Pearl Jam kicked off their US tour on Saturday, and for guitarist Mike McCready, things got off to a rough start as he tumbled off stage during his solo in Porch. But only a fool would think that would stop him from shredding.
Playing at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, the Seattle heavyweights were heading towards the home straight mishap-free – with Porch the final song before their encore – when the incident happened.
Armed with a sunburst Les Paul, McCready had already set his fretboard alight several times throughout the track, from 1991’s iconic Ten, when he decided to venture towards the corner of the stage.
Suddenly, McCready vanishes out of sight amid a whir of feedback, with only the headstock of his guitar in sight. Then, a quick-off-the-mark roadie pulls him back onto the stage, with McCready soling through the entire affair, much to the jubilation of the arena.
Though he had screaming feedback to contend with, there was a steely determination to carry on shredding, and it doesn't sound like he missed a note while gravity got one over him.
Despite the fall, it was a fierce performance from McCready, peppering the song with shred, leaving one YouTube commenter to ask “Dude, did Mike get possessed by Eddie Van Halen? He went off there!”
Skip to 3:23 on the video below to witness McCready falling with style.
McCready, who was recently bestowed a gorgeous signature Stratocaster, channeled Van Halen on his recent appearance on the Howard Stern Show as he shredded EVH’s Eruption.
He also recounted the story of how Van Halen told him that he hated the sound of their debut record during a chance meeting at an LA recording studio as the band ramped up the promo for their 12th album, Dark Matter.
The tour continues in Portland and Sacramento this week before two dates in Las Vegas next week. Now fully acquainted with the stage’s geography, Guitar World expects McCready to tear through those shows on both feet.
