Customer Reviews

06/6/00 - Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, Wales

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD is a monument to the only time (as far as I know) that Pearl Jam have ever visited Cardiff.

Perhaps my view is a little biased as I was there, and consider the concert to be the highlight of my whole year so far.

This was an almost perfect gig, recorded on a cd for all to own.

Eddie Vedder's voice is better than I've ever heard it before, including on all six of their studio albums! The extended versions of several of the more established favourites are excellent, and really show off the bands' awe inspiring musicianship. The guitars of Mr Stone Gossard and Mike McCready are superb, complementing the amazing vocal performance (and each other) perfectly. Matt Cameron's drumming is totally spot on, as usual (his touring with them being an extra treat for me, being a huge soundgarden fan). Unfortunately, while Jeff Ament's performance on the bass was utterly awe inspiring on the night, the recording is lacking somewhat in the bass dept. being strangely mixed far into the background.

Apart from this the cd is great. There's no overdubs at all, what you hear is the real thing, including several funny little (and not so little) anectdotes from Eddie.

This is a truly magical performance, particularly on the set closer Yellow Ledbetter, Alive (with slightly modified lyrics), Betterman, Immortality and a spine-tingling performance of Black.

Absolutely priceless.

Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. The ninth show of the tour, in mysterious but beautiful Cardiff, Wales, constitutes one of the most solid, no-nonsense performances of the early part of the 2000 World Tour. This show is not incredibly dramatic, ear-catching, or especially powerful in any way. So if you only listen to this bootleg a few times, you may not notice how loose, relaxed, and insistent this performance really is. This requires close listening, but your patience will be rewarded. The rhythm section of Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron are in an especially limber and even bluesy mood, giving the songs an extra bit of swing. The guitar interplay by Stone Gossard and Mike McCready is relaxed and flawless. Eddie Vedder is clearly in a good mood, and while he keeps the stage talk relatively low-key in this gig, he's clearly having fun with the crowd, especially in his story about a tour guide named Jerry. This show has the benefit of a rather unconventional set list, as compared to many of the other bootlegs. "Nothing As It Seems" is the show opener for the only time in the tour, and this is a great idea, because the song can often be a mid-show downer but works very well as the opener. Crushing renditions of the heavy rockers "Gods' Dice," "Red Mosquito," and "I Got Shit" make welcome appearances early in the set, while some more rarities like "Spin the Black Circle" and "Smile" appear in the encore. Pearl Jam had apparently never been to this town before, and may not be there ever again, but the Cardiffians should be talking about this for years to come.

From the unprecedented opener "Nothing as it Seems", you know the Cardfiff show is going to be unlike any other on the tour. Great versions of Binaural's rockers 'Breakerfall' and 'God's Dice' follow. The performance of 'Insignificance' is the highlight of the show: probably the best I've heard, and I've heard quite a few. The rarity 'I Got S***' makes an oddly early appearance, and the same can be said for the next song- 'Alive'. With every bootleg I get that lacks this song, I can tell you I miss hearing it. It may not be Pearl Jam's best, but it's anthemic, it's moving, and it's definitive of the band themselves. The performance here is excellent. 'Pilate' off of Yield is a nice surprise, and 'Once' is a surprising rocker of a set ender. The nine song encore is marred only by another horribly butchered version of 'Immortality', but saved by good versions of 'Black' and 'Smile', as well as the obligatory 'Yellow Ledbetter'.

If you like the setlist on this bootleg, especially the Binaural and Ten songs, I can tell you you won't be disappointed by the performance.

I've never really paid much attention to this band...more inclined towards Nirvana, Pixies, Sonic Youth...but just on a whim I bought this album mainly because I thought it was a very cool idea of the band's to release ALL of their live shows over the course of an entire tour. I must say, I loved this album from the start even though I was unfamiliar with almost all of the songs. The bass is mixed very far down(?) but Vedder's vocals are spot-on and to be honest, somehow the overall sound is so different it's cool. I honestly like this cd better than the last Jones Beach show...I know I might get some questions in that regard...but somehow this show seems more 'live' to me...anyway...I applaud Pearl Jam for this whole series of cds...a stroke of brilliance. And it's good to see that there are still a few bands on the scene with a brain on their collective shoulders...

When I first bought this bootleg I thought it was extremely overrated and wasnt that great. Reason being was that it does have about 5-6 mistakes through the show. Its a really loose and relaxed show like another guy mentioned. The more you listen to it the more that is obvious. The guys have fun and put on a pretty tight show, except for those few flubs. No show is perfect. The sound mix is still as clear as a live show can be. A good sound mix. The setlist is also pretty strong. Its not the best Euro show from 2000, but is still a strong performance of a wonderful band having a great time. Thats what counts to me. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a good show from the band. It may take some time to really dig in to its beauty, but its worth it. Im still trying to dig deeper into it. Its really a different show.

I'm from Cardiff, and I went to this gig. Thought that it was a really good show and Eddie Vedder made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as always.
My favourite part of the evening was when the whole place joined in to sing Betterman and it sounds great on the CD.

A particularly mellow, relaxed night in Cardiff, Wales didn't make for a bad show. In fact, it made for a good, smooth performance. I don't think it's better than another show I have Boston2 and there are probably more that are better, but I haven't heard one that is this easy going with an "evenflow" or with as good of a song list. Some highlights of the show are "Black" which is probably my favorite PJ song as well as "Betterman" and "Leatherman." Overall, a good buy.

This is a very good show taken from Pearl Jam's 2000 European Tour. In Cardiff, Wales, the band sounds a bit worn from the hectic schedule. For those who think they have figured out the set list, Pearl Jam throws a curve right from the start by opening with "Nothing is as it seems." The show, proper, moves along as the band provides a journeyman performance. It is after the rousing ovation which brings the encore that the band reflects more of their usual energy. Mr Vedder engages in some hyperbole. He relates a story about the band's adventures aboard a Cardiff tour bus. It falls under that category of tales in which "you had to be there." ;D Realising the corner he has painted himself into, he perceptively admits that sometimes it is better to just get on with the song and not talk about it. It is that natural honesty which Mr Vedder brings to a show that makes me respect him so much. Songs which end the encore are especially rousing. This is probably the most upbeat version of "black" I have heard. I enjoy this show, and I hope you will, too.

great set, with good performances....

the second disc has some of the best stuff with vedder talking about his adventures in cardiff. good fun.

sound quality is good, and i'm excited to see if they're going to release U.S. dates so I can have the show I went to.

not a substitute for seeing the real thing live, but a great reminder for those that did.

This CD is great value, a record of their time in cardiff. A great gig and a great cd.