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PEARL JAM
World Wide 2006 Tour
Australia: Nov. 7-25

Songlist, with no. of times played:
Alive (12)
Do The Evolution (12)
Even Flow (12)
Elderly Woman... (11)
Better Man (10)
Corduroy (10)
Given To Fly (10)
Severed Hand (10)
World Wide Suicide (10)
Daughter (8 )
Life Wasted (8 )
Rockin' In The Free World (8 )
Rearviewmirror (7)
Wasted Reprise (7)
Yellow Ledbetter (7)
Animal (6)
Black (6)
Comatose (6)
Jeremy (6)
Why Go (6)
Blood (5)
Go (5)
Last Exit (5)
Marker In The Sand (5)
State Of Love And Trust (5)
Gone (4)
Hail, Hail (4)
Insignificance (4)
Last Kiss (4)
Lukin (4)
Not For You (4)
Porch (4)
Army Reserve (3)
Baba O´Riley (3)
Big Wave (3)
Crazy Mary (3)
Dissident (3)
Inside Job (3)
Man of the Hour (3)
Present Tense (3)
Sad (3)
Save You (3)
Unemployable (3)
Whipping (3)
Brain Of J. (2)
Come Back (2)
Down (2)
Grievance (2)
I Am Mine (2)
I Got You (2)
Indifference (2)
Kick Out the Jams (2)
Leatherman (2)
Love Boat Captain (2)
Low Light (2)
MFC (2)
Off He Goes (2)
Once (2)
Spin The Black Circle (2)
Throw Your Hatred Down (2)
Thumbing My Way (2)
Wishlist (2)
½ Full (1)
Alone (1)
Crown Of Thorns (1)
Dead Man (1)
Don´t Gimme No Lip (1)
Faithful (1)
Footsteps (1)
Fuckin' Up (1)
Glorified G (1)
Gods' Dice (1)
Green Disease (1)
I Believe In Miracles (1)
I Got Shit (1)
Immortality (1)
In Hiding (1)
Interstellar Overdrive (1)
Leash (1)
Long Road (1)
Masters Of War (1)
No Woman, No Cry (1)
Nothing As It Seems (1)
Nothingman (1)
Parachutes (1)
Red Mosquito (1)
Release (1)
Satan's Bed (1)
Smile (1)
Soon Forget (1)
Thin Air (1)
Throw Your Arms Around Me (1)
U (1)
Undone (1)
You Are (1)
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (1)
Discuss this story in our forums.
Kerensa Wight/PearlJam.com
Jeff Ament concentrates on the bass, with drummer
Matt Cameron in the background.
By NICK TAVARES
STATIC and FEEDBACK Editor

With 2006 coming towards a close, one band recently burned through a scorching
set of shows in the land down under.

As Pearl Jam worked through their World Wide 2006 tour, fans were treated to
new songs, new setlists, and one of the best runs for the band in recent memory.

With stops in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Adelaide and Perth, the
rock-hungry nation greeted the band's longest stay in the country with open arms.
Pearl Jam had previously toured Australia in 1995, 1998 and 2003, with the 2006
tour marking the first time the band traveled to Europe and Australia in the same
year. The band rewarded the fans' fervent response by revamping setlists, playing
some rare tunes for the first time in years, and keeping things fresh for their
Aussie faithful.

"This was much better than 2003 in terms of strength of performance, especially
Ed's vocals," said James Fitzpatrick, 20, who saw the band in Sydney, Melbourne
and Newcastle. "I was a PJ virgin in 2003, and seeing them live is actually what
sparked the real obsession. Obviously, knowing the band better helps, but these
were definitely better shows."

Melbourne's first show, the fifth night of the tour, gave fans an especially
memorable moment, when on a whim the band launched into "Little Wing" during
"Yellow Ledbetter," classically a closing number for the band.

"It basically summed up why I love and respect Pearl Jam," Fitzpatrick said.
"Halfway through 'Ledbetter,' with Ed changing the lyrics to tell the security guard to
lay off a guy smoking, shows his creativity and care for the fans (even though I
think the guy was still a knob for smoking with others around). The houselights
are up, most likely because it's the 'final' song, and the bands grooving along
when we get Mike treating us to 'Little Wing.' I've always loved Hendrix, and
especially that song — I learnt it note for note (as best as I could) on guitar in high
school, played it for my HSC (final high school exams), and to hear it done by my
favourite guitarist was incredible. I'm a big fan of bands that do covers well and
with respect, which is one of the reasons PJ impresses me."

The band repeated the trick in Newcastle six nights later.

"Closing with 'Little Wing' in Newcastle, my final show, was extremely fitting and
left a sweet taste in my mouth," said Kel Cooke, 23, who caught shows in Sydney,
Melbourne, Brisbane and Newcastle. "It was a song that I wanted to hear at every
show that I went to, and despite getting to hear it in Melbourne, this version in
Newcastle was absolutely mind-blowing. Mike nailed the guitar, the tone, the solo,
the emotion. Ed sang the lyrics with such passion and perfection, and Matt, Jeff
and Stone were faultless in their support. I still get goose bumps listening to the
bootleg or even just thinking about it."

"The single defining moment of the tour was Mike McCready in the Newcastle
Entertainment Centre," said Catelyn Smith, 23. "Everyone else had put down their
gear and he ripped into 'Little Wing,' like he was saying 'Hey, this party ain't over
yet.' God, that was awesome. He pointed at us as if to say, 'This is for you.'"

The Newcastle show, added after the 11 initial Australian dates, was the result of
a petition started by three fans. 2,200 verified signatures later, and Pearl Jam had
tacked on a show for Nov. 19 at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre. The event
was a coup de gras for the fans' grass-roots efforts, and the band responded with
the most talked-about show of the tour.

"Newcastle was probably my favourite due to the surprise setlist and the songs
that were selected," Cooke said. "There was a great mix of rarities, classics and
sing-alongs to maintain the interest of the casual listener, but more importantly,
the high level of band energy and their respect for the crowd made it that bit more
special. They seemed so grateful and humble to have been playing a show
created by the fans through a petition, so full credit to those responsible for
making the Newcastle show come about."

"I loved the setlists. There was a great mix of old and new songs,” said Smith,
who had seen the band 10 times before catching shows 11-16 on this tour.
“Honestly, I have no complaints at all with the songs played. I loved everything I
heard."

"I was fortunate to have the Sydney 2 show act as a family reunion as such,"
Cooke said. "My mother, three sisters and a cousin attended the show with me.
Prior to the show, they had mixed responses to Pearl Jam, but it made my night
when my two most reluctant sisters purchased Pearl Jam shirts to suprise me ...
and that it did!

"To their credit, they all went to the show with an open mind and all left with a huge
respect for the band and their music, applauding their ability to perform so well
live and to sound so great. I was even more excited when Mum chose to come to
the Sydney 3 concert as well. Who would have thought?"

The final stop in Perth saw the band dust off the Yield rocker "In Hiding," the
b-side "U" and the Hunters & Collectors gem "Throw Your Arms Around Me,"
which was also played at the band's last Australian gig in Perth in 2003.

And while they’ve showed no signs of slowing down, the fact that Pearl Jam is
now in their 16th year as a band, with all the members entering their 40s, show
that they, possibly, could be reaching the end of an era.

But, not surprisingly, fans don’t seem to be too concerned.

"If they are still enjoying it i see no reason why they can't keep going indefinitely,”
Fitzpatrick said. “They have a dignity about them unlike the Rolling Stones, so if
they chose to go until they are 70, they could do it; even toning it down to acoustic
shows."

"I'd like to see them tour again,” Smith said. “The energy they had this tour was
amazing. And most importantly, they were still having fun. I'd hate to put a date on
it; I'd never want to see them stop. But in reality, they will one day."

“I can't see them stopping anytime soon, as they genuinely seem to be as
comfortable now as ever,” Cooke said. “They seem to be getting genuine
satisfaction out of their records and their live shows. They seem appreciative of,
and humbled by, the crowds at their shows.

“They will continue to play until it is no longer enjoyable or rewarding. Having seen
them recently, I can't see this being any time soon. They’re still very relevant, as is
represented by the sold out shows worldwide, and their continuing activism efforts
are nothing short of amazing."
E-mail Nick Tavares at nick@staticandfeedback.com
Pearl Jam and their fans rally in Australia