Two cracked ribs from Wembly.

AmesDownstroke · June 2007

Great show, but I really hated the crowd at the front. I was there untill about Save You, and I forget at which point but one of the times Mike threw a handful of picks into the crowd there was a huge surge over to the left hand side. At this point there was a little breathing room between me and a large-ish chap standing next to me, I was thrown into him really hard and he had his elbow up and the time getting something out of his pocket and it got me right in the chest.

I wasn't in a lot of pain, but I couldn't stand the front anymore. I'm sorry but Pearl Jam fans really can be some of the most annoying crowd members - I've been to gigs like Slayer, Lamb of God, Mastodon and other really heavy bands and the front was not as intense as last night.

I'm not going to rant about annoying behaviour from individuals, because maybe that was their way to enjoy the show, but all I can say beg is please don't be overly-worried with catching one of Mike's (or any other band members) picks - not only did the surge ruin my show but it detracted from the music completely.

I was also talking to a kid who was about 17 who said he had almost collapsed being at the front because he had only had beer to drink since the morning and was severly dehydrated.

I can be sure that the next gigs I attend will be seated, It's just really not fucking enjoyable being squeezed in next to menapausal women who are just screaming 'EDDIE!! EDDIE!!' and countless European fans (this isn't a racially-based statement, just an obeservation) desperately trying to squeeze their way to the front.

harmless_little_f*** · June 2007

Sorry to hear you had a bad time, really. I agree, Pearl Jam fans can be just freakishly gung ho.

There was a guy behind me (seated) chanting 'Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!' on his own for about fifteen minutes before the gig started. I was trying to chat to my Dad so it pissed me off. Plus the fact that a fully grown man chanting 'Eddie' several times as loud as he can, by himself, is fine the first couple of times, but after the fifteenth time it gets to sound a bit gay. At least wait till there's some noise around you. I dunno, just my opinion.

Sorry if you're 'that guy' and you're reading this

scarlett06 · June 2007

ouch.

i guess that's the price you pay when you're in the pit.

on the flipside, the stalls were just dull. while some bloke chanting 'eddie' repeatedly might be annoying, i'd take than anyday over the dull bastards who were sitting around me. they showed about a much emotion as a bunch of corpses.

AmesDownstroke · June 2007

scarlett06 wrote:

ouch.

i guess that's the price you pay when you're in the pit.

on the flipside, the stalls were just dull. while some bloke chanting 'eddie' repeatedly might be annoying, i'd take than anyday over the dull bastards who were sitting around me. they showed about a much emotion as a bunch of corpses.

Well fair point, but the floor was just as dull during Idlewild, I mean the guys put on a good show IMO, and I didn't see one person move during their set.

Riot_Rain · June 2007

That dude was weird.

Sorry to hear about the cricked ribs, AmesDownstroke! I was lucky, where I was standing (to the right of the middle) it wasn't pushy at all. Sounds like they were going pick crazy your end. I donn't think a single pick was thrown on the right! (Unless it happened when I blinked of course

)

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

Sorry to hear you had a bad time, really. I agree, Pearl Jam fans can be just freakishly gung ho.

There was a guy behind me (seated) chanting 'Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!' on his own for about fifteen minutes before the gig started. I was trying to chat to my Dad so it pissed me off. Plus the fact that a fully grown man chanting 'Eddie' several times as loud as he can, by himself, is fine the first couple of times, but after the fifteenth time it gets to sound a bit gay. At least wait till there's some noise around you. I dunno, just my opinion.

Sorry if you're 'that guy' and you're reading this

AmesDownstroke · June 2007

Riot_Rain wrote:

That dude was weird.

Sorry to hear about the cricked ribs, AmesDownstroke! I was lucky, where I was standing (to the right of the middle) it wasn't pushy at all. Sounds like they were going pick crazy your end. I donn't think a single pick was thrown on the right! (Unless it happened when I blinked of course )

I wished I was in the middle, but I had absolutly no control of where I could go. I didn't even want to be that close but by the time Severed Hand came on I was just pushed about 3 people back from Mike.

Byrnzie · June 2007

Ya buys the ticket yas takes the ride.

The pit is the pit is the pit.

nuff said!

AmesDownstroke · June 2007

Thanks for the helpful comments Byrnzie, but I bought standing tickets, not 'I-have-to-be-as-close-to-the-front-as-possible' tickets. My point was that I was pushed into a situation that I didn't want to be in and I was illustrating how reckless and annoying the crowd was at times.

vedder_soup · June 2007

the crowd was fine for long road, then as severed hand started, it then pushed, and i was squashed for the rest of the show, came out absolutely soaking in sweat

scarlett06 · June 2007

i guess nobody's really keen on the opening guest act though that's the thing, everyone is so excited about pearl jam that everything before it just seems like filler, and isn't interesting. i did think idlewild were ok though, felt a bit sorry for them, seeing as about a million people obviously chose to stay outside and drink beer rather than come in to watch them.

i'm also starting to feel less bitter about my stalls experience, seeing how much people have suffered in the pit. and i'm 5'3 and quite slender, i would have got shmushed bit time, i know that. still, the grass is always greener on the other side...

Byrnzie · June 2007

AmesDownstroke wrote:

Thanks for the helpful comments Byrnzie, but I bought standing tickets, not 'I-have-to-be-as-close-to-the-front-as-possible' tickets. My point was that I was pushed into a situation that I didn't want to be in and I was illustrating how reckless and annoying the crowd was at times.

Ah, o.k, well, you neglected to mention that before. So you say you were pushed into the front? How far back was the ten club barrier??

evervedder · June 2007

...nothing left to subtract!"

I was in N9 and Isure as hell didn't make it dull, I screamed my lungs out to ever song (at least nearly all as my lyrics are rusty)...

Got a bit of a creak in my neck but loaned some binoculars so even though I was the strangest looking fan I got to see some of eddies more amusing expressions, leaps, and of course his balancing act on some speakers to the left of the stage... so well worth looking stupid for (i.e. no bruised ribs!)... and the fans around me appreciated borrowing them to get a closer look!

A great gig, was sad to see the end and now wish I had got tickets for Europe! :-(

It's been years since I went to a gig like that... forgot how great it was, thanks to Eddie and the gangs great performance last night I really do feel 'Alive' again.... rock on lads (they've still got it over the fresh blood!)

Evervedder.

duggro · June 2007

i was at the front about 3 or 4 folk back and it was not mental at all!! some guy tried to start a pit and everyone just looked at him like "wtf are you doing?"

i was bouncing merrilly around and everyone had plenty room

GARDENer · June 2007

scarlett06 wrote:

i guess that's the price you pay when you're in the pit

i love it. the energy is amazing.

you are so helpless, yet feel so ALIVE.

i wish every show in the u.s was general admission.

being that im 6'3" and 255 lbs. i guess im almost fearless of being sucked under. i can see how it would be intimating to someone smaller.

keeponrockin · June 2007

I'm about 5'10, but I would KILL for just one GA Pearl Jam show.

Glorified Irish Guy · June 2007

At dublin last yeas the pit wasnt all 10c members and i was right at the front with so much room to move, At wembley it was crazy at times, Almost compared to a metallica show at times, Pearl jam fans are crazy and a lot of them are big guys who hurt! Still fun though, just need more water, dehydration sucks

zenith · June 2007

AmesDownstroke wrote:

I can be sure that the next gigs I attend will be seated, It's just really not fucking enjoyable being squeezed in next to menapausal women who are just screaming 'EDDIE!! EDDIE!!'

hehe

pearl jam obviously have a different fan base over in the UK.

Lizard · June 2007

AmesDownstroke wrote:

I wished I was in the middle, but I had absolutly no control of where I could go. I didn't even want to be that close but by the time Severed Hand came on I was just pushed about 3 people back from Mike.

are you a guy or a girl? not that it matters but I was just curious.

Pegasus · June 2007

it was very hot at Wembley but it was mild..I´d expected FAR more crushing.
not sure how you managed to crack ribs (hope tey´re really just sore rather than really cracked)

ask anyone who was at Katowice last week (!) or most Italian shows or Reading last year and they´ll laugh at you for saying Wembley was rough.

yes PJ shows are rough in comparaison to many, but for a PJ show, Wembley was quite comfy, we even had a padded barrier and excellent security and most of the people around (some exceptions including one behind me) were polite and attentionate (its still a GA show, you WILL get bumped around)

vital5 · June 2007

scarlett06 wrote:

i guess that's the price you pay when you're in the pit.

I don't get cracked ribs typing on this board... wtf?! :eek:

Housing Jim · June 2007

AmesDownstroke wrote:

Well fair point, but the floor was just as dull during Idlewild, I mean the guys put on a good show IMO, and I didn't see one person move during their set.

HEY! I sung along to every single word of Idlewild!

I made a similar error in judgment last year in Dublin at just how rough the crowd was going to be and my girl ended up coming out quite hurt. We didn't make the same mistake at Wembley and enjoyed it immensely

Two cracked ribs from Wembly.

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