News

Pearl Jam In Showdown Against Concert Promoters

• 19th Aug 2009

PEARL JAM held an on-stage protest as bosses of a London venue tried to force them off stage.

The rockers came on 15 minutes late for their gig at the O2 Arena last night and played right up to the 11pm curfew.

But they decided to keep playing after their third encore, as frontman Eddie Vedder told the crowd: “We usually finish after this song – but not tonight!”

They kept playing for a further 20 minutes, but when venue organisers trying to get them to leave the stage, Vedder sat down cross-legged in the middle clutching his microphone until his bandmates grabbed their instruments and joined him for one more tune.

The group is also facing a fine of up to £2,500 after Vedder openly smoked cigarettes on stage, flouting the smoking ban.