Pearl Jam have announced the Australian and New Zealand dates of their ‘Dark Matter’ World Tour 2024. The band last performed in Australia for Big Day Out 2014.
The anticipated announcement follows their teasing of fans Down Under with pop-up installations and hints of new music on the horizon.
The album release tour will kick off with a one-off New Zealand show in Auckland on November 8th, followed by shows in Gold Coast on November 13th and Melbourne on November 16th. The tour will conclude with a final stop in Sydney on November 21st. The band will be joined by alternative rockers Pixies for all dates.
As for Dark Matter, Pearl Jam will release their twelfth studio album of that name on April 19th, followed by a massive 35-date worldwide tour in May. The band has given the first taste of the forthcoming album with the tile track released today. Dark Matter will be their first record since their 2023 live album, Give Way.
The album was recorded last year by Pearl jam members – Eddie Vedder [vocals], Jeff Ament [bass], Stone Gossard [rhythm guitar], Mike McCready [lead guitar], and Matt Cameron [drums] – at Rick Rubin’s infamous Shangri-La Studios in Malibu with producer Andrew Watt at the helm. With three decades of musical prowess under their belts, the album came about in just three weeks by the tight-knit group hailing from Seattle.
Vedder said: “I’m getting chills, because I have good memories. We’re still looking for ways to communicate. We’re at this time in our lives when you could do it or you could not do it, but we still care about putting something out there that is meaningful and we hopefully think is our best work. No hyperbole, I think this is our best work.”
Ament added, “What Ed said about getting us in a room at this point, we felt like we were about to make a really important record. A lot of that had to do with the atmosphere Andrew set up. He has encyclopedic knowledge of our history, not only as a band and how we wrote songs, but as players.
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“He could pinpoint things we did on old songs to the point where I was like, ‘What the fuck is he talking about?’ His excitement was contagious. He’s a force. I just want to say thanks for keeping us on track. I couldn’t be prouder of us as a band. I feel so grateful for the fans, but mostly for my brothers and these people I’ve made music with.”
Pearl Jam 2024 Australia & New Zealand Tour
Tickets via their official website
Friday, November 8th
Go Media Stadium, Mt Smart, Auckland w/ Pixies
Wednesday, November 13th
Heritage Bank Stadium, Gold Coast w/ Pixies
Saturday, November 16th
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne w/ Pixies
Thursday, November 21th
Giants Stadium, Sydney w/ Pixies
