Mad Seasons [Abandoned Story]

44. Thank You Rotterdam!

Later that night in Rotterdam, despite Eddie's misgivings, Pearl Jam played with their faithful ferocity some Vs tracks as well as macabre versions of Even Flow sounding completely revived. It was quite interesting to hear a new version, although I prefer the original. Seeing them live was such an intense experience that you came away with a new, raw emotional energy that the band conveyed. Tonight it was top-notch, and Eddie compensated for the increased distance between artist and audience.

"Good club you've arrived." he joked after the first song, turning on the house lights.

All the big blond Dutch fans went crazy at that moment. Several minutes later, Marianne took my hand as we stood backstage at the side of the stage. I followed her, suspecting that she wanted to mingle with the audience, not being at all against it, on the contrary. We stood close to the stage and a few seconds later, my new friend lifted me onto her shoulders. What strength she had. I begged her to put me back on the floor, laughing nervously before finding my footing. She began to move slowly before Jeff noticed us and pointed, his face bemused and hilarious.

Stone widened his eyes, smiling, as did Eddie and Mike a few seconds later. I'd loved watching the concert among the crowd, some of whom couldn't get enough of crowd surfing. And Marianne jumped in after resting me on the floor before inviting me to join her, refusing, too hesitantly. Jeff didn't seem to take his eyes off us, benevolent until he saw his girlfriend crowd surfing. He pointed again, grinning from ear to ear, and stepped up to the microphone.

"Take her back to the stage."

The audience obeyed and once near the stage, Jeff reached out and pulled her up, saying he was proud of this atomic chick. He briefly embraced her waist and quickly pulled her close as the audience became even more enthralled. Marianne returned Jeff's embrace and jumped into the audience to surf again before joining me.

"You're crazy!" I shouted, my tone euphoric.

A few seconds later, Eddie looked us up, located us and then, at the microphone, jokingly addressed Jeff.

"Your girl's crazy and mine's wise."

"Not for long." Jeff joked back, both of us laughing.

The audience was so wild that they paid little attention, at least for the most part. They were there for the music. But some looked around to see where their girlfriends might be, out of curiosity, but fortunately without success.

After the concert, Eddie ushered the journalist into a quiet room away from the main dressing room, and they chatted briefly about playing with Neil Young and U2 before he was called in by Eric, the tour manager, for the presentation of the band's umpteenth platinum disc. This time from the Dutch label.

"You must have a ton of them," mused the journalist aloud.

"Not really." replied Eddie.

"The first one I crushed in a fit of rage, you know. It's the source of all my problems!"

He mimed the act of destruction with self-mockery.

"I told that story to L7 once, and they said; "Oh, that's too bad, you could have at least used it as a serving tray or something. "

The reporter then spotted an unopened bottle of red wine sitting in the corner of the room. Eddie has a habit of carrying a bottle on stage with him most shows. sharing it with the front row.

"You should see the look on my allergist's face when I tell him that," he says.

"Yes, I pass around a bottle with about twenty strangers every night so I don't think he'll mind sharing with me." he related.