PEARL JAM TO HEADLINE 2016

[FloorFiller]

I don't mind Pearl Jam but are they really popular enough to headline the main stage at Glastonbury? Their chart positions really do not justify it as they have always performed pretty poorly in the UK. They are a pretty niche band and have no mainstream cross over in the UK at all.

Their albums always chart in the top 10 (often near the top) and they have some pretty huge songs that are about as well known as Metallicas best known (released at about the same time as Metallicas best known as well). I don't think it'll happen, but not for the reasons you give. If they'd have broken up and regrouped at some point in their career they'd probably be a lot bigger over here than they are now, but they've just kept on going and releasing pretty consistently good but not spectacular albums, so are largely forgotten about

[Ovechkin]

I don't mind Pearl Jam but are they really popular enough to headline the main stage at Glastonbury? Their chart positions really do not justify it as they have always performed pretty poorly in the UK. They are a pretty niche band and have no mainstream cross over in the UK at all.

 

 

https://youtu.be/XT1Jq4dW534?t=210

 

Pretty packed in Hyde Park 2010.

MK last year, 60-70k in the audience.

[cornish hick]

I shall investigate more of their stuff, is The Fixer recent? I'll do a bit of reserach I think.

I've never seen them live, would really really like to though

Hi Lucy as others have already replied both Backspace and Lightning Bolt are brilliant albums. If it was a new band that had released them they'd prob be the next big thing (if that makes sense)

[maelzoid]

I'm not convinced that they wouldn't be big enough.

 

They've headlined IOW, and Hyde Park, plus last year Milton Keynes.  I know they sail under the radar of the 6 music / NME brigade (Jo Whiley would no doubt be baffled), but the fans are there, in their thousands.  And I think the almost totally positive response on this board goes to show that they appeal to a large cross-section of punters.  

[Mezhyp1]

I don't mind Pearl Jam but are they really popular enough to headline the main stage at Glastonbury? Their chart positions really do not justify it as they have always performed pretty poorly in the UK. They are a pretty niche band and have no mainstream cross over in the UK at all.

What would the festival turn into if you judged whether a band should be headlining by how their music fares in the charts

[Mardy]

What would the festival turn into if you judged whether a band should be headlining by how their music fares in the charts

 

 

I think it's certainly a consideration. It's not the only factor, but yeah, of course it matters. Whether that's right or wrong, well, you can debate that, but thinking that it doesn't matter for the Pyramid stage in 2016? Naaaah.

 

With, say, Pearl Jam, OK, they get a lot of their fans to a gig, they can sell a lot of tickets to their tribe, but outside of that, you've really got no chance and no wider recognition. My litmus test for Pyramid headliners is when you sit down on the canteen at work for lunch and your colleagues ask you who're the headliners and you answer, do they know who you're talking about or do they just look at you blankly and crease their forehead.  Again, maybe that's not how it should be, but it is the reality these days.Lots of bands I love I know would not cut it as Pyramid performers, and lots of bands I despise would nail it. 

[guypjfreak]

fair play to both views ..the thing id say tho is that how many songs did you know of say JZ ..or muse.or even KW ...really //////. i knew a few of the muse songs great i no nothing of the other 2 or when the artic monkeys first head lined or even mumford who headlined with only one album out ........

PEARL JAM have been going for 20 years and have been consistent for all of that time ..yea they stopped making vidios [ which i thought was great ] and they went up against tixmaster .

which if they had got some help from some of the other bigger band they may have won but even though these other big bands said they WOULD back PJ up when they realised that they would lose money for a while cos they couldnt tour etc they left PJ in the lurch and didnt stand up to tixmaster ...leaving PJ to put there own tour on and lost money in doing so.after which realising they couldnt win they had to go with the flow ..which they are still not happy with if you check out there views on 10club some times.

BUT when it comes to headliners at a festival like glastonbury its such a huge festi that they could put a shit act like KW JZ Mumfords ...AND stiill fill that pyramid field up

i dont think PJ would have any trouble filling that field there a solid proffesional band and imo deserve to grace that stage ......

 

wow fuck knows if that all makes sence to you lot but it does to me ...bit early on a sunday old sons ....lol

have a great sunday

Edited July 26, 2015 by guypjfreak

[Gucci Piggy]

Kanye West has more hits than almost any headliner.

Dunno about Muse in 2004, but songs like Plug in Baby, New Born, Bliss, Feeling Good, Time is Running Out, Hysteria and Stockholm Syndrome are pretty widely known now, so I assume they were back in 04 as well.

Arctic Monkeys and Mumford were both pretty much the most popular bands around when they headlined.

[lucyginger]

Hi Lucy as others have already replied both Backspace and Lightning Bolt are brilliant albums. If it was a new band that had released them they'd prob be the next big thing (if that makes sense)

Yep makes perfect sense! Think I may have to go music shopping thanks!

[frostypaw]

My litmus test for Pyramid headliners is when you sit down on the canteen at work for lunch and your colleagues ask you who're the headliners and you answer, do they know who you're talking about or do they just look at you blankly and crease their forehead.  Again, maybe that's not how it should be, but it is the reality these days.Lots of bands I love I know would not cut it as Pyramid performers, and lots of bands I despise would nail it.

I'd agree if you're just talking about selling tickets, though that's kinda moot with glastonbury as it's all done pre-lineup, but I'd have to disagree on that making a good headliner

Many of the best have been the ones that people have raised their eyebrows at or looked confused - Muse first time round, Kings of Leon, Paul McCartney, Neil Young....

Specifically Neil Young most of my workplace at the time were thoroughly confused. The olders were impressed but way over half the company couldn't name anything he'd done or understand why yet still...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ligse2KJPI

[Dark Star]

Admire your enthusiasm for this, and totally agree that they would put on a great show (I've seen them 26 times so far) and I'd love to see PJ headline the Pyramid but I don't think they're Glastonbury headliner material.  

They don't have the big songs that everyone knows, and that's pretty essential, they need to keep a lot of people there who are wanting a singalong to well known songs.  Black, Jeremy, Alive and the cover of Last Kiss are probably the only ones casuals might know.

Think they're much more suited to Reading, which they did in 2006 two days after the Leeds festival set someone mentioned as being sparsely attended.  

[Gucci Piggy]

Reading is almost exclusively 16-18 year olds and Pearl Jam would get an absolutely woeful crowd there. They're much more suited to Glastonbury.

[Dark Star]

Reading is almost exclusively 16-18 year olds and Pearl Jam would get an absolutely woeful crowd there. They're much more suited to Glastonbury.

 

We thought that in 06 and it was packed for them!  Day tickets may have played a part I guess!?

[CaledonianGonzo]

Is it worth noting that any of Pearl Jam's crossover material is all from the same album, their debut, and in a genre (grunge) that's still as far from popular favour in the UK as it was when Britpop superceded it in the mid 1990s. It's difficult to imagine a setlist like the one they played at Milton Keynes do much more than baffle the casual if curious punter:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/2014/milton-keynes-national-bowl-milton-keynes-england-bc1dd1a.html

Pre-Show

Porch

(Solo Acoustic)

Main Show

Pendulum

Wash

Nothingman

Black

(We Belong Together tag)

Go

Brain of J.

Comatose

Save You

Hail Hail

Mind Your Manners

Do the Evolution

Got Some

Lightning Bolt

Nothing as It Seems

Given to Fly

Sirens

Corduroy

Even Flow

Let the Records Play

Spin the Black Circle

Rearviewmirror

Encore:

Yellow Moon

I'm the Answer

(Simon Townshend cover) (with Simon Townshend)

Footsteps

Chloe Dancer

(Mother Love Bone cover)

Crown of Thorns

(Mother Love Bone cover) (Believe You Me tag)

Better Man

(Save It For Later tag)

Jeremy

Lukin

Porch

Encore 2:

Rain

(The Beatles cover) (with Dhani Harrison)

Daughter

(War tag)

Blood

Alive

Rockin' in the Free World

They opened their set with Pendulum.

Pendulum anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[CaledonianGonzo]

I don't doubt they could headline and their fans would love it, I just dunno if it would have the broad, popular appeal of the classic headline sets. There's little for the non partisan to latch on to, a Springsteen set where every song is Outlaw Pete or My Lucky Day and Born To Run just never arrives. It'd be a connoisseurs choice, with little impact in the broader world.

[Spindles]

 

Pearl Jam shot themselves in the foot commercially by refusing to do music videos (when MTV was massive) and boycotting any venue that had any sort of link with Ticketmaster. Both things I have massive respect for them for. 

The fact that they have consistently remained true to their political ideals and have worked in various areas to try and do their bit to support causes that matter only endears them further to Glastonbury.

[hallamboy]

To be honest, I think that we're getting to a point where a band like Pearl Jam gets elevated to that kind of 'legend' status where you book them for the same reasons to book Springsteen or Neil Young. I suspect that many of the crowd of both of those acts perhaps didn't know their music, but their reputation carries them. The fact that they are also great live performers would make sure that they would go down a storm.

 

I'd not be adversed to them headlining the other stage. They would pull a big crowd on either the Other of Pyramid and let's be fair that some people will go and see the headliner on the Pyramid regardless of who they are. As a result, as with Metallica, plenty will get into it and have a great time. I don't think that there is any risk of them bombing.

 

I think that they are now a better fit for Glastonbury than at Reading.

[dentalplan]

10 songs off the first two albums isn't bad going at all. What more would people want? Smells Like Teen Spirit?

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

I'll let you have Pearl Jam one night if I can have Depeche Mode on another. Deal?

[swede]

But unfortunately not to the majority of today's Glastonbury punters.

How do you know this. The amount of people over such a large age demographic is one of the things that makes Glastonbury special, me and my brother are massive patti smith fans, before the stage splits my brother thought she'd be in the park, I knew she'd be on the pyramid and pull a good crowd. The core of glastonburys punters are very knowledgable and respectful of musical heritage and bands that have been around, and it shows in the crowds these acts draw. Pearl Jam would draw a great crowd.

It would be a travesty if black and alive were never to be played on the pyramid.

As for the op commenting on the Milton Keynes set list. PJ change their set every night, dependent on mood and the place they are playing, if they played knowing a lot of the crowd were not "their" fans, they'd pick a great set list, they have been around too long to not get it right

[russycarps]

pearl jam are considered a legendary act now?! what madness is this! they werent even that popular at their peak in the 90s, hence them not headlining them when it might have made a bit of sense.

 

Thankfully the festival organisers seem to agree with me when I say this terribly dated brand of rock will never ever headline the pyramid. 

 

Boring!

Edited July 26, 2015 by russycarps

[guypjfreak]

miserable git lol

[guypjfreak]

We thought that in 06 and it was packed for them!  Day tickets may have played a part I guess!?

ah and all those have grown up and go to glasto nowadays .....

[guypjfreak]

I'll let you have Pearl Jam one night if I can have Depeche Mode on another. Deal?

deal love DM they would have been great this year ...maybe next year lol

[blackred]

Are people really questioning if Pearl Jam are headline status? I mean I'm a fan but Arcade Fire headlined last year and most people don't even know they are a band, let alone any of their songs!