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)

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 :)

Video of the Day!

Track: Do the Evolution
Band: Pearl Jam
Album: Yield

Great Song, Great Video. Please watch.

Could it be 1992 all over again?

We've seen the release of new Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam albums over the past couple of months, and although neither album can compete with earlier efforts it does beckon the question... 'Is Grunge Coming Back?'

Well, last year did see the return of Stone Temple Pilots to the touring circuit and more recently rumours of a Soundgarden reunion have been circulating. The only major absentee from the early 90's Grunge explosion, for obvious reasons, would be Nirvana. So could 2010, the ushering in of a new decade, see the rebirth of a genre that surely faded out too fast?