Grunge diehards get excited, there’s a chance that Pearl Jam’s vocalist could be making an appearance at next year’s Soundwave festival in Brisbane.

Eddie Vedder, who is in Australia with Pearl Jam next January to co-headline the Big Day Out 2014 lineup, is sticking around in February for a national solo tour, including a date at Brisbane’s QPAC Concert Hall that overlaps with the opening date of Soundwave 2014.

The rumour comes from the hard and heavy festival’s very own AJ Maddah, the Big Day Out/Soundwave promoter tweeting to a fan that he has a “good feeling” Vedder may make a surprise appearance to guest with fellow grunge survivalists, Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots, at the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane, as FasterLouder reports.

Vedder has had a long association with both Soundwave bands, including a combatative history over the years with Stone Temple Pilots, who arrive for Soundwave with new vocalist Chester Bennington (of Linkin Park, who replaced former vocalist Scott Weiland).

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Vedder is far more “tight” with Alice In Chains, who came up with Pearl Jam in the Seattle scene of the late 80s and grunge boom of the early 90s. Vedder was a close friend of late vocalist Layne Staley, recording a tribute with Pearl Jam to the Alice In Chains vocalist called ‘4/20/02’ – named after the last living date of the frontman.

Staley’s replacement, singer/guitarist William DuVall – who has fronted Alice In Chains since their 2009 reformation – noted his immense respect for Vedder in a recent interview with Drowned In Sound discussing the grunge era. “All of those bands suffered some sort of head on collision and all of the fallout from that,” says DuVall.

“In the most extreme cases there were people that did not survive it, and even the people that survived, mortally speaking, they paid a heavy price,” he continues. “Pearl Jam had to straight up pull back, Vedder had to go ‘I don’t even want it, I don’t care what it does to our ‘career’, either we put the breaks on or I gotta go.'”

The discussion that sparked the possibility of Vedder guesting at Soundwave came from a fan tweeting Maddah about a possible Australian tour from another grunge-era favourite, Soundgarden, who were rumoured for both Big Day Out and Soundwave, alongside Pearl Jam – to which the promoter replied: “I don’t think we’ll be seeing [Pearl Jam] here again for a few years… Doubt we’ll see [Soundgarden] ever again.”

Maddah’s comments make Pearl Jam’s exclusivity to the Big Day Out all the more tantalising, especially given recent comments indicating that they will now close the one-day touring festival with a three-hour set. “Once you do a 3 hour set at a festival you are bound to [clash],” Maddah tweeted in response to a query about Boiler Room headliner Steve Angello overlapping with Pearl Jam, as FasterLouder points out.

On the Soundwave front, the hard and heavy festival is getting a third lineup announcement – which could land before Christmas – to expand the 88-strong bill, including the addition of polarising post-hardcore outfit Falling In Reverse, as long as they can sort out immigration paperwork for their frontman Ronnie Radke. “They’re confirmed but I won’t announce them till we have visas approved,” said Maddah.

Other bands expected on the third Soundwave 2014 lineup announcement include the award-winning thrash group King Parrot, all but confirmed in September, and self-described “Psychedelic Reggae Ska Doom Metal Punk Rock From Hell,” The Bennies.

Soundwave 2014 Dates & Tickets

Tickets on sale Thrusday 9th September at 9am
via: soundwavefestival.com, oztix.com.au & other outlets

Saturday 22nd February – Brisbane, RNA Showgrounds
Sunday 23rd February – Sydney, Olympic Park
Friday 28th February – Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse
Saturday 1st March – Adelaide, Bonython Park
Monday 3rd March – Perth, Claremont Showgrounds

Eddie Vedder Australian Tour 2014

TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY 18th DECEMBER, 10AM

Friday 7th February – Riverside Theatre, Perth
www.ticketek.com.au 132 849
Saturday 8th February – Riverside Theatre, Perth
www.ticketek.com.au 132 849
Tuesday 11th February – State Theatre, Sydney
www.ticketemaster.com.au 136 100
Thursday 13th February – Opera House, Sydney
www.sydneyoperahouse.com 02 9250 7777
Sunday 16th February – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
Tuesday 18th February – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
Saturday 22nd February – QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au 136 246
Sunday 23rd February – QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au 136 246

For more information go to: www.chuggentertainment.com

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