On July 20, Pearl Jam had to cancel their concert in Vienna – after admission to the Stadthalle had already begun. Singer Eddie Vedder has health problems with his vocal cords and is not yet able to perform again. He couldn’t sing because of the smoke he had to inhale during the tour in France. The band announced the sad news in a Facebook post – fans are upset, although the reason for the late cancellation may have been that Pearl Jam had been trying to get 57-year-old Vedder fit.
Following this “brutal message,” as Pearl Jam put it, fan reactions have ranged from sympathy to anger – the comment box is about to explode. Some show understanding and write sentiments like “poor people in Vienna ….. but there is only one voice of Eddie Vedder … and it is so unique, it absolutely needs to be treated and completely healed”, or “you know what …. he’s only human… and health comes first. Get well soon Ed”. The others are deeply disappointed and angry.
One user is of the opinion, among other things, that Pearl Jam informed the fans too late. He writes, “Please don’t get me wrong, but you should know that for all people who travel hundreds of kilometers, a morning notification is a kind of ‘last second failure'”. Another user adds the statement: “I doubt that you found out about his situation at 6 p.m.”. For some fans, a Pearl Jam concert means several years of preparation. One woman explains: “I’m really disappointed. We waited 2 years for this concert, cut short my vacation with friends and drove 5 hours to Vienna. When I was preparing for this concert and on my way to the ‘Wr. Stadthalle’, I wondered why people in PJ shirts were driving in the opposite direction… and then I heard the very bad news”.
Finally, there are those who come up with alternative plans for the group to somehow get the show going. For example, one fan suggested making a stopover in Vienna shortly before returning to America. Another has analyzed the voices of the other band members closely and states: “What I always ask myself when I hear announcements like this is: could another member of the band sing the songs in Ed’s place? I know some of the other guys do back up vocals and are good at singing. I personally would be interested in hearing one of the other guys sing the songs if they have a decent voice, rather than delaying or missing out on a concert by a band I love like PJ.” Whatever the solution will look like – Pearl Jam have to reckon with great criticism.