Pearl Jam Live at the 02 Arena review

 

Pearl Jam is one of the best bands in the world when it comes to watching them live.

No other group can even come close to matching their performance.

This is the second time I have watched Pearl Jam and the first time they belt out their hits in an indoor arena.

I’ve waited five years for the American grunge band to return to the UK.

The last time I saw them was at Milton Keynes outdoors back in 2013.           

Having travelled not once but twice from Cornwall, was the six-hour journey worth it?

Due to the previous gig being cancelled just hours before we arrived from Exeter, we arrived in London back in June to be told at the gate that the concert was cancelled due to Eddie Vedder losing his voice.

After several songs, Eddie Vedder proves why he has one of the most powerful rock voices before lighting up the arena to one of the loudest applause I had ever heard.

With Mike McCready’s solo’s and Vedder’s strong voice, fans were treated to another master class performance which ran well past the 10.30 pm curfew.

A few surprise tracks were thrown into the mix and ‘Oceans’, played only once before on this 19-date tour, was the night’s surprise opening track.

McCready showed that he clearly is one of the most underestimated guitarists globally, especially during his solo on ‘Even Flow’, which was an absolute masterclass.

As well as some fancy dance moves and air guitar moves, the crowd were also in tuneful and energetic voice: from the echoing chorus of a searing ‘Jeremy’ to bellowing every word of a beautiful ‘Daughter’. You might have got the feeling that these songs belonged entirely to the audience.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as an acoustic version of Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ was played after the first encore. 

Vedder’s connections with the crowd kept things grounded and emphasised the credibility of this band.

His apology for the no-show last month was earnest, and his denouncement of Trump was humorous.

The only criticism I would give is that I still wanted more. No ‘Black’? No ‘Better Man’?

Surely the band could have played for another half an hour.

This band always leaves the audience wanting more.

The gig was definitely worth travelling the distance for, and the band never disappoints their fans. Vedder’s voice alongside the genius guitar riffs and how Vedder connects with the audience is like no other band I have seen before.

I would say that Pearl Jam is one of the best groups in the world, if not the best.