Pearl Jam Live x5

Almost one year since my last post! It's been a long time... Interestingly this almost looks like the continuation of my previous post.

New year, new Pearl Jam tour and more concerts - Escalation! as my good friend Luís puts it. This idea started very stupidly as all great ideas do. Pearl Jam announced an European tour and I told Luís "I'm planning to watch Oeiras' concert and London's so I can visit some friends. Why don't you pick another concert and I'll go with you". His answer: "Why not watch more?". I told him to pick which ones he wanted and we ended up with 5 in continental Europe (we skipped the London one). By January we had all tickets except for Portugal.

In good Portuguese fashion we started planning our trip one week before. Plane tickets were already too expensive so we bought InterRail passes. As we were both busy that week we barely managed to plan our outbound trip. The rest would be done while travelling. On Friday I took the SudExpress and then the TGV to Paris and met Luís on Gare du Nord as he had job training in Switzerland the day before. Took some typical Portuguese food with me :)



Paris. On our thin plan we intended to meet Vivi, spend the night in Paris and take the 1st TGV to Brussels but the seats were all taken, damn! Alternative: 3 normal trains and spend the night in Brussels. That allowed us to see Lille before we anticipated and a little ghost town called Tournai. I call it ghost town as we barely saw any people till we arrived the centre.



Brussels. How to spend a night in Brussels without spending too much money on lodging? By spending it drinking some of the 2000 beers available in Delirium! They even have Sagres and Super Bock! By 7am Delirium was closing and we were on our way to the station to catch the train to Amsterdam.



Amsterdam, beautiful Amsterdam. Here we met our limp (due to teared meniscus) friend Ivo who welcomed us to his place and took us to our first concert - Rock In the Park, Nijmegen. We didn't go immediately as I forgot the tickets and we had to go back:$



Upon arrival we had this brilliant idea of filling our camelbaks with wine and martini to avoid dehydration during the concert. Unfortunately the festival's organization didn't agree with this and they threw all of it away :( A horrible sight... Apparently it was forbidden to bring alcohol inside so they can capitalize by selling their own, bastards! Apart from that we watched Ben Harper singing Under Pressure with Eddie Vedder. Pearl Jam opened the concert with "Evolution" setting the pace for a breathtaking concert. Things only calmed down when they reached the 6th song "In My Tree". Vedder didn't lose too much time talking and they were able to squeeze 19 songs in 90 minutes. When their time was up we could see on their faces they didn't want to leave so early... Setlist





Tuesday morning was spent in Düsseldorf sightseeing.



By 19:30 we were in Berlin. Found a hostel, checked in and ran for a biergarten to watch Portugal lose against Spain. Seeing Portugal leave the World Cup took all our motivation to go out so we got back to the Hostel.



Next day we strolled a bit around Alexanderplatz and then we went to Wuhlheide. We had fan entrance which gave us early entry and also access to a fan area where we could talk with other fans. Because of that we were able to secure a nice place right in front of the stage. First Ben Harper which performed brilliantly, he really is an amazing guitarist! And then Pearl Jam. Here they played a more "relaxed" concert, more songs (31) and more talk with the audience. An amazing setlist including "Spin the Black Circle" which I heard for the second time and its terrific live. The most incredible moment from all the concerts we've seen was the way Black ended. The crowd kept on clapping and singing tut, tu-ru-ru, tut tut tu-ru-ru for a long time while Eddie put his hands on his face looking very touched. Afterwards he thanks the crowd and at some point, while talking he stops and cries. Then, by Gossard's suggestion he asks for a moment of silence for the Roskilde victims who perished 10 years before. Unforgettable!







Youtube: Moment of silence.

Next day was spent walking in Berlin which is much bigger than I ever imagined, totally worth it!



At night we caught the night train to Amsterdam to spend another day with Ivo after his knee surgery. Watched Netherlands beat Brazil and spend the evening in the park with new friends. Before going to bed we still had time to check some train schedules for the next day.




Saturday morning we left early. It was pouring so we took a taxi to the train station. How come on a 10 day trip the only day it rains is the day we are camping? Murphy's law I guess... Stopped in Brussels, ran to our next train which we barely caught and a few hours later we were back in Lille. Here we had another TGV ticket reservation adventure, this time to get back to Portugal. Initially there weren't any more InterRail discount tickets available and they wanted to charge us 72€. But later after playing around with the computer they got us TGV tickets going through Paris with discount. Still each one of us paid 36€. From Lille we caught a train to Arras.



Arras, a small city in France. Upon arrival we went to the camping park to set the tents. Luckily it wasn't pouring any more, just some drizzle. Afterwards we went to the Main Square. The festival area is located in a sort of old town which Vedder would later tell us it was some sort of military facilities. Military or not it was nice scenario for the concerts.



When we arrived Julian Casablancas was playing but the sound was terrible. It was so loud everyone was buying ear-plugs (which the organization sold for 5€!!!) and the highs were distorting. We couldn't get close to the stage and at that point we feared the other concerts would be like that. Luckily we were proven wrong. Phoenix gave a very good concert and Gomez was good as usual. Then we saw a bit of a French aberration called -M- which his music resembled some of Pink Floyd and Queen classics though the lyrics were French. And then Ben Harper. This time he started the concert alone and slow, just playing his guitar. You could feel the crowd was anxious and a lot of excitement was piling up. When he started singing there was a burst of joy. Great reception from the French crowd, it made that concert amazing. Later Pearl Jam. Highlights: brand new song called "Of The Earth", looks promising. After the encore Ben Harper joined the band to play Red Mosquito with the characteristic sound of his guitar. One of those moments... The concert itself was short, only 17 songs. That night the tent floor felt more comfortable than usual, maybe because it's better than sleeping on a train seat:D



Next day we were up early to catch our train to Lille. Unfortunately the train was late and ruined all our scheduling. We would end up arriving Werchter 2h later than planned which cost us the Alice In Chains concert:( In Gent we took the chance to leave our backpacks and stroll around a bit. It was almost deserted though they had lots of bikes!



Inside the festival. The barriers were set in a funny way. The area near the stage was confined between barriers and to access it there was an entrance similar to road tolls with green/red lights. Basically one could only access this area if it wasn't too crowded. Luckily we were able to get there before Them Crooked Vultures started and they gave an excellent concert! After that and still on the same spot we watched Pearl Jam. The setlist was a bit similar to Arras', but still a very good concert full of energy. Highlight: Alain Johannes and Dave Grohl collaboration on "Kick out the Jams".





As the concert finishes I receive very good news, a friend of mine got me a ticket to Pearl Jam in Portugal, they were sold out at that time:) From then on we started our retun home. Slept on Leuven's train station while we waited for the 5:30 train to Gent. Picked up our bags which we left in a locker and got on a train to Lille. Bought some groceries and had breakfast on the station. TGV to Paris. TGV to Irún. Went to ticket office and we're told the SudExpress to Lisbon was full. The other SudExpress would leave 24h later, trains to Madrid only in the morning, argh. We asked for an alternative and he suggested we ask the train controller to let us in and so we did. First the guy told us he wasn't sure if we could go in. We stressed and put our best abandoned dog faces. 10 min before the train left he told us to get in and warned us we might have to go up if there were no seats at a given time. Well that never happened and we had a nice trip home. Arrived Lisbon at 10:20, had some time for two Super Bock Minis and then bus home :D Never a shower felt so good!



4 days later, Luís discovered he didn't actually have a ticket for the Oeiras concert but only a voucher which was already too late to exchange. Sometimes life is unfair... I ended up going alone and it turned out to be a fantastic concert, quite different from the previous four. So many good songs which are not always played like: Release (one of my top 3 opening songs), In Hiding, Glorified G and Smile. During the past concerts we were always watching the technical team tune up an standup bass but Ament never used it and we keep wondering for what song was it. In Oeiras I got the answer: Nothingman:) The whole concert had great moments with Vedder talking a lot to the crowd. "You guys are the best singing crowd in the world!" that was really something special and a confirmation of what me and Luís had been saying all along. In Portugal Pearl Jam doesn't sing for the crowd but sings with the crowd! There was the scary/sad part where he sad it would be the last show in a long time. Hope it's just a pause for their personal different projects and Cameron's Soundgarden. The end of Black was great. The most magical moment was Betterman. Vedder let us sing more than usual and before he "joined" us he says "Can't find better crowd". And then of course, there is the good old "Portugal Portugal Improv" (lyrics below) which I heard live for the first time, but was the third they played. Beautiful concert. Setlist.



During all concerts I noticed two sets of microphones pointing to the crowd. Does this mean they are doing bootlegs of all the tour like they did on previous years? Certainly hope so.



We have a many friends from here
Makes us feel like home
Since the first time that we landed
Here in Portugal

Portugal Portugal

And now it's coming to the end
I dont wanna know/go?
If you let me I will move here
and live in Portugal

Portugal Portugal

Blitz report

Pearl Jam Live x3

Tuesday, the 11th was the start of an amazing weekend for me. As I've told here I was able to secure tickets for Pearl Jam's "intimate" concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire (2000 people capacity). I went with a Portuguese friend that lives in London. We were seated on the 3rd level, a bit far away from the action but you could still feel the great atmosphere. This was a more calm concert with great songs, though they didn't play my old time favorite: Black. After the concert was over we went for some pints with some friend and the we caught the tube home. I was going to commute at King's Cross to catch the Northern Line but decided to change at Euston because there were some works in King's Cross during the weekend. As I was going downstair to the platform I start hearing Black. One of those tube musicians was playing Black exactly at the same time I was there, what an amazing coincidence! That was first time I gave one of those guys money. You can read more about the concert here and here (Portuguese).



Last Thursday I flew to Amsterdam to meet a Portuguese friend living there. Then we went to Rotterdam for my second concert of this tour. We arrived there just 5 min before Pearl Jam opened the concert, enough time to buy some beers. They started by saying something like "It's been a long time since we were here" and played "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town". Great start! From then on they rocked, amazing pace, didn't stop much to speak. 2h hours of pure joy. Check the setlist here. At some point my friend went to buy some beers but instead he bough us two Pearl Jam t-shirts, thanks mate ;)

Yesterday was the last concert at the O2 Arena in London. This time I had fan tickets which would allow me and my flatmate to get in earlier. That proved to be quite good as we secured a very good position. First band was Gomez which I never heard before. The lead singer has an impressive voice. And then it was time for Pearl Jam. They opened the concert the same way they did in Atlanta 94, with Release and then, just like in Rotterdam they went for a breathtaking set of songs. When Animal started the crowd went crazy and before I realised what happened I lost my flatmate and was standing almost in front of the stage, with only 3 rows of people separating me from the barrier. That area was so packed I could barely fill my chest with air, let alone sing. That's the sensation of having 8000 people pushing you...

The first part of the concert was breathtaking, and continued on. My highlights are Immortality, Footsteps, Crazy Mary, Rats and a great version of Black ending with everyone singing along "we belong together, together". Check here for the complete setlist. An impressive two and half hours of great songs very well played. One of my best PJ concerts yet!

By the end of the concert I was covered in sweat from head to toes. My phone, that was inside my pocket was wet and slippery. But all of it was worth it.

George Carlin

George Carlin is a late comedian who I only discovered recently.


I strongly advise you to see the first 4 minutes of this video:

Fire Destroys School

While I was in Portugal on holiday, something very sad happened, the primary school near my flat was destroyed by fire. It was really sad to approach home on Sunday and feel the burnt smell...

Here is a link for the news article.

And here are some photos taken by my flatemate:

Intense weekend in Portugal

Last weekend in Portugal was a blast! Still recovering from it...

Arrived to Lisbon and a friend of mine from university took me to his place where together with other friends we played a nice poker session till midnight. Next morning I got my repaired car from my grandpa and went to Lisbon for my last dissertation interview. After some annoying questions like "why are you taken so long to finish your Masters?" and a demonstration of their system I was told I would get the job :-)

Back to Setúbal, had some nice pizza at "Pizzaria Bonfim", bought groceries for dinner and hit the beach with a couple of friends. This time I went to Galapinhos beach, my first time this year! Went directly from the beach to the kitchen to cook a typical "Bacalhau com Natas" (cod fish with cream) for me and 5 close friends. Lesson from that day: cooking for 6 is different than cooking for 1 or 2! We had a beautiful wine to go with it: Reguengos 2005 Reserve. Everyone ate their food and no one died, which made me feel proud:) Afterwards we had some crepes with ice cream:)

We finished that night on the terrace of a bar called "Três 15 dias". My first time there and is not bad at all, lovely atmosphere though the staff is not the most welcoming one...

Saturday went south to Carvalhal. A 100km car trip (the ferry boat is now to expensive to be worthwhile) to meet a friend I haven't seen for 6 months! Last time I saw him was when he visited me here. The weather was not good enough to go to the beach so we opted to drink some beers in a esplanade and then had lunch in a restaurante just outside Carvalhal. Afterwards got back to Setúbal.

The night started out with a dish of "Secretos de Porco Preto" in Don Xicha and a nice bottle of wine in the company of a lovely friend. And then we went to a birthday party in our friend's house. Saw some old faces and caught up on lost time and some lost "minis" (20cl bottles of beer) :D Afterwards Kaneco and then Clubíssimo (used to be a nice big club, now it's just ridiculous. After Clubíssimo close (around 6 or 7) we went near the river where the birthday guy remembered it was a good time for swim. It has his day so I wasn't going to say no, so me and another friend join him in a morning swim. Hope it helped to make that day more memorable;)

After barely sleeping 4 hours the phone rings, an uncle of mine asks me to help him carrying some "boxes". The "boxes" included two baby beds and a cabinet. Nice exercise to cure a hung over:) After lunch with my brother I spent a nice afternoon by a friend's swimming pool. From there I went directly to Lisbon's airport where I caught my (late) flight home.

Can't wait for next weekend in Portugal which will include the company of some friends from London:)

Random things you discover while googling

5 minutes ago I was googling for someone's name to find some things about that person and instead I've found something completely unrelated: Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute Clinics in EUA and Brazil :S

What is "Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation"?
"Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation® (LVR®) will effectively enhance the vaginal muscle tone, strength, and control. It will effectively decrease the internal and external vaginal diameters as well as build up and strengthen the perineal body (the area immediately outside the vagina and above the anus). Sexual gratification for the female is directly related to the amount of frictional forces generated. We can accomplish this with LVR®." -- drmatlock.com

Now you know! Seems like a good present to offer someone you love, LOL

Mariza @ Coliseu dos Recreios

Como tinha twittado aqui, a Mariza vai dar 4 concertos nos Coliseus, dois em Lisboa (31/10 e 01/01) e dois no Porto (29 e 30/10). No Porto, os bilhetes custam entre 18 e 40 euros e em Lisboa entre 20 euros e 50 euros (fonte: Blitz).

Já fui a alguns concertos no Coliseu dos Recreios e acho-a uma das melhores salas de espectáculos em Lisboa. Apesar de não ser tão adequada para o fado como uma Casa de Fados aposto que será um espectáculo digno de ver.

Só vi a Mariza uma vez e gostei tanto que já comprei dois bilhetes para a fila A da plateia do Coliseu para a ver bem de perto no dia 31/10 :D

Estou ansioso...