Vedder roasts Howard
15th November 2006, 8:00 WST

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder is the latest major overseas rocker to roast Prime Minister John Howard.
Midway through the American quintet's Melbourne show last night, Vedder slammed Howard for blaming the decline of the Australian economy on bananas.
"You know what," he said, "John Howard should get his hand off of George Bush's banana!"
The comment drew a huge roar from the 12,000-strong sell-out crowd.
The American rockers have never shied away from political commentary, in particular criticism of the Bush Government and the Iraq War. They were one of the first mainstream rock bands to openly condemn their government's actions. Like the Dixie Chicks, they have faced strong criticism for it at home.
Last night's incendiary two-and-a-half-hour show, the first of three sold-out engagements in Melbourne, dug heavily into the band's enormous back catalogue - now eight studio albums deep - and broke the venue's curfew by 20 minutes.
Highlights included Black, Alive, Corduroy, Given To Fly, Daughter and a surprise cover of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing.
When a security guard attempted to eject a patron for smoking a cigarette, Vedder stopped singing and pleaded with the guard to go easy on him.
"I'm the bad guy, not him," he noted, before cheekily lighting a cigarette on stage.
"Take me before you take him!" he said defiantly.
Pearl Jam play at Subiaco Oval on November 25.

That's a cool post Spudsgirl. Smoking is banned in public in Ireland too. I was at the Dublin show way back in August. It was an incredible night. The guy next to me lit a cigarette. We were about 20 rows back I guess. He turned to me and said there was no way security would ever get to him in such a big crowd so fuck it. I agreed and started to smoke the joint I'd kept in my pocket. I could hear loads of people in the crowd going 'Hash!', 'Can you smell hash?'. It was funny.
Just after getting stoned, the guys played Crazy Mary and I started a chant of 'Boooooooom!'. A perfect moment I thought I'd share.

I find a bit lame that Ed cant win the fight against his cigarrete adiction.

i find it kinda lame a bouncer would try to 'eject' someone at a show for smoking. and I hate smoking.

I support the bouncer, if a person wants to smoke, go do it in a place where it doesnt intoxicate other people.

Yeah, I hope he can stop smoking, it's not doing him much good.

I'm all about not smoking but it shouldn't warrant getting kicked out of a concert.

There is nothing wrong with getting intoxicated every now and then.