Pearl Jam

Reading Festival 2006

Friday 25th to Sunday 27th August 2006
Little Johns Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ, England MAP
£135 for weekend (including camping), £60 any day

Daily capacity: 55,000

Once upon a time I could control myself! But not at the moment, my heroes of yesteryear are about to take to the stage and for the first time ever IÂm here to finally see them. The energy in the air is palpable as Eddie Wedder and the boys appear, looking far older than they did when I would listen to Ten every night.

After the infamous Roskilde disaster where they swore theyÂd never play a festival again the band are understandably jittery. Eddie making an appeal at the start for us all to look after each other and of course thereÂs this lunkinÂ great second barrier right in front of us to stop any crushes.

Then oh my god they start to play and we are treated to track after track. From Interstellar Overdrive, Corduroy, Do The Evolution and then Animal. An early one from Vs! Everyone around me is just singing along or hugging a loved one or just stock still uttering, "IÂm actually seeing Pearl Jam! IÂm actually here and itÂs Pearl Jam."

The smell of thick black smoke from the prats behind us burning their inflatable furniture moves us from our reverie and we move deeper into the throng to escape the acrid smoke.

World Wide Suicide and Severed Hand follow from their new album and having spoken to a friend at who saw them at Leeds who said they were a bit self-indulgent,d IÂm wondering if theyÂll play anything from Ten. More from Vs with Dissident and then the moment of the festival Even Flow! IÂd thought IÂd never hear this live sung by Wedder after Roskilde and yet here it was! What a moment the crowd singing as one, well the older ones anyway who are gathered in large numbers.

After the glorious Sad and I Am Mine IÂm hoping for more old tracks and cheer like a ten year old as the first notes of Jeremy spill from the stage! After that they could play feedback and IÂd be happy but instead thereÂs more pearls from them. Grievance, (new track) Wasted Reprise, Better Man, Save You, Blood and Rearview Mirror all are aired and the band have lost none of their majesty.

They leave the stage and we call for more and after a while they come back out and deliver Soon Forget and Given To Fly. IÂm expecting that to be pretty much it but then they treat us again to Once and itÂs fantastic, truly it is.

But if I thought that was good then they play a cover of Mother Love BoneÂs Crown Of Thorns and EddieÂs voice seems much more suited to it tonight. New song Comatose has the old boys showing us how to do a punked up song. Then as if things couldnÂt get better we get to hear Alive live.

IÂm thinking thatÂs it but Eddie comes back out clearly moved by the evening and the huge crowd who have joined them tonight. Why Go, Baba O'Riley and Yellow Ledbetter round off a wonderful evening. Eddie says heÂs sorry he left it so long since they last played here and that they had no idea they had such a huge fanbase here in the UK. HeÂs clearly moved and so are we, fantastic!

The quintet were on scorching form and itÂs been one of the highlights of my life. How can Reading ever top this performance? For me I donÂt think they can, itÂs been one of the most magical performances IÂve witnessed and I doubt any band today could achieve the same. They were incredible and itÂs a night all Pearl Jam fans will never forget Â vintage indeed!

review by: Scott Williams