Pearl Jam - Live at BST Hyde Park

Here we are ready for a second serving, last night in this very same stage Pearl Jam left us wanting more so here we are… please sir(s), can we have some more?

As they walk onstage we are treated to “Corduroy” and is like continued from were we left last night, just felt like a continuation and not a separate entity, perfect choice.

Then they go on to “Eldery Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” and the audience around me are already singing back, it’s quite a feat to start (continue?) a concert and have everybody relaxed and into it, I guess familiar songs, a summers night and the fact that they deliver note by note are the reason. The opening drum beat of “Why Go” gives us another slice of classic Pearl Jam, then they follow with “Deep” and “Wishlist” track the was on this writer wishlist… stunning. “Garden” follows but it’s Neil Young’s cover of “Throw Your Hatred Down” with Mr. Johhny Marr on guitar that gets us in a frantic mood. Then they play “Do the Evolution” and “Animal” with such a catalog of tunes they keep pulling surprises and we just cannot keep up. With “Dance of the Clairvoyants” we get to hear the newest material and even though is fresh and punchy lacks a little more angst to call it classic Pearl Jam, perhaps is the evolution in them and we are not quite ready for that. “Not for You” is next as requested but the audience, followed by “Rats” “Faithful” and “State of Love and Trust” yes!! Suddenly we get a treat from Mike McCready’s and rather awesome tribute version of Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” we all miss him. After that we only have the immortal “Black” quickly followed by “Porch”. We all know that they just need a breather and as the encore starts we we get another slice of new music and this time “River Cross” delivers a huge lament for the people of the Ukraine.

Then is the straight home and with “Leash” “Alive” and “Yellow Ledbetter” they literally knock it out of the park, Hyde Park that is. Leaving just some space in the setlist for the “Baba O’Riley” and they are joined onstage by Johnny Marr once again but this time they also have producer extraordinaire Andrew Watt on guitar too. What a night, what two nights, what a brilliant idea, hope we get more acts doing this as some have plenty of songs in their back catalog to do this, brilliant night, brilliant event. Can’t wait for next year already.

Pav S.



Setlist

  1. Corduroy

  2. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town

  3. Why Go

  4. Deep

  5. Wishlist (with vocal improv)

  6. Garden

  7. Throw Your Hatred Down (Neil Young cover) (with Johnny Marr)

  8. Do the Evolution

  9. Animal

  10. Dance of the Clairvoyants

  11. Not for You

  12. Rats (tour debut)

  13. Faithful (European tour debut)

  14. State of Love and Trust

  15. Eruption (Van Halen cover)

  16. Black

  17. Porch

  18. River Cross (dedicated to the people of Ukraine)

  19. Leash

  20. Alive

  21. Yellow Ledbetter

  22. Baba O'Riley (The Who cover) (with Johnny Marr) (Also with Andrew Watt)

Pav Salgado