One lucky fan was able to swap picks with Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder during Sunday's Auckland show.
Video / Supplied
A second young Kiwi struck lucky with United States grunge superstars Pearl Jam during their final show in Auckland on Sunday night, as frontman Eddie Vedder approached the teenager to “swap picks” after spotting his homemade sign draped over the guardrails.
The aspiring musician has been identified as Harry Martin, a 14-year-old guitarist from Whakatāne.
A video taken at Go Media Stadium at Mt Smart on November 10 and shared with the Herald shows the teen standing next to his sign with the words, “Swap picks bro?”
When Vedder comes down into the audience to sing during the show, he walks up to Harry and hands him a pick from his pocket, taking the teen’s red pick in return.
With his parents introducing him to their music, Harry has been a fan of Pearl Jam – whose members include Vedder, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Jeff Ament – since he was 2 years old.
Harry Martin's sign caught the attention of Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder at the band's concert on Sunday night.
He had put together the sign with his mum a few hours before the show began, yet the Whakatāne teen told the Herald he did not expect any of the rockers to actually swap picks with him.
“I was not expecting it at all. I was sort of hoping that it would happen. And when it did, I was just over the moon, really,” Harry said.
“Me and my mum [made it] a couple hours beforehand. I told her, ‘Hey mum, we should make a sign’.” He then joked, “She did most of the work, to be honest”.
While Harry’s favourite moment from the night was undoubtedly crossing paths with Vedder, he also loved hearing Better Man performed live.
Eddie Vedder (left) and Stone Gossard (right) on stage at the Go Media Stadium at Mt Smart in Auckland for Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter tour on Friday, November 8. Photo / Tom Grut (Frog Productions)
“That was the first song I heard, actually.”
Harry’s unforgettable moment comes as another video emerged from Sunday night’s performance showing a budding guitarist, since identified as 17-year-old Leon Fenemor, joining Pearl Jam onstage to perform an ecstatic rendition of Neil Young’s 1991 hit Rockin’ in the Free World during the band’s encore.
When asked about Leon’s performance, Harry said he was “so proud of him” for getting on stage with the stars.
“Honestly, I wish I could be up there with him playing.”
What’s he planning to do with the prized guitar pick from the concert then? Harry is part of his own music group, playing guitar in a local band called 437 from his high school in the Bay of Plenty town.
437 will join the extensive lineup for the Whakaari Waiata Remembrance Concert planned at Ōhope Beach Golf Links on Saturday, December 7, which will mark the 5th anniversary of the Whakaari White Island eruption.
Harry and his band will be opening the summer concert for artists like Joel Shadbolt (frontman for L.A.B.), Maisey Rika, and members of the Kora whānau, among several others.
All proceeds from the remembrance concert will go towards creating a permanent memorial to honour those affected by the devastating eruption, which killed 22 people on December 9, 2019.
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based digital producer and editorial assistant for the Herald who covers lifestyle, entertainment, and travel.
