There was a time when Pearl Jam switching up the man behind the kit was a regular occurrence. You got used to it as a Pearl Jam fan - it’s just what they did every year or so, you even thought that they were getting through the world’s population so rapidly that maybe one day you’d get a go. But the addition of Matt Cameron in 1998 changed all that. Cameron isn’t just a powerhouse super-player as a drummer, although he is that, but he also brought a reassuring calm to Pearl Jam. There was a sense this was the line-up that was always meant to be – after all, Cameron had played drums on the group’s very first demo, the instrumental set of songs that included formative versions of Once, Footsteps, Black, Alive, Breath, Even Flow, Animal and Alone that found their way to Eddie Vedder.
It was a bit of a shock, then, when the former Soundgarden man announced recently that he was leaving the group. “After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the might Pearl Jam,” Cameron said in a statement. “Much love and respect to Jeff, Ed, Mike and Stone for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, filled with friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter.”
