Fanviews of Perth
| Index | 2003 Set Lists |
February 23, 2003 - Burswood Dome, Perth, Australia
Steve Munachen (munnointheuk@hotmail.com): What can I say? Shame on me for forgetting how good Pearl Jam actually are. I suppose the fact that I hadn't seen them for five years dampened my recollection of the true brilliance of the band live in the flesh. Bloody amazing. That's all I can say. There's something about the thirty minutes before the start of the concert which gets your blood going. We sat in our seats, within 25 metres of the stage (10th row!!), waiting, waiting, waiting. You get so pumped up it's a relief to actually see the band walk out on stage. Long Road to start was classic. Such a good song, set the mood perfectly and let everyone know early on how good the night was gonna be. Save You was next, my personal favourite from Riot Act, a rockin good tune with a powerful chorus, which inspired everyone in the dome to dance and bounce around. God's Dice was awesome, Corduroy next, the perennial favourite, followed by Given to Fly (dedicated to all those from Yallingup) then Even Flow. All week I have been telling my mates, wait for Mike McCready, he is insane, the best rock guitarist in the world. Well, last night he proved it to everyone there. An absolutely awe inspiring solo in Even Flow was probably one of the pinnacle points of the night. I have never seen a man's fingers move so fast, and such amazing sounds come out a guitar. Get Right and Cropduster were next, then Jeremy, followed by an awesome version of Small Town, with Stone rocking out on his new acoustic guitar. Then came I am Mine, LBC, MFC and a cool improv song. Habit was awesome live, as was You Are which followed. The classic riff from Wishlist then lit up the room. A favourite amongst all fans, this song was nuts. Eddie was awesome, and the line "I wish I was an Australian, at home beneath the Sun" topped it off. 1/2 full was next, and just like on Riot Act Mike McCready goes nuts. I swear this song was just written so he could go off after every verse and chorus. It's insane how much energy he has and what a true legend he is. He must have thrown at least fifty picks into the crowd, including about three or four giant handfuls at once. Insignificance was next, then to close the first part of the set Go. Mike played the solo with the guitar behind his head, Ed rocked out in his trade mark crouched forward "go" stance - I cannot think of words to describe it which will give it the justice it deserves. After the first break Ed came out and talked about saving Ningaloo reef. This was well received, and they broke into Do the Evolution, which included part of the third verse being sung by Ed with a John Howard mask on - classic. Then came Better Man and Daughter, followed by Eddie choosing to change the set list, and play Crazy Mary. A version which went on for ages, finishing with a wicked jam at the end. Then they left for the second time.
When Ed finally emerged he came out with Mark Seymour (formerly from Hunters
and Collectors) he said he only met him for the first time earlier in the
day, but had been singing one of his songs around the camp fire forever.
That was Throw Your Arms Around Me. Singing alternate verses and joining
together for the chorus this was almost the highlight of the night, but then
the house lights came on and they sung Alive. After listening to Pearl Jam
for two hours, you'd think that you couldn't get anymore excited, but when
Stone broke into that first trademark riff of Alive, I swear everyone went
crazy. It was truly awesome. Too difficult to describe properly. Then just
when you think it's over, Johnny Marr emerges to join the band and they
break into Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The house lights
were still on, the crowd was still going nuts, you couldn't have asked for a
better concert.....ever. |
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