Pearl Jam + Ben Harper and the Relentless7 + Liam Finn – Sydney Football Stadium (22.11.09)

I am not a fan of outdoor arena events. The concert itself is always something special, mind you, a notion of “epic” that you can’t quite match in any other setting – regardless of the performer. But when you combine some 35,000 people going to one event, alongside unpredictable weather (in this case, one of the hottest November days in recorded history), it’s just all a bit much at time.

With the 41 degree heat not going anywhere, even by the time the sun was well and truly setting, the venue could never had enough bottled water – and they of course ran out early in the evening. Thankfully, we were allowed to bring bottles of our own – so long as we chucked away the lid at the door. Quite frustrating when I had a 1.5 litre bottle, but anyway… it’s not about that. No, no – it’s about the MUSIC. And when I entered the stadium, Ben Harper was just about to take the stage. And when this happened, no heat in the world could have subdued yours truly in getting swept up in his amazing music.

Now Ben Harper is not a man to judge by his LPs – love them or hate them, it’s his live shows that has made him who he is today, and his performances with the Relentless7 are no exception. From raw, brutal power – to heartbreaking melodic beauty – Ben and his band gave the crowd everything they had, and then some.

The drummer, Jordan Richardson, was a revelation, amongst a band who never shied away from a good old jam session. And it was here when they shined. The set, which opened with the spellbinding “I Will Not Be Broken” off their LP, also included a superb cover of Queen’s “Under Pressure” (accompanied by a sunglass laden Eddie Vedder) as well as INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” – which caused several around me to tear up. My god Ben Harper is talented. The set closed with “Rock and Roll is Free (If you Want It)”.

As the sun continued to set, and the heat continued to surround us, an already exhausted crowd started getting pumped up for the main event – a glorious Mexican wave was started, which actually started from someone in the mosh! A rare occurrence, for sure. Then, classical music blared out from the speakers, the crowd screamed, the lights went off, and Eddie and co (aka PEARL JAM!) jumped straight into “Why Go”.

“Severed Hand” came in later in the set, and was dedicated to Nick Cave – one of the many showings of love for the music Australia has produced over the years. Despite being ill with the flu, and a generous offer of either $20 cheaper tickets next time around, or the power of lip synching (a stab at Britney, no doubt), he didn’t disappoint the overheated crowd. Not only performing with his usual vivacity, but showing his funny side as well – at one point proclaiming “I drank my own piss – my brother said it would flush it (the flu) right out … tasted just like Cascade Beer *pauses for crowd laughter and a few boos* … which is a good thing, it’s a good beer – I must have drunk too much the night before”. And on that note, the band jumped into “The Fixer”. On the note of humour, I have to note the drummer’s excellent shirt, proclaiming “Band Meeting”.

The initial set finished up after 65 minutes with the fantastic “Do the Evolution” –leaving everyone with a bit of a “whaa?” look on their face – but they all chanted for more! And more they received – right up until the venue turned the lights on the band during the second encore, which saw Eddie jumping around in the crowd for “Rockin’ In The Free World” (which was preceded by an amazing jam session). I have a feeling they still had another couple of tracks left, but clocking after in at just under 2 hours, the crowd of diehard fans wouldn’t have been disappointed in the slightest. It was a great way to end the night in any case – despite the lack of a few of their biggest tracks (“Alive” etc.).

It was indeed in the “Encores” in which the highlights of the set were found. Opening up the 2nd Encore, Eddie had a lot of very lovely things to say about Australia, and then invited Liam Finn on stage to perform a beautiful cover of “Throw Your Arms Around Me” by Hunters & Collectors. Earlier, Ben Harper returned the favour Eddie made to his set, and joined on stage for two songs – “Red Mosquito” and “Indifference”, in which he joined on guitar and vocals respectively. Two amazing performances.

It was indeed an epic evening, with a lot of talent on the stage – and despite the problems of having a gig at an outdoor venue with a 10pm curfew and 41 degree heat – it was a night that won’t be remembered for that, but rather for the music. Together, Eddie and Ben gave us all a wonderful music memory. The chair, a sweaty back. I recommend playing Pearl Jam to get that image out of your mind.

SETLIST

Why Go, Hail Hail, Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Severed Hand, Small Town, The Fixer, Given To Fly, Dissident, Even Flow, Untitled, MFC, Unthought Known, Down, Garden, Whipping, Mankind, Got Some, Do The Evolution

ENCORE 1: Happy Birthday (for Joanie Lee), Red Mosquito (with Ben Harper on Guitar), Indifference (Duet with Ben Harper on Vocals), State Of Love And Trust, Light Years, Last Exit, Porch

ENCORE 2: Throw Your Arms Around Me (with Liam Finn), Crazy Mary, Rockin’ In The Free World

Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.