After a few years working in drugstores and gas stations (as they call like to call them), Eddie Vedder found himself wandering the world quite unsure of who he was. Kicking around southern California and once again retreating to his love of music for some elusive solace, Vedder soon found the company of a few guys who were in bands.

Nothing unusual in that, except that these were bands like Soundgarden and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A former Chili Pepper's drummer gave Vedder a demo from a band from Seattle who were seeking a vocalist - Vedder sent a tape back, having written and performed vocals for the tracks. The lyrics - the story of his life, in a way - became some of Pearl Jam's best known songs; 'Once', Footsteps' and the epic, gigantic, 'Alive'. The rest really is history.

Eddie Vedder joined up with his new band mates and recorded one of the best-selling rock records of all time. Their debut LP, 'Ten', has sold nearly 14 million copies and counting. Pearl Jam have released eight more studio records, shifting around 60 million albums in total - all nine records to date have made the US Top 5 and the last, 2009's 'Backspacer', became their fourth No 1 stateside.

In parallel, Vedder has launched a promising solo career; first recording his debut album in 2007, the soundtrack to the movie 'Into the Wild', and, last year, his second effort, 'Ukulele Songs'. The album, a mixture of original songs and covers, made No 4 in the US and Vedder is taking the material on a short European tour this summer.

Eddie Vedder will be playing just two solo UK dates in July, at the Manchester Apollo on 28th and then the Hammersmith Apollo on 30th. We will have tickets available for both shows from 9am on Friday 23rd March, priced £45 for Manchester and £37.50/£50 for Hammersmith.

Meanwhile, Pearl Jam are also touring this summer with three UK dates scheduled for June. The grunge icons play the Manchester Arena (formerly the MEN) on 20th and 21st June, followed by a Saturday appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival 2012 on 23rd June. We have Premium tickets available now for the first Manchester date and Standard-priced tickets for the second show and the Isle of Wight event.