As Pearl Jam slip past the O2's 'strict' curfew, Eddie Vedder enjoys a smoke onstage. "I'd rather piss off three guys in the back with air conditioning than you guys!" he tells an adoring crowd. The last of the grunge heavyweights, these days Pearl Jam sing to their own tune.
The first date of their European tour is a career-spanning affair – only the mid-period Binaural and Riot Act are unrepresented. They play the hits ('Once' is deployed two songs deep, 'Alive' is now an encore staple) and the audience respond in kind, roaring every syllable back at the stage. No one comes close to drowning out Vedder. His deep howl, twisting words beyond recognition, remains the band's trump card.
The others are no slouches either. Mike McCready shows his quality on high-water mark 'Even Flow', and, by the close, is literally writhing on the floor. Matt Cameron is a fantastic drummer, though Vedder's claim that he is one of the world's greatest betrays a certain bias. The set includes a tribute to the late Joe Strummer and a feverish run through MC5's 'Kick Out The Jams'. There's also a brand new song, 'Of The Earth', which slides seamlessly in amongst its more distinguished siblings. Even the newer, new wave-indebted material takes on the hard and heavy crunch of old. Respite eventually comes from the wistful, acoustic 'Just Breathe' -– a refreshingly delicate touch that is somewhat lacking elsewhere.
Freed from their grunge moorings, these songs now sound like classic rock. Pearl Jam are a band reborn, playing with renewed vigour, jumping around like men half their age. "If we've had a better response in Dublin in the past, I can't remember it," observes Vedder. On tonight's showing, they deserve it.