Pearl Jam ready to rock NZ

Pearl Jam are in town and have brought some famous friends with them.

Tonight Pearl Jam, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 and New Zealand's own Liam Finn will rock Mt Smart Stadium from 5.30pm.

Coming off the back of their groundbreaking Backspacer album the legendary grunge rockers are back on our shores for the first time in 11 years.

During their Australian shows the band have been playing a plethora of hits ranging from Jeremy, One, Yellow Ledbetter to this year's Backspacer hits and covers from Neil Young, Pink Floyd and duets with Ben Harper and Liam Finn.

We take a look at what to expect from their NZ shows.

Perth
The start of the Australian leg of their tour, Pearl Jam played to a crowd of 30,000 for a mighty two-and-a-half hours. A jovial Eddie Vedder announced early in the show, "There will be some lip-synching tonight. Not so I can dance or change outfits. It's so I can drink and smoke. I just thought I should declare that because of the new rules." And he did, sharing his wine with the crowd throughout the show.

Sydney
Eddie Vedder had a cold. Obviously unwell, he had to exit the stage at times to spew and lie-down. Despite this, fans still raved about the effort that he put in to delivering their songs. Sticking closely to new material, the band strayed away from their bigger hits and played mainly Backspacer tracks. Surfing buddy Ben Harper performed INXS's Never Tear Us Apart earlier in the night to mark the 12th anniversary of Michael Hutchence's death.

Brisbane
Fully recovering from the cold that plagued their Sydney performance, Pearl Jam's final Australian show was referred to as being a 'classic' performance. Following the show fans blogged about it being arguably the best show of the tour. Playing AC/DC cover If You Want Blood (You Got It) live for the first time, Pearl Jam captivated the Brisbane crowd.

Despite being middle-aged (Vedder is 44), the band are still hitting their stride musically - Backspacer is one of the more successful albums of their career - and change their set list for every gig.

Critic Tim Cashmere from music website Undercover.com.au said the set "dripped with iconic tunes from their two decades of music."

Auckland & Christchurch
Expect the usual hits but also anticipate to be surprised by some unlikely covers.

For those of you lucky enough to be one of the 45,000 ticket holders, transport to and from the event is easy.

Special train services will be running to Penrose Station, which is a short ten minute walk to Mt. Smart Stadium. Special return fares are available.

Buses from the North Shore (via the busway stations) and Manukau City to Mt Smart stadium will be in place with special one-way or return fares.

To plan your trip visit www.maxx.co.nz

Gates open at 4.30pm with Liam Finn starting at half past five. Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 start at 6.30pm, with the main act coming on at eight.

Who: Pearl Jam
Where and when: November 27, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland. November 29, AMI Stadium, Christchurch