Pearl Jam deliver from their essential core, molten elemental guitar tsunamis, breaking out of Seattle Grunge on their way to Rock’n’roll domination.
High expectations of this 40,000 plus crowd just needed a catalyst to ignite.
There was a welcoming haka from local iwi to add a little spark, but it all broke open with the concert launch by Given to Fly.
He could have tuned in, but he tuned out/ A bad time nothing could save him.
There is a roar as the seated patrons jump to their feet (the ground army are a constant dance party) for Elderly Woman Behind a Counter in a Small Town (off Vs). Power Pop with a slower tempo.
The Pearlers play many of their early classics. Each time hitting like a lightning bolt of excitement.
The opening visual montage was a drone view of the surrounding city of volcanos culminating in the approach to Go Media Stadium.
The founding core. Eddie Vedder singer and guitar, Mike McCready lead guitar, Stone Gossard rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament bass. Matt Cameron drums, and Boom Gaspar keyboards came a little later.
Vedder is visibly choked with emotion as he talks between songs.
One of the highlights of their current album Dark Matter is Wreckage. It may have been inspired lyrically by the early history of Donald Trump.
It’s a Springsteen styled Americana ballad. Curiously, a vortex opens to the same stadium in February 2017, when the Boss played his last concert here and I was amongst the large ground audience.
Trump was just taking up his first presidency. The American flag was relegated to tiny icon at the top of the huge stage. There was shock and anger from the stage, but the E Street band were determined to banish and blast away any blues.
Springsteen’s music has embraced heartland America and the idea of the beautiful loser, the USA in excelsis. Defiant with Born in the USA, but resigned and heartbroken with Darkness on the Edge of Town.
This Presidential election’s seismic waves are going to deliver after-shocks for years as the hurt and bewildered come to terms with what they regard as a betrayal of spirit.
Human progress has gone backwards. To paraphrase Vedder as he sits down with an acoustic guitar to the one solo number for the night. Just Breathe.
Can I say I need you.
Don’t get the impression this show is a downer. Far from it. Pearlers take a leaf from Robert Johnson and Preaching Blues. I’m gonna drive my blues away!
They go through classics from Ten, the one that some of us thrashed all through the Nineties.
Even Flow, Jeremy, Porch. Alive. All given the treatment of massive stadium rockers, especially when Vedder sings, I’m still alive.
McCready shreds guitar and emulates Hendrix on Eruption, originally from Van Halen.
Followed immediately by Dark Matter and the meshed guitar attack goes to town.
Those layered guitars roll through like ecstatic wrecking balls on React Respond, also from Dark Matter.
This new one has quickly become part of their best body of work. Dark matter, (and dark energy) makes up 95% of the universe. A substance which does not emit any light or interact with other particles.
Maybe this is what the Pearlers are attempting to harness?
Liam Finn comes on to join the group for a stomping version of Habit. Another Spruce style rager.
Finn had opened the show as a one-man band on the instruments, with Eliza Jane Barnes as backing singer.
Loops guitar and drums and gets to give them a good cathartic bashing over a short set.
The sound stage is not the best for this and tends to be a little muddy and muted. But he comes across well with new song Con Man, before he races off stage.
This is probably a reference in serendipity to the President elect. Finn also takes the opportunity to shout, Honour the Treaty, Fuckers!
We may like to think that music is just entertainment and how we like to feel good. But it is inextricably political. Driven home by the Dylan lyric, Its life, and life only. An ad-lib on a live version of It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
Even the President of the United States/ Sometimes must have to stand naked.
The Pixies genuinely give a stunning set, sounding just as melodic and unsettling as what I can remember from years ago. Must be thirty at least.
That is leader Black Francis lead vocals and guitar, Joey Santiago guitar, Dave Lovering drums. Brand new bass guitar is Emma Richardson.
They kick in with a surprising cover of Jesus and Mary Chain’s Head On.
One of the best Post Punks of the nineties, with melodic intent grafting in Surf music and progressive Rock. They have an odd and surreal approach to lyrical content, and their influence was wide, including Radiohead.
Thom Yorke just gave a brilliant solo concert within the last two weeks in Auckland.
Where’s My Mind is one of many familiar classics which spark the audience, still in the midst of streaming in.
Pixies being markedly different from the Pearlers.
Monkey Gone to Heaven, Chicken, The Vegas Suite all have that ironic and dark sense of humour.
Richardson takes a lead vocal on In Heaven, which seems to be where Princess Chelsea gets crucial influence.
Unsettling Pop Alternative.
Finish their set with a Neil Young cover Winterlong.
Pearl Jam do the same with Rockin’ in the Free World. Big stadium finish
Before that, they take a request from the front of stage and play Hard to Imagine, probably a deep cult classic for fans. Eastern ringing guitar tones give way to the familiar meshed guitar maelstrom.
Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam are ferocious in wanting to drive those Blues away!
Rev. Orange Peel
Pearl Jam play one more show on Sunday 10 November 2024.
Photography by Leonie Moreland
Pearl Jam
PIXIES
Liam Finn
