling downright sorry for herself. She woke my partner in the early hours with the most horrendous, bark-like cough and complained of feeling. Can you remember Spike? Butch's pup in the Tom and Jerry cartoons? Remember the episode where he is learning to bark? That is Madison at this moment. And I am powerless to set her mind at ease. She is running a temperature too and all she wants to do is cuddle up to you.

Thank god my partner is so practical with these things, so matter-of-fact. She has gone shopping at the moment and I can not wait for her to get home. Not because I can not cope, the kids are no problem, I just hate feeling like I am not doing enough even though there is nothing I can do besides feed them the recommended cough syrups at regular intervals.

They never teach you this stuff before the child is born. I don't think we should be allowed to wing it when it happens, I needed warning of this when I signed up to parenting! So I am going to return to the cuddles now, I am good at that and as long as Madison is wanting her daddy's hugs I am sure she will be fine

The Ryder Cup

In 1927, Samuel Ryder, an amateur golfer from Hertfordshire in the UK, attached his name to a small golf competition between teams from Britain and the USA. He donated a gold cup and agreed to pay each player on the winning team the princely sum of £5 for their involvement. Every two years the competition was to be held between the two countries, with the exception of the years 1939-45 due to the second world war. After the terror attacks in New York on September 11th 2001, the tournament was put back one year as it was due to be held in the immediate aftermath, as a mark of respect.

Eighty three years after it's inception the tournament comes to Wales in just under a week's time, the first time the country has held this prestigious event. The last true, great untainted world class sporting event will pass through the Welsh valleys.

Golf has always had a high standing within sporting circles for the integrity of the game's running, the honesty and self policing of each player who takes up the game, both professionally and within amateur circles. So little scandal surrounds the ethics and ethos of the game that any misdemeanour is greatly scrutinised by the watching media. The game has untouchable moral standards that are so sadly lacking in almost every other major sport you could mention

The Ryder Cup today, stands out as the last true great, untarnished global sporting event. Each player on the team wants to be there. Not for prize money, not for endorsements but to take part in such a special event and to represent their country. The competition is not tainted by cheating, the course will not be decorated with a thousand different Corporate sponsorships or held up and delayed for the sake of viewing figures. Unlike so many of the big sporting events that take place in the modern media spotlight, there will be no cheating for financial gain or personal glory. Each of the 24 players who take part in this special event over the course of three days will be there to win, but to win with a clear conscience.

We have recently sat through the FIFA world cup in South Africa. After over 30 years of watching the sport, I have given up on football after that tournament. The cheating, play acting, harassing of referees by players to get their fellow professionals sent off. Feigning of injuries to waste time, diving to "win" free-kicks and penalties. Spain may have won the world cup but no one came out of this tournament as winners. It was a disgrace. Rugby has been rocked by the blood capsule incident recently, constantly plagued by accusations of eye-gouging and stamping. Baseball is regularly linked to doping scandals that ruin the credibility of the game, cricket is in turmoil after yet another betting scandal has been exposed by national newspapers. None of this touches the beautiful game of golf, especially The Ryder Cup

Of course, it hasn't been without incident. Anyone who saw the scenes at Brookline, Mass. in 1999 will forever remember it as one of the most controversial episodes in the history of this event. Justin Leonard holed a remarkable putt of around 45ft on the 17th to all but seal a US win, resulting in his fellow players, wives and some fans running on to the green in jubilant celebrations. Jose Maria Olazabal still had a shot to half the hole and thus extend the game to the 18th. The scenes were nothing in comparison to what you would see at the end of any important sporting fixture,but because this was golf it was different. It overstepped a mark in terms of etiquette and for years following the incident The Ryder Cup went through great pains to repair the damage this incident had done to its reputation.

There is no greater sporting event than this. Nothing comes even close to it. 24 elite sportsmen trying their hardest to rally the crowds and teammates alike to achieve victory. No personal glory, no ulterior motive. Each of the players on show could earn tens, hundreds of thousands of pounds/dollars playing golf on a sunkissed course somewhere in the world. But no, they are heading to the Usk valley in Wales in the first week of October where the weather at best will be described as chilly. They will be there for the honour of the Ryder Cup, the honour of representing their nation and winning that little gold trophy.

How many other top athlete would put so much time and effort into an event like this without any personal gain? Not many, I would hazard a guess. Roll on next Friday so this biannual event can once again take centre stage as THE greatest sporting event in the world