End of an Era...

It is with immense sadness that we announce our amazing singer, Santi, will be leaving Pearl Jamm. Santi has done an incredible job for us and endeared himself to our audience. He has become a great friend and someone with whom we have shared experiences none of us ever thought possible when we started the band. It’s truly been an incredible journey and we’ve loved every minute of it.

As many of you know, Santi comes from a town near Alicante in Spain. In these strange times we live in, it is understandable that thoughts of home and of family come to the fore. Santi has made the decision to return home to Spain at the end of the year. He will fulfil all planned gigging commitments, subject to government restrictions. We really hope we will be able to have a farewell gig together before he leaves and give him the send off he deserves..

Of course, the band is set to continue and we now begin our search for our next ‘Eddie’. Santi has set the bar extremely high - his vocal ability, stage presence and connection with the audience is second only to Eddie himself. If you know of someone who might fit the bill, please ask them to email us at: info@pearljamm.co.uk

Santi's Statement

It all started with a phrase that a dear friend of mine said out loud when I was back in Spain: “You remind me of Eddie Vedder, you sound like Eddie Vedder”. He repeated this phrase at least a couple of times, always after I finished gigs with my band back then. Now I think of all those little things that point you towards and give you clues on what to do next.

I started planning to make the jump and move to the UK. I was really scared. I had never lived out of Spain or in such a big city as London. That phrase came to me at that moment, I wanted to keep singing, no matter where or when or how, singing is part of who I am. So I typed the words “Pearl Jam tribute” on a website that I just discovered and an advert came up: “We’re looking for our Eddie Vedder”. Wow! I couldn’t believe it, I sent them a message with videos of me singing Release and Just breathe. Just re-reading the message now I sent back then, it was a Monday 21st of September 2015 at 6:55pm.

On the next day I got a reply signed by some guy named Richard. It went a bit like this:

Dear Santi, Thanks for getting in touch. We absolutely love you demos! We're really excited to meet you and see how you fit with the band. Where are you living at the moment? And what is bringing you to London? Do you know where you will be living yet? A job?

I had no answers whatsoever for any of the questions really 😂 But the day I read this message I cried and I was so grateful to Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder. That day I realised of the importance and ripple effect that our actions can have. Eddie and all of Pearl Jam, by creating and making music, gave me the opportunity to meet people that loved them and wanted to join to spread their music, they gave me the strength to say, screw it, I’m buying the flights! I’m sure they didn’t know the effect that their music and art would have on people when they started but I’m also sure that many, many people have been grateful and blessed by their work.

Since that day Pearl Jamm has been a pillar in my UK life. I’ve shared with these guys some ups and downs, I’ve travelled around the country (I wouldn’t have seen so many places if it wasn’t for Pearl Jamm), I’ve met amazing people on the way and kept in touch with some of them. I’ve shared stage with some amazing and passionate tributes as Alice in Chains UK. I still remember my first gig with Pearl Jamm - it was also my first ever gig in the UK. Me, a Spaniard, just relocated to London, singing for the first time in English for people that actually speak English! 😨😂

Now it is time for me to leave and it is with a sad heart that I write this, also because of the uncertainty of these days we all live right now. I will be leaving London and with London, the band 😓 But I know the band will carry on as these guys love Pearl Jam with all their hearts and I’m sure that I’ll miss them. I’m so grateful for these years that I can’t even begin to say out loud as tears come to my face but also joy, it has been a gift to share this time with you guys and I wish you the best! I’m sure we’ll all keep singing Pearl Jam songs one way or another 😀🎶

And to everyone that has been sharing our journey for the love of Pearl Jam, it has been a pleasure to meet you, to sing together, to crowd-surf together, to share marriage proposals, to laugh and cry together, to sweat together and to share those special moments together. Never in my life did I have imagine I would play for such awesome people and such big crowds, sharing the love of Pearl Jam.

Music is sacred, it is an art and it keeps us together and not apart. Let the music keep playing and our hearts keep singing, keeping us together in love, with our ups and downs as human beings that we are. Don’t let it fade. Even though music has been forced to stop, it will always be with us in our hearts. Make sure you sing louder than ever these crazy days, be strong, be brave, good luck and see you soon, somewhere else 😉

THANKS, THANKS, THANKS.

Santi.