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| February 1992
Pearl Jam's arrival in Europe was much more hotly anticipated than anyone in their organization had expected when the trip was booked. Although 'Ten' wouldn't see release in Britain until February 24th, it had been available there on import, and when the UK "Alive" single had been released in four different formats on January 28th, it had begun selling at an astonishing rate (By the end of the month the single would be firmly lodged in the UK Top 20). Features touting Pearl Jam as the next hot Seattle band had been appearing in the UK music press before they ever set foot on British soil, and by the time they did, interest in them was ravenous. So all the shows in Europe, booked at tiny four to nine hundred capacity venues were far too small to meet the fan demand. Pearl Jam's first European tour, early in 1992, coincided with the release of "Alive" as a single. They made their long-awaited U.K. debut in Southend on February 3rd which was unannounced and unadvertised, then moved onto an industry showcase at London's Borderline on February 4th. On that day Pearl Jam played 'Alive' at the BBC network.
02/03/92 - The Esplanade Club: Southend, England
Setlist: Wash, Once, Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Black, Why Go, Jeremy, (Outshined)/Leash, jam, Porch
Encore: Release, Breath
02/04/92 - The Late Show, BBC2 TV, United Kingdom
02/04/92 - UK Newsbeat FM Radio (Interview with Jeff and Stone)
02/04/92 - Borderline: London, England
Setlist: Wash, Once, Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Suggestion/Alive, Black, Deep, Jeremy, Why Go, Porch, Improv/Garden, (Outshined)/Leash
"A lot of people are never going to believe Pearl Jam and it's unfortunate that most of them will never meet Eddie -- I know of no one who has and came away still doubting his sincerity. It's even more regrettable that the same people didn't see what I saw one winter's afternoon in one tiny club in Oslo [Norway]: Vedder on his knees in front of his band. One hand, covered in blood, was wrapped around his microphone, the torn nails of the other hand gouging into his foldback, his cheekbones coursing with sweat and tears as Pearl Jam tore off a ferocious version of "Once." They were soundchecking. The only people watching were the sound engineer and me, and they didn't know I was there", Vox Magazine.
After the Koolkat gig, the guys went to Norway to play at the Alaska club on February 8th. Stage divers turned the show into such a zoo that a writer covering it for Melody Maker likened it to "rush hour at the New York Stock Exchange". As he would on nearly every date of the tour when the venue's architecture provided a serviceable jumping-off point, Eddie used the long instrumental jam toward the end of "Porch" as a soundtrack for a daredevil run, tossing his microphone into a ceiling vent, where it stuck, and using the trailing cord to hoist himself up into the rafters. After finding a foothold, he peered out over the sea of faces fifteen feet below him, quipped, "The audiences aren't this good in Seattle", and did a graceful free fall into the outstreched arms of the 500 people. "The album is like visiting an animal in a zoo, and the live show is seeing in its natural surroundings",Eddie Vedder.
02/08/92 - Club Alaska: Oslo, Norway
Encore: (Hunger Strike)/Oceans, Window Paine/Breath, (Outshined)/Leash FM Broadcast: Once, Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Jeremy, Why Go Notes and Quotes: Some of the European shows were broadcast on the radio. The first one was at the Pumpe Huset in Copenhagen on February 9th. After 'Once', "I wanna speak English to you, but I don't know if you'd understand. It's just the stupid Americans who don't know any other languages...It's true...So I just wanted to tell you that...I wanted to let you know you are on the radio. So, if you want to let your mom and dad know you're here...This song is called Even Flow". "I hope that there aren't any kids named Jeremy here", before 'Jeremy'. "This is a ticket for the show tonight...it's got our name on it...it says were playin' Copenhagen...Can you believe that?...I don't know how we got here...and if we ever did get here...I would think it would be maybe 6 or 5 people here to see...this is all the trip...I don't know what to say but, 1,2,3...", 'Porch' closed the main set. Returning for the encore, Eddie said a few words to the Danish crowd, "If you thought this was cool or somethin', don't tell anybody so we can play the same place next time". He then did an acapella version of Hunger Strike with the crowd singing a-long. "This is actually another request", that was why 'Oceans' appeared at the end of the setlist. 'Window Paine' by the Smashing Pumpkins was sang by Eddie before a beautiful 'Breath and a Scream'. A few Outshined riffs were played before 'Leash', "Looking California, Feeling Minnesota".
On February 10th, Pearl Jam a little acoustic set in Paris at the Virgin
Records.
The set was similar to the ones they played a few months ago in New York at the
Tower Records. They've played Wash, Alive, Black and Porch. Eddie talked
about the lack of education among the Americans. The Following day they've
played The Locomotive, a club in Paris. On February 15th, in
Madrid at the Revolver, a quick
(sans lyrics) version of 'Yellow Ledbetter'
was heard for the first time.
02/10/92 - Virgin Records: Paris, France (acoustic)
02/11/92 - Locomotive: Paris, France
Encore: (Suggestion)/Breath, I've Got a Feeling Notes and Quotes: "It's nice to be playing music...actually...it's much nice to be playing music than being out on the streets looking at breasts...actually I speak for myself...these guys might wanna be out looking at breasts...['I actually do', said Stone]...I've got some breasts way of fobia back home...this song it's called Even Flow". "So there's this big rumor around that we want to clear up right now...we're not from Seattle. I just had to say it because if someone else asks me about the 'Seattle scene' one more time, I think I'm gonna puke, piss and shit all at the same time", before 'Black'. "Is Jeremy a french name...is it an English name...is it Indian name...It doesn't matter, it could be anybody...I guess". After 'Why Go', "We've never been here before...If I would have dreamed, I would have learned the language...it's a beautiful language...you can all tell me to Fuck off now...feels good no matter what they say", before 'Porch'. Returning for the encore, Eddie said something to the effect "If my parents could see me now ... cuz I told them to fuck off when I was 15. But Stone ... he loved his parents and they loved him back and I bet he's happy to be here, too". After 'Suggestion', "Mike Tyson's guilty...So this is one you'll only hear in France...it's called Breath and a Scream". Someone in the crowd yelled 'Pearl Jam', Eddie questioned him 'Where?', and the crowd 'HERE!!!'. "I almost forgot [laughs]", said Eddie. "One more because...I think I have more guitars than I have voice...maybe this should be a jam...you don't seem too excited...[screams]...pardon moi...merci beaucoup...okay so who starts the jam tonight", before the last song of the night, 'I've Got a Feeling'. During the jam, George Webb (Mike's guitar tech) played bass, and Scully (Stone's guitar tech) played guitar. While Eddie went to backstage, Mike announced them "Everybody have fun here...GEORGE WEBB on the bass, ladies and gentlemen...And on the fucking Les Paul, the funking god....SCULLY...that's right...The king..."
02/12/92 - Melkweg: Amsterdam, Holland
Setlist: Wash, Once, Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Black, Deep, Jeremy, Why Go, (Bad Mouth)/Porch Encore: I've Got a Feeling FM Broadcast: Wash, Evenflow, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Black Notes and Quotes: Another show that was broadcast on the radio. By the end of 'Once' one lost stage diver was left on stage, and this one would be judged by Pearl Jam on a scale of one to ten. "That's a one and a half. Is this the fuckin' stage-diving Olympics?", he added before 'State of Love and Trust'. "I think parts of these next song...we came up with from when we where in a coffee house...but it was just expresso what we were drinking...if we would have been in Amsterdam, it might have been different", before 'Alive'. "You can't be what you were, So you better start being just what you are, You can't be what you were, Time is now and it's running out", a few lines from Fugazi's 'Bad Mouth' before 'Porch'. During 'Porch' Eddie started climbing to the balcony of the Melkweg, and he dived from that balcony. The audience caught him, and he was carried to the stage. "By the way, if any of you stay late and miss the last train you can all stay at our hotel in Mike McCready's room", said Eddie. Before leaving the stage Jeff took a jump into the audience. Dave continued drumming for a few more seconds while Eddie took some pictures of the audience.
Setlist (Incomplete): Slow Song, Once,...,Even Flow, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter (snippet)/Black,...,Porch
After playing at the Revolver in Madrid, Pearl Jam went to Milan to play at a small bar called Sorpasso on February 18th. Being 3 days in Milan, they toured the city. From the many pics they've took, one ended up on the 'Even Flow' single two months later. The picture was taken at the 'Duomo' Cathedral in Milan. The very next day, Pearl Jam played at the Albani Bar in Winterthur (Switzerland). The tiny venue wasn't an excuse for Eddie. He climbed to the second floor, diving backwards to the main floor where the packed crowd caught him [just like the Even Flow video]. "We were in Europe and had just played a disastrous show in a small basement club in Milan. There should have been only 100 people in the place, but there were 300 downstairs and 400 more upstairs. The sound was terrible, the stage was about a foot square, there were three white lights on the whole time -- and these 300 Italian people were just going crazy.", Jeff Ament. "That was totally over the top. People were balancing on speakers, just wobbling back and forth. What goes through your mind is 'Let's get this over with'", Stone Gossard.
02/18/92 - Sorpasso: Milan, Italy
Setlist: Release, Even Flow, Once, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Black, Deep, Why Go, Porch, Attenzione Jam/Jeremy, Breath Encore: I've Got a Feeling, (Hunger Strike)/Leash FM Broadcast: Even Flow, Once, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Why Go, Porch, Breath, Notes and Quotes: The show was broadcast on the radio. "Be careful...attenzione...how do you say...como se dice my friends?...attenzione mio amigo...Brett, a guy named Stone Gossard, he plays in the band, he wants to know about his volume...Okay gentlemen, maybe you can take pictures for one more song...and then we'll ask you to leave cause we don't want you to be hurt...Okay we've got a message for you", before 'Once'. "Okay anybody with the camera...get out...is everybody okay?", before 'State of Love and Trust'. After 'State of Love and Trust,' Eddie said, "The Marshall is smoking. (laughs) It's known to burn up when Michael plays". Things were getting a bit crowded up front by the end of Deep "a little claustrophobic... this is the biggest place we've ever played!". "Hey be careful...the tyde is high...be careful...attenzione...uno, dos, tres, quatro", 'Porch'. After Jeremy someone in the crowd requested Breath and Mike strumed a bit of it. "Is there a bigger place right around here [where] we can all go right now to finish the set -- a bigger place? Somebody's house maybe -- does somebody have a bigger house than this?" Someone down front offered Eddie more than he bargained for. Ed laughed and said, "I don't trust -- he doesn't want me to play music!" Ed sang a line from the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the U.K. before the band began Breath. He sang the first half perched atop one of the speakers. A few lines from 'Hunger Strike' was sang acappela by Eddie.
"Next day we were in Zurich, and we showed up to a place that was even smaller. The stage was barely big enough for the drum kit, and we decided there was no way we were going to repeat what had happened in Italy. So we rented some acoustic guitars, Dave set up a kick drum and a bongo, and we had one of the greatest shows we've ever had", Jeff Ament. "We were in Zurich in February [1992], in a little coffee shop. So we rented guitars and the band put on this show that was amazing. It was voted best performance of the year for Switzerland. [Fans] have been begging for it because that's not out there", Brett Elliason (Pearl Jamīs sound engineer).
After the Albani bar of Music, Pearl Jam went to the UK again to play a few shows. On February 21th, in Manchester Pearl Jam's tour bus was held by thieves. Before playing the Cathouse in Glasgow on February 23th, Eddie was interviewed for a radio station. He talked about how he slept in alleys leading him to write the song 'Even Flow'. 'Why go', he wrote about "being young and do not have a place to go, but being specific there' s a girl that went to a hospital for two years, in America today that's the way that parents resolve their problems". On February 24th, the 'TEN' album was released in the UK. The following day Pearl Jam played at the Rock City in Nottingham. The show was originally booked in a 350 capacity room, but after Alive was a big hit the venue moved the show to the large room upstairs, selling over 1600 tickets for a 1750 venue.
02/19/92 - Albani Bar of Music: Winterthur, Switzerland
02/21/92 - International II: Manchester, England
02/22/92 - Riverside, Newcastle, England
Setlist: Oceans, Even Flow, Why Go, Jeremy, Deep, Alive, (Hunger Strike)/Black, State of Love and Trust, Once, Porch Encore: My Generation, (Window Paine)/Garden, Leash FM Broadcast: Oceans, Even Flow, Why Go, Jeremy, Deep, Alive, (Hunger Strike)/Black, State of Love and Trust, Once, Porch, Notes and Quotes: This show was broadcast on Radio. "It was only in the past six months that I've been playing in crowds like this, before that I was always part of the crowd, and so I'm very worried about you. Are you alright?", adressing the crowd for the first time before 'Why Go'. After the song, Eddie reminded the audience that they were on the radio "You are on the radio, you know? Say hey to mum and dad! Tell mum and dad to fuck off!...So happy Jack had an evil brother named evil Jeremy". "I spent it all...on the bag...on the track", a possibly reference to the previous show where Pearl Jam's bus was held by thieves. Before 'Black', a piece of 'Hunger Strike' was played, "I played that for Chris...he would be very proud". At the beggining of the song Eddie whispered something to the effect 'It's her birthday'. The song had the 'We belong together' tag. "It's fucking hot here", said Eddie after 'Once'. The audience started screaming to Eddie,"Jump, jump, jump". He took a run and jumped into the audience, which carried him above their heads all around the place. When Eddie came back on stage, they started screaming for Jeff. During 'Porch', Vedder did his climbing act. When Eddie came for the encore "What was that song you were singing?" The whole crowd started singing it again. Stone, Mike, and Eddie were looking, and really enjoyed it. A piece of 'My Generation' was played afterwards. It was also played live for the first time, with Eddie on guitar singing "My favorite station" instead. 02/23/92 - Cathouse: Glasgow, Scotland
Setlist: Wash, Once, (Outshined)/Improv/Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Black, Deep, Jeremy, Why Go, (Hunger Strike)/Porch, Encore: Garden, Bad Mouth/Leash Notes and Quotes: Eddie adressing the crowd for the first time before 'Wash', "We've never been here, we've been waiting longer than you have". "That was just the warm-up, are you ready?", 'Once' was next. A few Outshined riffs were played before 'Even Flow', "Looking California, Feeling Minnesota". "We get a little bit nervous in front of so many people, I just have to admit", said Eddie before lauching into 'Solat'. "We're having a hard time to warmin' up tonight...we used to play in places about this big...because this song is lived every day...I can always get arise for this", 'Alive', got a huge singalong. "I've got to take care of some people", said Eddie while the other guys jammed a bit. "Get up, and don't fucking hurt one another", during 'Why Go'. After singing a few lines of 'Hunger Strike', "I just hope you request Hunger Strike when Chris comes in a couple of weeks...so for Chris Cornell, for me, for everyone in this band I just wanna say 1,2,3,4...", 'Porch' was played. A few lines from Fugazi's 'Bad Mouth' was sang again by Eddie.
02/26/92 - Edwards No. 8: Birmingham, England
Setlist: Oceans, Even Flow, Why Go, Jeremy, Deep, Alive, Black, State of Love and Trust, Once, Porch, Garden, Leash
02/27/92 - Queenshall: Bradford, England
Setlist: Wash, Once, Even Flow, Alone, Alive, Black, Deep, Jeremy, Why Go, Porch Encore: (Bradford Jam), Leash, I've Got a Feeling, My Generation
02/28/92 - Union of London University: London, England
Setlist: Wash, Once, Even Flow/(All Right Now Improv), Alone, Alive, Black, Deep, Jeremy, Why Go, Porch Encore: Leash, I've Got a Feeling
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On February 4th, Pearl Jam played in London at the Borderline club. 
02/07/92
- Koolkat Klub: Stockholm, Sweden
02/15/92
- Revolver: Madrid, Spain