âThe first time we ever played in this country was back in 1992, so I think itâs safe to say that weâre all friends at this point,â Eddie Vedder jokes to the audience during Pearl Jamâs huge headline set. It has been over three decades, but based on the sea of fans in front of them â practically all of which sporting merch â Madrid still hasnât had its fill of the rock icons.
This far down the line, you would be forgiven for presuming youâve seen this all before. As the set progresses though, it soon becomes clear that tonight is something special â even the frontman himself canât help but point out how thereâs an atmosphere unlike any of their past appearances, and confirm that this isnât a night heâll 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 ânear-death experienceâ, a newfound sense of gratitude underpins the entirety of tonightâs set.
Classic tracks including âWhy Goâ, âBlackâ and âYellow Ledbetterâ unsurprisingly go down a storm, with Mike McCready commanding the stage by delivering the solos with the guitar behind his head, while Jeff Amentâs bass riffs are felt throughout the site. That being said, tracks from their latest album âDark Matterâ are strong contenders when it comes to stealing the spotlight, with the vigour of both the title track and âScared Of Fearâ giving the setlist a new lease of life. Even the more subdued âWreckageâ comes as a standout moment during the 21-song setlist â with the lyrics of perseverance during times of uncertainty becoming more powerful in light of the bandâs 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 canât 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 canât decipher his own handwriting.
There is no doubt that the band arenât 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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