*** Antwerp Fanviews Here 30/8 ***

KRC wrote:

What an amazing show!! And thank for playing Crazy Mary.
Next year....Werchter??

see you, Carlo

Werchter? Nah ... It's never gonna work ... or maybe as they say : third time ...?

Yesterday was AMAZING ... and worth the constant zooooom I hear ...

THANK YOU PJ!!!

pearlwax wrote:

Well, looking at your sig it seems like it is

well I better run from this thread before I get in trouble for not being there... like it's not bad enough that I wasn't there :(

But I'm delighted ya finally got to see them and that ya got a special one

Congrats!

Angus wrote:

So those crazy Scots are on this board? The guys who were on Mike's side, chanting before the concert, chanting "show me your tits" during Wolfmother, the guy in the Scotland jersey, ... Haha, I was with the Irish guys that gave you a nice finger when you sang something against them, but then I managed to move all the way to the middle during the first few songs where Ed noticed me.

Hey good to hear from you - we'll be in barcelona tomorrow night doing the same - the crowd was excellent last night - i don't think they needed our "riling" before hand.

it was good to see that there wasn't "Only one flag in Belgium!!!"

ScotInAmsterdam wrote:

Hey good to hear from you - we'll be in barcelona tomorrow night doing the same - the crowd was excellent last night - i don't think they needed our "riling" before hand.

it was good to see that there wasn't "Only one flag in Belgium!!!"

You guys are going to the France, Italy or Berlin shows as well? Maybe then I'll dare to talk to you.
I'll have my Belgian flag with me in those countries.

I got tickets for the concert in Antwerp through Ten Club. When standing in line at the side of the building during the late afternoon, we could here the band do the soundcheck. I heard Eddie's voice quite clear and it took me a few seconds to notice that they were playing "God's Dice" (which didn't make it in the end). The fact that they played Hunger Strike didn't surprise me, as I heard them rehearsing it too (already with Andy, but at that time I didn't have a clue who the other singer was). The last song I heard them playing was "Baba O'Riley".

So far the waiting outside. But I had already heard Pearl Jam in Belgium, so it could only get better...

When entering the building, all 10C members went straight to the middle-front of the place, right in front of the stage. As there was plenty of room, I went to the right side, and saw a sound-engineer (?) talking to someone else I could only see on the back. That someone had long brown hair and was wearing a 90's flannel shirt... it took me a some moments of doubt to realize Eddie Vedder was standing 10 metres away from me, and no one else but me and my brother noticed!! I wanted to shout his name (teenage behavior was popping up ), but then he walked backstage, without looking our way.

During Wolfmother's performance, Mike McCready was watching for a while at the left side, next to the stage, before waving and giving us the peace-sign while going backstage again.

Wolfmother was really energetic, with their keyboard-transporting guy and their "Chris Cornell meets Axl Rose"-voiced singer.

Nevertheless, Belgium was awaiting Pearl Jam for too long to stay really interested.
I'm not going to start running through the whole set-list, because I seem to have forgotten about everything (excitement? too tired now? or just amnesia??), but I do remember this:

- amazing feeling to see those American icons walking on the stage! It really looks like on all those DVD's!
- unbelievable feeling to hear Ed's voice live (it is sharper than I expected though)
- kick-ass setlist. absolutely
- Mike McCready is one hell of a show-guy, but he pulls it off! The solo's during Even Flow (behind the head, with his fingers towards the crowd so we can see how good he is!!), and Crazy Mary (leaning over the keyboard of Boom while they both are going nuts, and laughing
- Mike throwing all the picks in the crowd, and putting anything that was thrown on the stage by the crowd aside
- Jeff, jumping around, smiling all the time, and nodding pleasantly surprised after the Hungerstrike performance of the Wolfmother frontman
- Stone, dancing (!), laughing, and shaking his head while shouting during Mike and Boom's solo of Crazy Mary
- Matt's drum solo during Even Flow, and his amazing powerful play! He was really appreciating the crowd by standing up and clapping his hands in between some songs
- Boom wasn't present during all show, but he really gave it all during Crazy Mary!!
- Eddie appologizing for being late in Belgium, proposing to play 6hours, being astonished and speachless (only smiling came out) by the crowd during 'our' version of Black, being very appreciative towards the crowd
- Eddie, before Yellow Ledbetter: "This is the way of saying goodbye in America. Well, in fact, we don't say goodbye as Americans, we just occupy countries"
- Eddie saying at the end of the show: "We kind of like Belgium a lot, right now"
- Eddie saying: "See you next year" (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
- me, singing along every single song, and sometimes thinking of the times I used to be in the car with a bootleg, envying the people being there at that time. Now, I'll be having MINE!
- me, not knowing where to look first (PEARL JAM IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!)
- me, being no more a Pearl Jam-virgin!!!

Singalongs on A LOT of songs. Maybe, it was only the front part of the crowd, because I was standing in about the 15th row, so I don't know about the rest.

Best sing a long moments: Black (the end just didn't have an end; the crowd kept going for at least 1 or 2 minutes after the band stopped), first verse and chorus of Betterman (only crowd, no Ed), Alive, Jeremy (Ed: "I want you to help me out here"), even a part of Indifference (!).

I don't recall very well, cause I sang along with ALL songs

How loud? VERY loud! Get the boot, and listen to Black. You'll know what I mean.

And for those who are interested: Ed fucked up the lyrics of Soon Forget
He also went for a smoke whenever he had the chance

Did anyone notice Stone leaning against the amplifiers during Matt's solo in Even Flow? It looked like he really didn't feel so good

Well this was a birthday I will never forget
When they began playing I couldn't believe I was actually looking at Pearl Jam
I had tears in my eyes.. I loved the playlist, apperently the crowd did too, the sing-a-long moments were great.

Really hope to see them again next year

Angus wrote:

So those crazy Scots are on this board? The guys who were on Mike's side, chanting before the concert, chanting "show me your tits" during Wolfmother, the guy in the Scotland jersey, ... Haha, I was with the Irish guys that gave you a nice finger when you sang something against them, but then I managed to move all the way to the middle during the first few songs where Ed noticed me.

I was that Irish guy!

Jaymac wrote:

I was that Irish guy!

Naaah, sorry, I "misformulated" my post. I was with some guys from Northern-Ireland (from RM as well) who showed that innocent finger. You guys were front row I believe. We were like 5th row, the Scots were right behind us. Anyway, it was all good fun until those stupid French came battling their way to the front.