Pearl Jam @ Leeds Festival 2006
By Nick KearnsAnother year, another chance for the great pillaging hordes of festival-goers to descend upon Branham Park for a weekend of music, debauchery and the chance to stick two fingers up at "the man" by paying three quid for a pint of beer. Thankfully, all cynical corporate thoughts are firmly removed by the opportunity to lie in the sun surrounded by friends. Result.
Slayer are Metal. If you looked up "Metal" in the dictionary, it would just show a big bad-ass picture of Slayer. Slayer are, in fact, so Metal they have the ability to control the weather: after a few songs into the set the rain starts up, a relentless stream of drizzle and misery. But as soon as they finish, the clouds part and it's almost as if nothing has happened.
Nothing that is, apart from the great all-encompassing METAL behemoth that is Slayer. Although the pace is completely relentless and Tom Araya seems a bit non-plussed at something-or-other, it's a damn god show. South Of Heaven, Criminally Insane and finale Raining Blood - it's a tour-de-force in riffing. Shame about no "Angel Of Death", but at least Kerry king compensates by sporting a huge Beard.
Canadian master-group Broken Social Scene are currently hot-footing it across Europe at the moment, and it was an absolute delight to watch them. Made-up of around 12 members at any given time, Broken Social Scene are fundamentally a unit of Montreal jazz /avant-garde / leftfield instrumentalists who have come together with the aim of making perfect pop music. And perfect it is; new singer Lisa fits in seamlessly, and by the time "Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl" comes around the crowd is putty in this amazing ensembles hands. Brilliant.
There's no doubting the main draw of the day though; Pearl Jam are back at a British festival after an absolute age. The two hour set flies by, and all the classics are here: "Alive", "Daughter" and "Do The evolution" to name a few. Eddie and co engage in a friendly spot of Bush-baiting with the crowd, a crowning finale to the days proceedings.
