Set List: Long Road, Save You, Gods' Dice, Corduroy, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Get Right, Cropduster, Jeremy, Small Town, I Am Mine, Love Boat Captain, MFC, Improv #12, Habit, You Are, Wish List, 1/2 Full, Insignificance, Go;
1st encore: Do The Evolution, Better Man, Daughter, Crazy Mary;
2nd encore: Throw your Arms Around Me [w/Mark Seymour], Alive, Fortunate Son [w/ Johnny Marr](by Creedence Clearwater Revival)

If someone asked me right now what I am feeling, all I could tell them is absolute pain. But this is not the sort of pain you feel when you're alone at a time when you need someone the most; nor is it the sort of pain you feel when you've just fallen off you're bike and grazed the skin off your knees. No. Far from it. This is the sort of pain you feel when you've just spent two hours and twenty minutes standing front row watching a band who have helped you through some of the darkest and loneliest moments of your life…. and every muscle in your body is thanking you for it.

My Pearl Jam day started early. A few friends and I made the trip out to the Burswood Dome at 9:30am and were there by 10:00. We played hacky for a while before making some signs to hold up and stuff. The 92.9fm (the MMM radio station who were “supporting” Pearl Jam) road crew turned up around 2:00 ish. I cant believe how god damn rude they were! When we asked them about what sort of coverage they were doing for the show, they were like "who? Oh yeah them… I dunno we’re here for the Bridal Convention"!!! Some Support!

Anyway 3:30 ticks by and finally…. there it is…. the little white van…. It pulled up and Mike, Stone, Jeff, and Boom stepped out. Boom went directly inside but the others came straight over to say hello. I hung back a bit before going in to say hi. There were quite a few others around getting stuff signed and stuff. When Mike was alone I went over and said hi. He signed my copy of Angel and we chatted for a bit. He was super cool and it was really nice to be able to thank him properly for his music and the inspiration that he gives so many... he was like “yeah sure, no worries,” ... he he he... so cool. They disappeared off inside the Dome for what was a killer sound check... and I was absolutely bouncing off the walls! ... I couldn't believe it, and neither could the other 30 odd who had finally got their one wish to meet some of the band. There were smiles all round…. But none as big as min... :D... ß ... see.

Any ways by now I was really anxious to find out where our 10 seats were. I was thinking o yeah, we've only been 10C members since September so we'll be about five rows back…. But no…. we sat front row. Directly in front of Stone. It was at this point that I went into shock for the night. Its probably a good time now to mention that in the lead up to the show, the group of friends I was going with all got together and we made our own T-shirts. Stone commented to most of us (well everyone except me cos I didn't get a chance to have a chat) how cool he thought they were and stuff. Anyways he recognised the shirts that Joel and I were wearing, started laughing, and we got nothing but great big smiles from him all night long.

And now for the concert itself.

The boys came out and went straight into Long Road. I was absolutely in awe. I soaked up the blue lighting as my eyes wandered the stage. I looked at Mike who to my surprise was looking at me. He'd recognised me from earlier in the day and gave me a nod and a big smile. And here I am thinking that it couldn't have gotten any better. But man it sure as hell did.

Save You was next and got the crowd going. I looked down the long line of 10 clubbers and we were all rockin’ our little booties off. Ed and Mike were going off and doing it hard!

Then God's Dice. This is one of my favourite songs of theirs so I was rapped to hear it... especially so early in the set. Everyone was feeding off of everyone’s energy... It really is like bouncing molecules!

The chords for Corduroy started up and everyone, and I mean all 19 000 of us went nuts. It was incredible! I think the band was a little taken back by the crowds response too… they were loving it! C’mon the duck walks!

Given to Fly was simply beautiful. Everyone who wasn’t mesmerized was dancing… and Ed had a sea of people at his floor... ALL with their arms wide open...

Even Flow started up and once again everyone went psycho... Mike bounced all over the place and Jeff got, what seemed to be, one of his only spurts of energy all night... man he looked tired... but could you blame the guy? I got down off my step and bounced around as high as a 4ft 11” person can (that's not too high but with that sort of energy flowing through you it feels like it is... kinda like Tigger).

Get Right was awesome but didn't get the crowd response that I thought it would. Ed fudged the lyrics a little and started laughing when he caught Matt's eye... I love it when he stuffs the lyrics... reminds me that the guy IS human... I tell you that you definitely begin to question this fact when you'd only ever seen him on videos, DVDs, and heard him on a CD/tape/record of some sort... yet there he was... and there was I.

I was stoked when they brought out Cropduster as this is my favourite on Riot Act…. THE MOOON IS ROOOLLLING ROUND!….

We knew from the moment we saw Jeff bass that next was Jeremy “with a little help singing from you guys”...and boy did we help! All complete with EVERYONES arms in a V...

Small Town was next and I don't even think that I could hear Eddie at all during this one ‘cos everyone around me were just screaming, singing their lungs out trying to say hello to Pearl Jam in the best way they knew how…. It was smiles all round.

I Am Mine was up next and I just stood and watched Jeff … finally getting one very tired smile out of him too…

Love Boat Captain was just beautiful. Ed changed the lyrics in the second verse but I couldn't quite make out what he changed them too… I must download the mp3 later and have a closer listen.

MFC was next and what followed was one of the most incredible moments of my life (well up until this point anyway...there was more to come my way yet…). I was all smiles singing my heart out and then before I realised it Eddie was looking straight at me smiling back and holding my gaze as we both just smiled and sang ... to tell you the truth for a while I wasn't even sure that it was me that he was looking at cos it was all to unreal…. But like I said it got better….

Habit was awesome. I bounced around and marveled at Matt beating the hell out of those skins ... gotta love that Matt cam!

I'm not really sure how to describe You Are except that it sent shivers down my spine. The lighting was really low. I didn't watch the boys at all for this song, instead watching their shadows on the back drop behind them. It was the first time I ever felt a little creeped out by this song… a very strange sensation indeed.

Well, what can I say about Whishlist that will do it justice? Nothing. There isn't anything that I can say that can describe the absolute beauty this song held. Mike was looking up to the mirror ball the entire time, completely off in a different time space of his own. I looked around and there were 19,000 hands upraised and open towards the sky… I spun back round to find myself in my own little space ... kinda like a sort of nakedness… I really don't know how else to describe it other that that it had to be one of the most perfect moments of the entire night.

½ Full was a lot of fun. And you could see that Ed was having fun with it too ... he sung it in a way with the sort of expression you have when you're having a conversation with someone ... or rather telling them a story…

Insignificance absolutely went off!! I don't know if it was because I was giving this one all I had or what but to me this one went at it with all the emotion and energy it could possibly have held… I can definitely say that its because of this song alone, that I am without a voice today.

And It was at this moment in between Insignificance and Go that Ed looked at me, called over the camera guy who was in front of me, pointed and said "make sure she gets this." He walked over and amongst all the outstretched arms, he placed into my hand one small black pick, initialed EV.

When I came to, Pearl Jam had gone into what was the BEST version of Go I had ever heard. And at this moment I was running on nothing but pure adrenaline. Ed was going nuts, Mike was running around everywhere, Stone gave us some duck walks and jumped a little ... but the 10 clubbers…. Nothing and no one rocked it out as much as the 10 clubbers…. We were at this show to show everyone that what we all have for Pearl Jam's music is not an obsession... No. ...It's just passion in its purest form.

The encore break gave all of us just enough time to recuperate before rocking it out once more to Do The Evolution. Before that though, Ed talked about the Save the Ningaloo campaign (well known to west aussies), if anyone wishes to see what all this is about please log onto www.saveningaloo.org and have a look (especially all you aussies of the east). Basically they are trying to put a huge marina on what is one of the worlds last remaining untouched marine environments. Like Tim Winton said "The Ningaloo needs a marina like Uluru needs a Casino." Anyway check the site out and see what its all about.

Joel and I had made a sign earlier in the day that read “WILL NOMINATE 4 OZ CITIZENSHIP." We got hold of Ed's attention and he loved it ... laughed, nodded, and gave us the thumbs up ... yippee!!

Anyway Do The Evolution went off but kinda felt a bit slow and awkward after the energy that Go had had. A guy a little further down from me threw a John Howard mask on stage (nice one whoever that was). Ed put it on and sang with it for a bit, grabbing himself and stuff ... so funny...

Next was Betterman. For the second time during the night I couldn't hear Ed at all over the audiences singing ... totally breathtaking

Daughter followed…again another crowd pleaser… I kinda expected them to do the war tag again seen as we had 19 000 (sorry I keep mentioning that but you gotta admit that's a lot of jammers!) in the one room. Instead Ed sung noises and we sung back ... it was funny cos all the people who obviously have boots caught on straight away ... it took everyone else a few goes before it had the full support….

"Ok we're gonna do one now that's not on the list"... and out came Crazy Mary in all her wonderful glory. Congrats to Daniel Beard who managed to score some of the wine. Beautiful on the boots but nothing compared to having it played right in front of you. Talk about pulling on the heart strings….

After another short break Eddie walks out and talked about how the next one they were going to do was one that he used to sing around the campfire. The he introduces Mark Seymour to the stage (I got to admit though that I already knew about this cos I listened to the sound check). And here they were, two of the most beautiful musicians singing a duet right in front of me, and all I could do was sink back into my beautiful Joel and be held and feel loved. Thank you Joel.

Next was Alive. And the lights slowly got brighter. This is one song I cant stop thinking about. Here we all are singing at the top of our lungs, all with smiles on our faces… Ed singing with a HUGE smile plastered across his face, and yet all I could think about was what he had been through for this song to actually exist. And then I looked around at all the faces singing up at Ed in complete admiration and wondered if they were thinking the same thing as they sang. I looked back up at Ed and for the first time that night felt sad and pained knowing what these lyrics we have turned so radio friendly, actually mean to this guy standing before us. Please, if any body else out there has experienced this please let me know. I'm finding this moment really hard to let go of. Its been a lot easier to write about than talk about because as far as communicating through speech goes, I am lost for words.

When the show ended I was nothing but dazed and bewildered at what I had just witnessed all of one metre away from me. I stumbled back to the row of seats to a space by myself ... all the others were talking and pestering the roadies. I felt a had on my shoulder. I turned to find a big guy with a roadies pass around his neck standing before me. He held out a piece of paper and just said “This is for you.” I looked down and there in my hand was the set list. All I could mutter was a meek thank you and he smiled, turned and walked away. It wasn't until I got to the car that I could open my fist (which still had the pick inside it), and bring myself to gaze over the set list ... it's perfect... Complete with Eddie's spit!

There is a reason left out mentioning the last song of the night but that's because I'm not really sure what to say about the closer except that it was the closer of all closers! Ed reintroduced Johnny Marr to the stage and the lights went up. This was the first time all night that the fans and the band were able to get a really good look at just how many people there were in that room. All I can say about Fortunate Son is that this was A LOT of fun! The guys we going crazy, laughing, joking, and it was kinda like watching your little brother's band mucking about with so many instruments they don't really know what to do with except bashem up and see what happens ... But I know what happens... They grow up to be some of the best and most respected musicians in the world.

peace,
megan
Age 17