So what drags a 41 years young painter and decorator on a sixty mile round trip to Pontypridd on a very wet evening, of a very wet day, at the end of a very wet summer?

The answer is simple, it's the same thing that dragged him (me) from Wales to North London's Finsbury Park in a battered Vauxhall Cavalier early in the summer of 1992, and to a host of beautiful (and some not so beautiful) cities including Berlin, Madrid, Belfast and Manchester over the last twenty years. Hell, there was even one incredible night in Cardiff.....that sometimes now seems like a distant dream. The answer is Pearl Jam,  plain and simple. A band that fair exploded all over the world almost immediately back in 1991/92,  and almost as quickly began to perplex a lot of people as they seemed to veer more and more away from the path of rock super stardom that was being paved for them by the industry. For me and countless other disciples what they did was to purposely navigate away from the conventional course in order to maintain control over their own creation, and more importantly, to preserve their own sanity. So, this is what it comes to after twenty years, a carefully planned and pretty much unique 'anniversary' year for the band that is commemorated around the globe in the shape of 'PJ20' or 'Pearl Jam Twenty' (as in Pearl Jam Ten....geddit?), a Cameron Crowe directed documentary that spans the band's career so far, and for one night only it's in cinemas right around the world....including Wales!

So most people will know how the Pearl Jam story began, and about their enormous early record sales, the crazed nervous energy filled shows, and the press induced 'Pearl Jam V Nirvana' debacle. It's since then that a lot of people, well, sort of lost interest I guess; on that note most people will be pleased to hear that Crowe has created a fantastically watchable as well as informative film document, that may even re-kindle interest with the most apathetic amongst you. Beginning inevitably, in Seattle, with some great swooping sky scrapes interspersed with personal home movie footage from band members, Crowe begins his story. It's a fine balance he's managed, just enough comedy, and just enough tragedy, the movie is heavy on interview footage done in the last year and a half with very candidly speaking band members, plus a cast of extras including Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. There's no stone unturned really, and as the band re-count the horror of their ill fated headline appearance at Roskilde in June 2000 you really feel the chill of the horrific situation. Nine concert goers tragically lost their lives that night, and it left an indelible mark on the band, though it's somewhat reassuring to hear that it's the kids and their families that the band alludes to at all times. As a note, what isn't mentioned is what the band have done in terms of making, and in some cases maintaining, personal contact with the grief stricken families since the tragedy.

We get to see some very rare live footage, maybe the pick of which is the never before aired MTV party to launch the movie Singles, which was being filmed in Seattle during the formation of the band. Here, a reluctant performance from a band on the verge of burn out after a year of solid touring descends into a (very, very) drunk shouting match between Eddie Vedder and, well, just about everyone in the room. When Crowe informs him in a recent interview that he's unearthed the footage, Vedder covers his eyes as he smiles and, obviously embarrassed jokes "really, you have that....I won't be watching that." Another performance highlight is from Nassau around 2002, to see Ed take the stage for an encore resplendent in sparkling silver dinner jacket and George Bush mask to play 'Bush leaguer'. A crowd obviously heavy on Republican voters don't take too kindly, a lot towards the front look a little awkward, and ultimately the band are resoundly "boooooed". But as bassist Jeff Ament later says, they're happy enough with that as long as they're putting their point across in their 'art' and being true to what they believe. Which is simply the point of Pearl Jam since day one, to play music, to be a band that's true to their own beliefs, the kind of band I'm sure most people dreamed of being in when they were teenagers. Another highlight is Ed's speech upon inducting Neil Young into the rock and roll hall of fame, he suggests that someone with a sense of humour sat the band next to Ticketmaster's table, this is just after the band's long and arduous court battle with the business giant. He goes on to suggest a food fight, in fact he says "maybe we should all just get the fuckers while they're here", you see Neil and his band as well as Page and Plant pretty much giggling like school boys at the side of the stage. It's like these old war horses can't believe there's finally someone who'll stir the pot up. It may in reality be no more than a young kid 'jipping' a teacher, but it's obvious that those guys just love to see that sort of disobedience.

So should anyone, apart from those in attendance in cinemas on September 20th, see this movie? Frankly I can't see a single reason why not, if you have even a passing interest in rock music then this is more than watchable. If you've enjoyed the better quality music documentaries over the last few years, most notably Scorcese's Dylan movie and Julian Temple's brilliant 'Oil City Confidental', then this is right up there. You may think you have no time for Pearl Jam for whatever reason, but on seeing this and being informed correctly you will find that the only valid reason is that you just may not like their music. Which I'm sure is absolutely fine by the band. If ever their motives or egos have been called into question, then this movie puts everyone in the picture of a band who do what they want for the right reasons, as they see them....and who can argue with that? To me it's the greatest rock and roll movie about the greatest rock and roll band ever, and as I leave the cinema I note that it's still raining, just like it does all the time in Seattle....apparently, and I can't wait for the DVD.

www.pj20.com