It's been 30 years since Pearl Jam went to war with Ticketmaster, but it looks like the ticketing giant has got the last laugh. Headlines in the week leading up to the band's UK tour speak of fan dismay as ticket prices for the London show plummeted from as high as £238 [for "premium standing"] to less than £50, highlighting a plain and simple truth: dynamic ticket pricing - where ticket prices fluxuate depending on demand - is a fucking racket. Add them to the "Lars was right" pile.
Still, ticket price woes seemingly haven't had a major impact on the band's ability to pack out Manchester's Co Op Live arena. Not so much storming out as coalescing around Of The Girl, it's a gentle intro that nonetheless gets the crowd roaring vociferously, meandering instrumentals giving the band the chance to warm up and show off their musicianship while frontman Eddie Vedder clings to the mic stand like it's the only thing tethering him to the earth.
