Set List to be confirmed: Long Road, Do The Evolution, Animal, Hail Hail, Dissident, Even Flow, Faithfull, MFC, Corduroy, Wishlist, Jeremy, Daughter, Given To Fly, Last Exit, Off He Goes, Rearviewmirror, Not For You, Black, Alive; 1st Encore: Brain of J., Better Man, Smile; 2nd Encore: Rockin' In The Free World

Poster credit: Jessica Letkemann

Phillip Deftereos (tgf@netspace.net.au):
Excellent. No elaborate stage props; no million dollar light shows; just a plain white sheet as a backdrop with a few candles and excellent music.

I can't remeber the exact set list, but they started with Long Road followed by Do The Evolution. The last song was that Neil Young song (I think it is called " Keep on Rockin in the Free World"). Other songs such as Animal, Hail Hail, Black, Last Exit, Better Man, Given to Fly, Dissident, Jeremy and Daughter made a mention.

Every song was brilliantly executed, sounding similar to the studio recordings but with a lot more emphasis on a heavy guitar presence. At one stage ( during Alive ), Eddie pulled a young guy from the crowd up on stage and sang the last verse of the song with him, then he proceeded to do the waltz with him on stage until the close of the song.

Highlight of the show would have to be Hail Hail and Last Exit.

The Conman:
After Oasis played the night before at the same venue, Eddie made a joke about finding some cocaine in the dressing room. Telling everyone he is hyped for the show, he broke in to Long Road, and the band started with some Yield. Great rendition of Evolution, Brain of J and Given To Fly. A great mix from all PJ's album inparticular Vs. and No Code. Eddie did a nice little tango with a lucky fan during Jeremy. Two encores including a remarkable Rockin' in the Free World made the whole experience phenomenal.

Keep the good work.

Simon Friend (sfriend@skm.com.au):
All I want to say is that last night was totally fantastic.

It goes to show that a real band doesn't need the biggest T.V. in the world and a giant golden arch to put on a mind blowing rock show.

The highlights of the show included; "Daughter", Eddie's solo performance (I don't know the name of the song) and the final song "Alive" which was played with the house lights on.

Matthew Slater (slater@bandicoot.me.rmit.edu.au):
Stayed out overnight for tickets, left work way early to get to the venue all for that elusive front row spot. Came close, only one person in front... Starting with Long Road it was good to see them mixing up the opening tracks, e.g., not Release or Oceans. Straight away it was apparent that this is a "new improved", invigorated Pearl Jam. I think the songs they played tonight would have to have 90 % fulfilled my wishlist of songs I really wanted to hear.

I was surprised by the volume of tracks from No Code they played, but this being a Pearl Jam gig nothing should be all that surprising. Whilst not as much as the following night, they seemed to almost decide the order in which to play songs as they went along. Highlights would be have to be 1) Eddie's banter. Any banter is better than no banter. 2) Corduroy. This song just rocked! It's amazing how hard sounding they played this and yet maintain the feel and emotional intensity. To introduce Rearviewmirror Ed says that they haven't played it for a while and that it might not work. In the silence, a friend (who should still be coming down from his high, more on that later) yells, "of course it will work" whereby they launch into what is one of my all time favourite Pearl Jam tracks.

Although the crowd wasn't as pumped as the next night, crowd surfing still hasn't become the relic of the past I'd hoped it had. Having reassured them that playing Rearviewmirror would work, my friend was rewarded by Eddie giving him one of his guitar picks. Number one on my song wishlist was Smile, and lo and behold Jeff and Stone swap places. Finding that one didn't work properly (I couldn't tell the difference!) Ed gives my friend one of his harmonicas, as they launch into Smile. Other highlights would have to be Faithfull and Off He Goes. I didn't think I'd ever experience that song live. Whilst it wasn't the best I've seen Pearl Jam, their on stage atittude and the brilliance of everyone's playing makes you realise why these guys are just so damn important. Stay tuned for 03/03/1998 fanview.