Pete Townshend has shared some good advice he gave Eddie Vedder after nine fans died at a Pearl Jam gig in 2000. Because the incident reminded the musician of a similar misfortune during his own career.
Pearl Jam were on stage at Roskilde Festival in Denmark when there was a huge crowd. As a result, nine men between the ages of 17 and 26 died. Another 26 fans were injured. It was a moment that made Townshend think back to a similar incident in his career. At a concert by The Who on December 3, 1979 in Cincinnati, eleven people were killed and eight others were seriously injured.
“The incident was very close to the death of Keith Moon,” says Townshend. “It was a double whammy. I was definitely in a bad way. When the Roskilde incident happened, I wrote Eddie a two-word message: ‘Can’t do it’ and then they stayed. And I think it was very important that they did that.” Because it is crucial to stay on site after an accident in order to talk to the remaining victims and work through negative emotions together.
“We shouldn’t have performed”
However, you have to find the right time for the next gig. The singer adds: “When we [aus Cincinnati] left, we drove on to Buffalo the following day. And there we went on stage and I remember Roger [Daltrey] said – and I must make it clear that at the time I was 100% behind Roger’s statement – ‘Let’s play this gig for Rock ‘n’ Roll and the Kids of Cincinnati!’ It was totally inappropriate. I mean just wrong. […] We shouldn’t have performed.”
Townshend also notes that both bands “were carrying a stained flag” as a result, explaining, “I was such a flag-waver for the rock ‘n’ roll ethos. I thought something magical happened when great music was played in front of an audience. And I think that can still happen. But I think maybe I overdid it too much. And when the moment came when it all went wrong, you watch and you ask yourself, ‘Is this our fault?’ And while you don’t want to live with it for the rest of your life, the answer has to be yes. There can be no other answer. Whether or not that responsibility extends to huge insurance lawsuits is another story.”
“The emotional aftermath is felt differently by each person”
The musician continues: “But the emotional aftermath is felt differently by each person. I think I personally buried the incident for a long time. I’m not very good at dealing with grief and drama. Instead, I tend to internalize my feelings and they resurface later. In fact, Eddie and I have never spoken of it since.”
Townshend concludes, “When we come back to America next year, and I think we will, we’re going to do a really big event for a foundation in Cincinnati. It took a long time for us [den Vorfall] processed far enough to be able to speak about it publicly”.