Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 3rd February!
Pearl Jam (1992)
On the 3rd February 1992, Pearl Jam played their very first gig in Europe in Southend, England!
The show took place at The Esplanade Club and the concert was unannounced and unadvertised. Here’s the setlist of this legendary and secret warm up gig:
Wash
Once
Even Flow
State of Love and Trust
Alive
Black
Why Go
Jeremy
Outshined (Soundgarden)/Leash
Jam (Dirty Frank)
Porch
Release
Breath
300 lucky people witnessed this very special and historic moment in Rock history!
Pearl Jam’s first Europe tour was scheduled from 3rd February until 13th March 1992, by playing in eleven differerent countries (England, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Germany).
Get your Pearl Jam stuff here (for Austrian customer):
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 23rd December!
Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam)
Happy birthday to Mr. Edward Louis Severson III, who is better known as Eddie Vedder! Eddie was born on the 23th December 1964 in Evanston (close to Chicago – Illinois) and he became and is still the frontman of the legendary Grunge band Pearl Jam. Beside that, he is doing also some solo stuff and various projects like his fantastic recording of the amazing soundtrack „Into the Wild“ (2007).
In the seventies he moved with his family to San Diego (California) and on his 12th birthday (1976) he received a guitar from his mother. So beside surfing, Eddie started to play music. Dropped out of high school, he moved to Chicago and changed his name into Vedder (his mother’s maiden name). In the eighties Eddie Vedder earned his high school GED and moved back to San Diego (1984). Beside his day jobs he started to record demo tapes. Four years later Eddie became the vocalist of the band Bad Radio. In 1990 Vedder left the band and crossed the paths of drummer Jack Irons, who became a close friend over the years. Irons handed him a demo tape from a group located in Seattle, which was looking for a singer. While listening to the music, Vedder wrote the lyrics for three new songs, recorded his singing and sent the tape back to Seattle. These tracks became later the Pearl Jam classics „Alive„, „Once“ and „Footsteps„.
Eddie Vedder get invited by Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who were very impressed by his singing. At that time both were working with Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell on the band project Temple of the Dog. During the recording sessions for the self-titled album, Eddie and Chris did a duet for the song „Hunger Strike„. After that, the band Mookie Blaylock (featuring Eddie Vedder on vocals, Stone Gossard on guitar, bassist Jeff Ament, Mike McCready on second guitar and drummer Dave Krusen) was founded. On the 22nd October 1990 the first concert happened in Seattle at the Off Romp Café.
Shortly after this, the band changed the name into Pearl Jam and the quintet was signed to Epic Records. In March 1991 the Grunge Rockers started to record the epic debut album “Ten“. This LP was released on the 27th August 1991 and sold over 13 million times in the USA until today and marks the most successful album in Pearl Jam’s history.
Get your Pearl Jam stuff here (for Austrian customer):
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 22nd November!
On the 22nd November 1993 the third studio album by Pearl Jam was released. „Vitalogy“ hit the stores only as a vinyl edition on this day and the album became the first LP to appear on the US chart since the CD relieved the old music format. The comapct disc edition (and also the MC release) of the new Pearl Jam album was available on the 6th December 1993. The 14 songs were recorded at different studios and finally produced by Brendan O’Brien. With 34,000 sold copies in its first week of release, „Vitalogy“ held the record until Jack White’s LP „Lazaretto“ (2014) for most vinyl sales in one week.
The „Rolling Stone“ gave „Vitalogy“ four of five stars. Writer Al Weisel described the LP as „a wildly uneven and difficult record, sometimes maddening, sometimes ridiculous, often powerful.“ In „The New York Times“ the album was praised for the diversity compared to the band’s previous records. Editor Jon Pareles judged: „Fast but brutal punk, fuzz-toned psychedelia and judicious folk-rock, all of it sounding more spontaneous than before“.
In 2011 the remasterd version of „Vitalogy“ (including the second Pearl Jam studio album „Vs.„) was released. The expanded version includes three bonus tracks and a copy of the concert „Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994“ on DVD.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 12th November!
Neil Young
Happy birthday to Mr. Neil Percival Young, who was born on the 12th November 1945 in Toronto, Ontario! The Canadian singer-songwriter started his music career at the age of 15. In 1966 he moved to California where he founded with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay the Folk-Country-Rock band Buffalo Springfield. After the group called it a day, Neil startet his solo career in 1968 and one year later he joined the famous trio Crosby, Stills & Nash as a fourth member. Neil Young’s work is outstanding and all over the decades he still likes it to experiment with all types of musical genres. He is also called the „Godfather of Grunge“ and so it’s no surprise that Neil Young also toured and recorded with Pearl Jam.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 1st November!
Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Happy bday to Red Hot Chili Peppers singer and founding member Anthony Kiedis, who was born on the 1st November 1962 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 1983 he founded the Funk Rock group with bass player Michael Balzary (named Flea), Hillel Slovak (guitar) and Jack Irons (drums). In Decmeber 1983 Slovak and Irons quit the band for concentrating on their other project called „What Is This?„. Cliff Martinez took over the drummer place while Jack Sherman was the new guitar player. On the 10th August 1984 the self titled debut was released which sold over 300,000 copies. After touring, the guitar player was exchanged again and Hillel Slovak celebrated his comeback. In 1985 the second studio album „Freaky Styley“ followed. With the third LP „The Uplift Mofo Party Plan“ (1987) the band has its first chart entry (Number 148). On the 25th June 1988 Slovak died of a heroin overdose and drummer Jack Irons left the band. Former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers and new guitarist became DeWayne McKnight, who was quickly replaced by John Frusciante. Also the place behind the drums was took over by another new member – Mr. Chad Smith.
With „Mother’s Milk„, which was released on the 16ht August 1989, the breakthrough happened for the group. The album reached No. 52 in the USA. And two years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers became with „Blood Sugar Sex Magik“ (produced by Rick Rubin) one of the most popular Rock bands of that time. Especially the two hit singles „Give it away“ and „Under the Bridge“ were big hits all around the world. And also with the following releases „One Hot Minute“ (1995), „Californication“ (1999), „By the Way“ (2002), „Stadium Arcadium“ (2006) and „I’m with You“ (2011) the group became more and more superstars.
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The young quintet shared the stage that night with the bands Bathtub Gin and Inspector Luv & The Ride Me Babies (who later became Green Apple Quickstep).
When you read Mookie Blaylock’s setlist of that show you will recognise some songs, I do guess:
Shortly after this, the band renamed into Pearl Jam and signed to Epic Records. In March 1991 the Grunge Rockers started to record the epic debut album „Ten„. This LP was released on the 27th August 1991 and sold over 13 million times in the USA until today and marks the most successful album in Pearl Jam’s history.
Today, on the 18th June, I am remembering two breathtaking performances:
Back in the year 2000 I attended one of the best shows I’ve ever seen: Pearl Jam played an outstanding open air gig in Salzburg at the wonderful Residenzplatz. And when the sun set down the full moon came up and brightened up the old city in a perfect light. Luckily this concert was recorded and released as a 2-CD-Set.
Ten years later me and my friend headbanged in Paris at the Stade de France with AC/DC. Before Angus & Co. gave us an overdose of Rock’n’Roll, Mr. Saul Hudson (better known as Slash), kicked our ass!
By the way:
Mr. Dizzy Reed, who plays still with Guns n‘ Roses, has his birthday today – happy bday!!! Also all the best to Paul McCartney, who turned 71 today 😉
On the 22nd November 1993 the third studio album by 
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