Soundgarden Outshine All in my list of Top Shows!

I'm in agony, pure agony because I hope this is not the only time I see Soundgarden live. The only consolation being that if I don't they will probably remain at the top of my all time live performance list. They were simply brilliant.

Back in January I got tickets for the Paris date as a birthday gift and it must've taken me a few minutes to fully grasp the magnitude of such a gift. Never, in my wildest dreams had I imagined seeing these guys in concert. Along with bands like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots, they were my bread and butter as a teenager.

So, enough with the chatter... how good were they really? Well, the set was 22 songs long and that equated to just over 2 hours worth of stage time. During that time we got to hear all the classics along with new song 'Live to Rise'. Cornell's voice, although strained, was note perfect. He avoided doing anything stupid which meant that every song was vocally spot on. I agree with people that say his best years are behind him but with that being said, this guy is constantly performing and recording, I don't think that his voice has had a proper break for years. So, yeah, Chris Cornell, legend.

The rest of the guys just oozed confidence. Kim Thayill on guitar rocking away with his wah-wah and a very impressive beard, dude was flawless. The human metronome, Matt Cameron also provided some very effective backing vocals (need I comment on his drumming?. Ben Shepherd was a beast on bass, his style is immediately recognisable. However, he did show a little bit of rock star attitude at the end when he kicked a light and stormed off. But hey, who cares! It was a great show and now we wait for the album :)



My all time top 5 so far are:

1. Soundgarden (Paris 2012)
2. Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Madrid 2002)
3. Alter Bridge (Dortmund 2011)
4. Alice in Chains (London 2009)
5. Metallica (Lisbon 2007)
Honorable mentions:
6. Mastodon (Donnington 2005)
7. Machine Head (Nottingham 2003)
8. Breed 77 (Gibraltar 2000)
9. Guns N Roses (Madrid 2010)
10. Slipknot (Donnington 2005)

Rumour has it...

According to my sources at Sonisphere Spain there was one band that stood out amongst some of the titans and even though bands like Gojira, Machine Head, Soundgarden and Slayer all got honourable mentions apparently Skindred was unbelievable!

I've known about the guys for a while and have a few select tracks on my ipod but didn't realise they got so much respect for their live shows.

So here's 'Warning' by the reggae fused metal band that you now need to check out!

New Ugly Kid Joe Video!!!

Many people remember Ugly Kid Joe for two reasons: 1. Everything About You, 2. Cats in the Cradle. Personally, I loved the song 'Milkmans Son' and several other tunes that regularly rocked my cd player and in recent years my ipod.

The guys are back and here's their latest music video for the new song 'Devil's Paradise'. It's a throw back to their heavier stuff and it's got everything you'd expect for them musically. Simple but effective riff, catchy lyrics, interesting drum fills and a guitar solo. They aren't touring Spain but you can catch them around Europe in June. Welcome back Ugly Kid Joe!

Soundgarden to Dominate Sonisphere

That's right, the legend that is Soundgarden is back on European soil and this weekend they hit up Getafe for the Sonisphere festival. We already took a look at one of the Andalucian bands taking part (Vita Imana) and now it's time for the headliners.

Having dispanded shortly after the release of 'Down on the Upside' the Seattle band were at the time seen as the biggest band on the planet especially after the death of Kurt Cobain, the demise of Alice in Chains and the lacklustre contributions from Pearl Jam (thankfully PJ got back on course!).

Cornell went on to do his own thing blah blah blah... (I loved his work btw) but now Soundgarden are back and I might be missing the Getafe gig but I will be in Paris on Tuesday night to see them so I'll get back to you on how they did :)

Godsmack Rock the Mountain Way

I'm a sucker for a good cover and I was a big Godsmack fan in years gone by. I still think that the album 'Awake' is one of the finest hard rock albums of its generation, but theres only so many times you can spruce up the same formula which is where Godsmack have since fallen short.

I was peeking at the Billboard charts and saw they have a new album out 'Live & Inspired' which includes live tracks and some covers of songs that inspired them (hence the name). Among the covers are 'Come Together', 'Nothing else Matters' and this ... Rocky Mountain Way

The PETEBOX gives Van Dyke a run for his money!

One man bands were a bit complicated in the past and Dick Van Dyke did a good job of it in Mary Poppins... terrible reference, I know, but hey, this guys is really good! The PETEBOX is a solo artist from the UK and he's been making a name for himself. His debut album is called 'Future Loops' and if you dig the track below you'll love the rest of it.

Nuff said!

Is there a Revolution in the air?

Living in the sun has its perks but with much of Europe now hitting a major recession you could say that some times things get a little desperate. In this part of the World even the most ridiculous of issues seems to get a rise out of opposing political parties and as usual, the regular citizen suffers.

Needless to say, it's days like this when bands like Rage Against the Machine get extra kudos for inspiring us to fight for what we believe in... here's Bulls on Parade!

The Hunt begins tomorrow!

Apparently, the new Grand Magus album 'The Hunt' will be released tomorrow. I personally loved the 'Hammer of the North' record and still slap on 'I the Jury' when I need to get things done.

Mixing Scandinavian style metal riffs with classic rock influences and mythological lyrics, Grand Magus might not be doing something new, but they do what they do very well. They also feature members from rock supergroup, Spiritual Beggars.

Mr Darcy show live Instinct

As highlighted in an earlier post on this blog, Gibraltar Radio is currently showcasing local talent in a live acoustic setting. Latest guests, 'Mr Darcy' showed off their song 'Instinct' which has both English and Spanish lyrics, harmonies and some very interesting chord progressions.

Blind Melon announce Spanish tour!

So Shannon Hoon is dead and we will never see the original Blind Melon lineup play live ever again. But, they have a perfectly able replacement in Travis Warren and I for one can't wait to see these guys in action (as long as I can get tickets!).

Here's the single from the album they did a couple of years back with Warren. It's called Wishing Well and is my personal favourite from the album 'For My Friends'.

Los News find love in the wrong places

Hailing from Sevilla, 'Los News' are a far from their sevillana roots and display an edgy rock sound similar to that of The Vines, Jet and The Strokes. Playing their first gig in Gibraltar this friday alongside grunge rockers 'Orange Peel', the Spaniards will find themselves welcomed by the locals as all Spanish bands are and hopefully they will be back for more!

Gibraltarian Rock Band show a Softer side

Gibraltarian based rock band Voodoo Monkey who are known for hard hitting rock n roll recently played up at the local radio station and here's a fly on the wall cam of one of the songs they performed.

Tremonti Solo Stuff Sounds Great Live!

I put up the audio version of this song a few days back and now Mr Tremonti has recorded a live version complete with video and it sounds great!

The most worrying thing for me when hearing about this solo project was whether he could do the singing side of things live. After hearing and seeing this, all my doubts are gone. Enjoy.

Space Lord Mother, Mother!!!

Not a fan of VEVO and their desire to cut out swear words and block videos in certain countries... ridiculous if you ask me, but gives bands that are somewhat forgotten a bit more coverage I suppose.

An example being hard/mushroom induced Monster Magnet, who know how to rock out with the best of them but never really hit it big with anything other than this classic. Note, Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson, A Perfect Circle) doing his best air guitar impression in the car.

Start Monday with some Cake

An International hatred for Mondays can only be resolved with something sweet and in this case I went for some Cake. Not just any Cake but a 90's example of alternative music fusing genres. I'd describe them as a mix between Beck and Fun Lovin Criminals... both of which Ive included below... just for kicks.

Mark Tremonti unleashes solo single!

Being a follower of Alter Bridge (not so much of Creed) I was compelled to find out what Mark Tremonti's solo album was like. Luckily, a single has been released... and well, it's pretty sweet!

Sonisphere Spain shows off Spanish Talent!

The Spanish metal scene has been in bloom for some time but it is rare to see these bands get the recognition they deserve. Bands like Overdry, V3ctors and now Vita Imana have been making the right kind of waves. Luckily for Vita Imana they seem to be riding it all the way to Sonisphere!

Sharing the Saturday stage with bands like Gojira, Slayer, Fear Factory, Mastodon and Metallica should give these guys the kind of attention they've no doubt been craving. Catch them on Saturday 26th May at the Sonisphere Festival in Getafe (Madrid).

Here's the latest video I could find...

Get the day off to a good start with Reznor Zeppelin

First port of call when at work is to find a song to raise the spirits and get the day rolling. I'd usually go for the Led Zep version but there's nothing wrong with Trent Reznor and Karen O making this sound heavier, dirtier and well... it does the job!

All Hail the Sabbath...

Black Sabbath are doing yet another comeback with a new album in the works. Still unsure about whether or not Bill Ward will be on drums but one thing for sure is that Ozzy is on vocals.

Ozzy might be the first person most of us think of when we hear the words Black Sabbath, but daaaaaaaaamn, Dio did a pretty good job while he was in the band. Not sure? Check this out!

Catch Alhandal all over Spain!

When it comes to hard working bands in Spain you have to admire Alhandal and their work ethic. They've been at it for years and have built up a strong following all over the Costa Del Sol and in other parts of Spain.

Below is a link to their facebook group for all their updates and the music video for 'En El Lago' a cover of the classic by Triana.

Alhandal Facebook Group

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing... I was jamming along to this

Gotta love a lil bit of Jack Johnson on those mornings where nothing seems to be going right. I guess this song brings back memories of a happy summer and you can't go wrong singing along to something that does that to you.

Take me off the Worry List...

Stumbled across Blue October after revisiting some BUSH tracks and ... hmmm, surprisingly interesting.

This song, although fairly simple, is lyrically stimulating and the video itself could get you a lil emotional.