“The first time we ever played in this country was back in 1992, so I think it’s safe to say that we’re all friends at this point,” Eddie Vedder jokes to the audience during Pearl Jam’s huge headline set. It has been over three decades, but based on the sea of fans in front of them – practically all of which sporting merch – Madrid still hasn’t had its fill of the rock icons.
This far down the line, you would be forgiven for presuming you’ve seen this all before. As the set progresses though, it soon becomes clear that tonight is something special – even the frontman himself can’t help but point out how there’s an atmosphere unlike any of their past appearances, and confirm that this isn’t a night he’ll be forgetting anytime soon.
Yes, part of this comes from the immense energy that Pearl Jam cram into their set, which is then returned tenfold by the fans in front of them, yet there is also a feeling that the aura is related to the recent health scares faced by the line-up. Having cancelled recent gigs in London and Berlin due to what the members described as a “near-death experience”, a newfound sense of gratitude underpins the entirety of tonight’s set.
Classic tracks including ‘Why Go’, ‘Black’ and ‘Yellow Ledbetter’ unsurprisingly go down a storm, with Mike McCready commanding the stage by delivering the solos with the guitar behind his head, while Jeff Ament’s bass riffs are felt throughout the site. That being said, tracks from their latest album ‘Dark Matter’ are strong contenders when it comes to stealing the spotlight, with the vigour of both the title track and ‘Scared Of Fear’ giving the setlist a new lease of life. Even the more subdued ‘Wreckage’ comes as a standout moment during the 21-song setlist – with the lyrics of perseverance during times of uncertainty becoming more powerful in light of the band’s recent battles.
Regardless of whether you’ve been along for the ride for 30 years or 30 minutes, there is no mistaking the meaning in this performance. Vedder can’t help but break into laughter as he pulls out his numerous pages of A4 notes and painstakingly tries to express his gratitude to the crowd in Spanish; a feat which is made all the more difficult as he admits he can’t decipher his own handwriting.
There is no doubt that the band aren’t new to these huge headline shows, and the structure is clearly one that has been refined throughout their years on the road. However, with this performance, Pearl Jam prove that this is far from a copy-and-paste set, and the sentiments about their deep connection to Spanish fans are by no means hollow words.
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