Pearl Jam Bassist Breaks Fan’s Nose, Fan Says “Worth It”

Kiwi Pearl Jam fan Sherif Hassan was stoked when he was asked to join a game of pick-up basketball with Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler and Pearl Jam bass player Jeff Ament. So excited was he, that even a broken nose at the hands of Mr Ament didn’t quash the young man’s spirits.

While in the country for the Auckland leg of the Big Day Out tour, Ament and Butler invited Hassan to join them for a game of ball at an Auckland park. It was then that Ament showed Hassan the fiercely competitive streetball skills that he picked up on the rugged streets of Seattle, Washington.

“He’s aggressive, I’ll tell you that much,” Hassan told Triple J. “He broke my nose. It was actually the last play of the game––the one time I decided to play proper defence. All I heard was Win going off about how the rules are rubbish down here…throwing balls around and chucking a bit of a hissy fit.”

However, Ament’s aggravated assault did not make an ex-fan of Hassan, who told The Doctor, “It was worth it.” According to Hassan, “[Ament] got us all tickets to the Auckland BDO and hooked us up with backstage passes. I got to meet Lorde, Major Lazer and Mac Miller.”

Hassan and his mates even managed to score a photo with the Kiwi sensation and the revelry didn’t stop there. “We got to the front of stage for Pearl Jam, and [Pearl Jam frontman] Eddie Vedder gave me a shout out.” Stay tuned to all the Big Day Out news at our special Feed, here.

Gallery: Pearl Jam – Big Day Out 2014, Gold Coast 19/01/14

Photos by Rebecca Reid

Gallery: Arcade Fire – Big Day Out 2014, Gold Coast 19/01/14

Photos by Rebecca Reid