I’m not sure what my initial reaction was when ‘Ten’ came out all them years ago, mainly because I was only three years old and I was preoccupied with the simpler things in life, like what was my favourite flavour of Crayola crayon. So here I am regardless, twenty years after the release of Pearl Jam’s breakthrough debut ‘Ten’ with Pearl Jem playing the album in it’s entirety. Now the Spirit Store is not your typical rock venue, for one the majority of the patrons tonight are sitting down and lit by candlelight. The band are fully aware of this fact noting that for their recently completed UK dates they had crash barriers at the front of the stage. They wouldn’t be needed tonight.
Leading us in tonight with Ten’s brooding ‘Master/Slave’ instrumental intro played over the PA the band get right down to it with ‘Once’, following it straight up with ‘Even Flow’, ‘Alive’ and ‘Why Go’. What should be the highlight of the show is in fact it’s weakest part. Save for singer Nigel Connell the band come across as bored and just going through the motions when a true live rendition of these songs need to be played with intensity and passion. It’s when Pearl Jem slow the pace down with the more intimate likes of Black, Garden and Release that they really shine. The on-stage energy that’s needed to propel the rockier numbers isn’t as necessary for the slower ones and it gives the players a real chance to shine as musicians.
So after Pearl Jem finish a somewhat questionable rendition of Ten in under 50 minutes we realise that they have the stage for at least another hour, and this is where the fun really starts and we see why these guys are labelled “Europe’s No. 1 Pearl Jam Tribute”. Almost as if the eleven songs from Ten are put on a pedestal with the band being contracted to be in serious mode for.
Once the formalities of playing Ten are completed the band completely loosen up, show us why they’re labelled “Europe’s No. 1 Pearl Jam Tribute” and turn tonight into a proper Pearl Jam gig by playing a great selection of material both new and old. The second half highlights include a beautiful crowd sing along to ‘Betterman’, all guns blazing renditions of ‘Animal’ and ‘Corduroy’ that show exactly what the first four songs could have been and also a very delicate ‘Immortality’.
All in all it was a somewhat grand undertaking to play homage to such a substantial record that unfortunately tonight didn’t pay off however with the second half Pearl Jem truly captured the essence of a Pearl Jam gig with their broad set list, crowd singalongs and on tap energy for the heavier songs.
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Set List
Once
Even Flow
Alive
Why Go
Black
Jeremy
Oceans
Porch
Garden
Deep
Release
State of Love and Trust
Immortality
Daughter
Corduroy
Uknown Thought
Nothingman
Elderly Woman
Betterman
Given to Fly
Animal
Just Breath
Dissident
Wishlist
Rearview Mirror
Yellow Ledbetter