With the threat of an impending train strike looming and an organisational nightmare averted at the 11th hour, 45,000 fans headed out to the ENGIE Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park to see American rockers Pearl Jam in the flesh after a 10 year wait. 

Before the band hit the stage, the audience was treated to a set from The Pixies, which was a treat in its own right. The Pixies are the masters of the brand of grungy, alt-rock that they pioneered in the late 80s and 90s and were at the top of their game during their short set. Led by vocalist Black Francis, the band still has a presence and aura about them and they performed with an energy befit to hype the crowd for what was to come. 

The atmosphere as Pearl Jam hit the stage was fanatical, almost to the point of being maniacal. With a fanbase that rode off every word and note that they performed, the band certainly reciprocated the love, indulging the crowd with a set that spanned over 2.5 hours. 

“I just want to get to know y’all,” said frontman Eddie Vedder. “We’ve been looking forward to this for a long, long time.”

Vedder has a magnetism about him that brings the audience in and keeps them there. It’s not a hard rock façade, but rather a gentler, kinder brand of music built around a love and respect for the craft. 

The show started strong with “Even Flow” being the second song in the setlist. From the outset, Vedder’s crystal-clear vocals powered through the arena, with an intensity and surety in his upper register. 

The band moved into “Given to Fly” which Vedder dedicated to a fan who passed before the show. Generosity and positivity were hallmarks of the show, with Vedder making numerous references to fans throughout the show. One of the most poignant and moving moments was when he acknowledged the grief, pain and loss of those who were suffering in the audience and paid tribute to Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles in Laos. It brought a sense of humanity to the night, which provided a counterbalance to the grit of the music. 

In terms of the music, the rest of the band was also sublime throughout the whole set. Lead guitarist Mike McCready was in fine form all night, with a superb guitar solo in “Daughter” (a song they performed because of a fan request) being one of the highlights of the night. McCready has an incredible talent in bringing out the lyricism of his instrument and making it sing and that was fully on show tonight. Matthew Cameron was also superb on drums as the nucleus for the rest of the band around him. 

Vedder revealed that he had a special connection with the ENGIE Stadium, which was hosting its first concert since its rebrand from the Sydney Showground. Vedder is the co-founder of the Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) Research Partnership and recounted that an Australian organisation also working to find a cure for EB teamed up with the GWS Giants for a momentous event on the stadium.  The emotional impact on Vedder was clear and was felt by everyone in the stadium. 

With that said and for the quality provided by the band, the stadium didn’t necessarily do them any favours. Unlike Accor Stadium and Allianz Stadium, where the dimensions of the stadiums mean that the seated audience is quite close, here the audience felt very distant which meant that the energy of the gigantic mosh pit didn’t quite transfer to the stands. Groups of fans were trying to conjure up the energy by encouraging everyone to their feet but it is a difficult stadium for concerts. 

For the encore, the band came back strong with an acoustic-style version of “Last Kiss” before moving into “Black”, which had the crowd in a frenzy. It is quite something to hear 45,000 people singing at the top of their lungs and as “Black” transformed into “Alive”, the feeling was euphoric as everyone brought up their lights and cameras to capture the moment. While the band didn’t play “Yellow Ledbetter” (instead choosing the slightly unusual “Indifference” to close out the night), their cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World” was the appropriate send-off that the crowd needed to end their night and to thank a band that clearly meant so much to so many in the audience. 

Overall, this was a great show, showcasing American rock music at its very best. The musicianship was of the highest quality throughout the gig and Vedder’s voice was absolutely incredible. Most importantly, the concert really emphasised positivity and humanity and that was reflected by a scan of any section of the audience, all of whom were having the best time. As they walked off the stage, the band promised that it would not be 10 years before they were back again and it was clear that everyone in the audience really wanted to believe them. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Pearl Jam – ENGIE Stadium – 21^st November 2024

All photo credits: Simone Gorman-Clark