February 2, 2014 – Arena Joondalup, Perth, AUS

Show Notes:

After Animal, Ed, appearing to focus on someone specific in the crowd, says to not be pointing down on someone else or the show will stop, reminding the crowd to take care of themselves and to mind their manners, leading…

Show Notes: 

After Animal, Ed, appearing to focus on someone specific in the crowd, says to not be pointing down on someone else or the show will stop, reminding the crowd to take care of themselves and to mind their manners, leading into…Mind Your Manners. Mike has a unique solo on Lightning Bolt. This show was full of dedications, the first of which is a toast to some of the other bands playing on the same bill, Arcade Fire and Primus. Someone is holding up a copy of Ten in the crowd, so Ed introduces Deep by saying this is “the opposite of shallow.” Prior to Unthought Known, he dedicates the song to a young man he met who went by Edwin IV, mentioning he had never met an Ed IV, only Ed III, including himself. After Jeremy, he mentions a school shooting that occurred in Australia several years ago, and the country taking quick steps to put laws in place to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again, very different than in the U.S. Satan’s Bed sounds great, with the band locked in. Staccato, harmonic intro to RVM, and the jam soars, Stone and Jeff playing well together, and Ed adds the “forgive/forget” lines.

After the break, Ed brings a couple on stage, toasting their love as an example of what love should be, and plays a tender, acoustic Throw Your Arms Around Me. Then, he leads the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Boom, leading into a long Crazy Mary, with Mike and Boom dueling back and forth playfully. Mike lets it all go on the Black solo, and after a short We Belong Together tag, Ed adds “…nothing like young love…” Win Butler (Arcade Fire) joins for Rockin’ to close out the night.


January 31, 2014 – Bonython Park, Adelaide, AUS

Show Notes:

Second to last Big Day Out show features seven tour debuts, and some rarities thrown in that had not been as prevalent in the earlier shows on this leg. The band opens again at full throttle from the get go,…

Show Notes: 

Second to last Big Day Out show features seven tour debuts, and some rarities thrown in that had not been as prevalent in the earlier shows on this leg. The band opens again at full throttle from the get go, with Why Go opening, just like Melbourne, and the earliest Blood has appeared on a setlist for quite some time. Ed addresses the hot weather, saying “I’m not quite sure how you can be in the part of the continent that’s closest to the Antarctic and still have it be this fucking hot.” In a nod to the early days, Ed says “We’re in shorts and it’s not out of nostalgia, it’s because it’s really fucking hot.” Small Town is dedicated to the people at the front who had arrived very early in the day. Following Got Some, Ed describes the next one as “a Father’s Day card if your dad is a fucking asshole,” and My Father’s Son is played for only the 4th time. Ed needs to catch his breath afterward so he calls on Mike to “entertain” the crowd with Van Halen’s “Eruption” before Even Flow. Sirens is dedicated to the Seattle Seahawks, who are playing in the Super Bowl two days later. Daughter features the first ever Australian appearance of the “It’s O.K.” tag, and Ed and the crowd can’t seem to get on the same page. Prior to Given to Fly, Ed references the constant stream of planes flying over the event on their way into Adelaide Airport. Ed refers to World Wide Suicide as a song that used to be about war, but now is about climate change, yet this would be the last time they would play it to date. After a very quick encore break, Ed treats the crowd to an “Aussie song,”  the Hunters and Collectors classic Throw Your Arms Around Me. Low Light and Nothingman were listed on the setlist to start the encore but not played. Ed introduces Mark Arm as “one of the greats, if not the greatest” before a screeching Kick out the Jams. Mike closes out the show with Little Wing after a spirited Ledbetter.


January 26, 2014 – Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney, AUS

Show Notes:

Getaway is “for all the fucked up missionaries who may have fucked up some of the planet.” Plenty of early dedications, including In Hiding to surfer Mark Richards, who helped with the set list, and Even Flow to a little…

Show Notes: 

Getaway is “for all the fucked up missionaries who may have fucked up some of the planet.” Plenty of early dedications, including In Hiding to surfer Mark Richards, who helped with the set list, and Even Flow to a little Aussie girl “whose initials are in the beginning of this song.” Stone has a stunning lead during the quiet part of Insignificance. Ed thanks and shouts out all the other bands that played the festival that day, and the ode to vinyl duo follows, he introduces Let The Records Play with:

“this is a song for records….not breaking records, but making records…listening to them at loud volumes, and something that gets you through the bad days and lets you know there will be good days.”

Mike ends the song with a searing, face-melting solo. Ed struggles with lyrics for Spin The Black Circle, but like always, effortlessly finds his way back. Stone gets melodic during the RVM jam before Matt thunders in with a tom-heavy rhythm. After the break, he quotes the great Australian poet laureate/singer, Bon Scott of AC/DC, saying “it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll.” Someone hands Ed a koozie for his wine. As Boom starts Chloe Dancer, Ed says this one is “for all our old friends, for some of the friends that are still here, but only because they’re in here,” pointing to his chest. He then thanks Stone and Jeff, always a poignant moment, and talks about if he were to come to Australia, “if we had a campfire, I would think they would play this song,” leading to a solo electric Throw Your Arms Around Me, played for the first time since 2009! Better Man stretches out to 10 ½ minutes, with a long jam, a call and response, and Ed getting theatrical with the Save It For Later lyrics, adding:

“…don’t be like every other FUCKING THING on this PLANET, that always FUCKING lets me down…”

It’s all Ten-era hits to open encore 2, including a nod to Andy Wood during Black. Ed prefaces Kick Out the Jams by saying:

“I know a couple of other people who aren’t going home either…from Mudhoney, people we look up to, we follow in their path, but ladies and gentlemen, on guitar, Mr. Steve Turner…and on vocals, Mr. Mark Arm!”

Arm and Turner stay out for Rockin’ in the Free World, a high-energy closer to a high-energy night.


January 24, 2014 – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, AU

Show Notes:

Why Go into Do the Evolution kicks the show off with a bang. After Save You, Ed sings “I’m dreaming of a Big Day Out” to the tune of “White Christmas.” False start on Got Some, and Ed teases the…

Show Notes: 

Why Go into Do the Evolution kicks the show off with a bang. After Save You, Ed sings “I’m dreaming of a Big Day Out” to the tune of “White Christmas.” False start on Got Some, and Ed teases the band, saying “I thought we were saving that one for Sydney,” before restarting the Backspacer rocker. Mind Your Manners is dedicated to the children at the show (Ed’s family is side stage). Melbourne had been beset with a heatwave in the weeks leading up to the show, but show day dawned with drenching rain soaking the venue. The rain persisted until mid-afternoon before clearing to a beautiful evening, Ed stating “this is perfect…here’s to the weatherman.” He adds “it seems we have more friends in Melbourne than we do in Seattle,” to cheers from the crowd, and to be on a bill with Mudhoney and the Cosmic Psychos is a “dream come true.” Setting Forth segues straight into a blistering version of Corduroy. During the intro of Lightning Bolt, Ed says “look at the sun,” which was setting directly on the horizon in front of the stage. Even Flow is dedicated to Ross Knight, lead singer of the Cosmic Psychos. After the break, Pendulum is played for the first time as a non-show opener. Matt’s drumming at the end is a highlight. Due to the looming curfew, Black is scratched from encore 2, with a raucous Kick Out the Jams, featuring Mark Arm, kicking things off instead. Alive closes a show for the first time since 2010, and Ed tells the crowd to “have a bitchin’ summer” as he leaves the stage.


January 19, 2014 – Metricon and Carrara Parklands, Gold Coast, AU

Show Notes:

The first Australian show since 2009. The crowd is buzzing before the band takes the stage, launching straight into Do the Evolution. Ed asks for the lights to come up, “Let me see ‘em Kille, let me see ‘em!” Before…

Show Notes: 

The first Australian show since 2009. The crowd is buzzing before the band takes the stage, launching straight into Do the Evolution. Ed asks for the lights to come up, “Let me see ‘em Kille, let me see ‘em!” Before Mind Your Manners, he toasts “to whoever invented the light bulb…Edison…to whoever invented electric guitar…Les Paul…to whoever invented religion…,” but he doesn’t answer that one, he just trails off. The song starts and as it’s about to kick in, he growls “…MAN…” Given to Fly has a “…made it to the Gold Coast…” lyric change. Mike solos for nearly 3 minutes on Even Flow, fluid and expressive, playing behind his head and walking the circle. Stone accents the last half of Lukin with a one-note mini solo. RVM is a showcase for Matt Cameron from start to finish. Beautiful rendition of Pink Floyd’s Mother in the encore, and Sad makes its 2014 debut. Ed says if anyone wants to smoke, you should go see Snoop Lion (performing at the same time on another stage). Following Sad, Ed mentions surfers and invites Mick Fanning, a local world-renowned surfer, on stage to have a sip of his wine, then brings out another famous Aussie surfer Mark Occilupo aka “Occy,” who’s standing on the side of the stage, and dedicates Better Man to them. As the song starts, he implores the crowd to “…sing it for me, make me look good,” and they oblige. Both surfers join in, throwing tambourines and drinking wine, and the song stretches out to 8 ½ minutes. Porch intro is bouncy and upbeat, Ed’s in a great mood and swinging around on an orb for half the song. Mike jumps down into the front barrier for Alive, leaning in and letting the crowd reach out for him. Quick transition from Alive to Rockin’, Ed says “…hope we don’t get in trouble for this one…” as Rockin’ starts.