Pearl Jam get the crowd's arms aloft on Hard Rock Calling's opening day
Hard Rock Calling 2010 review
Monday 5th July 2010
With the later 4pm start time, Friday's acts at Hard Rock Calling 2010 seemed to enjoy a pre-enthused crowd, and none benefited more than opener Robert Francis. A young, relative unknown who's ripped shirt, apparently favourite red trousers and unshaved appearance betrayed (not to mention his jealousy instilling youth) his startling ability to take the whole event in his stride. He's a cracking guitar player and for a crowd eagerly awaiting The Gaslight Anthem, guitars and volume get the weekend off to an agreeable start.
It then falls to the latter to pick up where Francis left off, and with a new album out, it's predictable that The Gaslight Anthem kick off with the eponymous track 'American Slang'. Yep, sounds like them, but it's 'The '59 Sound' that begins to garner the cheers. Anyone in attendance last year can forget another appearance from the Boss, and to prove they can go it alone, Gaslight weave in and out of recent recordings, from either American Slang or The '59 Sound. They put in a solid performance, and the sound is spot on, however, it's very much a 'by the way the album's out now' show.
Next up come The Hives, recently promoted to a main stage slot and the 10ft high letters announcing their presence are dwarfed by the incomparably gargantuan character that is frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist. Sporting matching sailors outfits (boy scouts maybe? You tell me), The Hives attempt to come good on their promise of a "forty minute orgasm". Perhaps the clearest indication that concentration is as much on Almqvist as the music is the detail that there is a man whos sole purpose is to untangle the perpetual motion machine that is Almqvist's microphone lead from pretty much any object on the stage. Nothing is safe, television cameras, security guards and guitarists are in the line of fire, but he's an old hand, and the show carries on smoothly and chaotically at once. 'Hate to Say I Told You So' is just what the crowd, now on the medium side of rare, need to wake up from the unrelenting sunshine.
With a quick trip through the water spray for me it's time for Ben Harper & Relentless7 to get going, starting up with a rousing rendition of 'Better Way', which translates brilliantly into a sprawling arena filler. Bass and bongos go down well with the sinking sun and then the real treat begins. It appears there is an extra microphone stand and for those aware of previous efforts, it's almost unsurprising when Eddie Vedder makes his entrance. People immediately go bananas, everywhere. It's not one of Harper's though, nor Eddie's. The pair give 'Under Pressure' their absolute all, to riotous approval. Relentless 7 offer a great accompaniment to Harper's fantastic musicianship and for just a second it is easy to forget the urban surroundings of Hard Rock Calling.
With a half hour gap before Pearl Jam it was time for some food. Yes it's expensive, but it's London, and it's a festival (sort of); the unrelenting flurry of company logos and slogans (the ludicrously garish Jaegermeister van being of particular note) inform you of the commercial nature of the event from the off. That's life however, and I required sustenance. Upon collecting my second mortgage inducing burger I turn around to a sea of bodies. People have appeared from no where to see the headliners, and seeing the proliferation of Pearl Jam tour t-shirts (one or two Mother Love Bone shirts too), it's clear who most people are here to see.
It's of particular note that Hyde Park is rather flat, so many people in attendance do not actually see the band, but when the vast majority of the audience join in with Vedder for 'Given to Fly', the experience extends beyond the boundaries of the enormous main stage. People are dancing from the furthest reaches to the closest barrier and 'Corduroy' and 'Even Flow' et al are sure fire hits, so new song 'Of the Earth' seems slightly out of place; no one singing here. The stop start nature of the song has some a little unsure how to react, but cheers and whoops thunder out regardless before the band launch into 'State of Love and Trust', deservedly placed onto the remastered Ten, which has people back up to speed. 'Better Man', sung predominantly by the attendees to begin, brings people floating back to Earth.
Despite the well natured atmosphere, Vedder speaks several times about the need to look out for each other. The horrors of Roskilde, have clearly taken their toll on him, and at one point he mentions the terrible event which occurred ten years ago. At one point he successfully orchestrates the entire crowd to take three steps back, a request that is obligingly met; everyone understands. The band depart, but with an encore guaranteed, no one moves.
Ben Harper returns the earlier gesture by featuring on 'Red Mosquito' which is followed by 'Black', sung by almost every person in the arena, and so the addition of 'Porch' is a deft touch to bring those most affected by those last few lines back from the brink of their despair. No such slowdown for encore two with career spanning tracks: 'Go', 'The Fixer', 'Alive' and 'Yellow Ledbetter' surging through the masses. The crowd waits for more, but that’s it, "The Queen's had a long day" announces Vedder, and with that, Friday is over.
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