Chris Cornell [Unofficial] News

Chris Cornell Sets Record Straight Re Kanye West & Big Day Out

2012-01-25T00:10:00.001Z

What Chris says in the above video clip from Triple.com.au ought to set matters straight on this much-misreported topic. It's all been something of a storm in a teacup - but like Chris says, it made good copy. Shame the press invariably need more to talk about than the music!

Soundgarden impress fans and critics Down Under

2012-01-23T13:45:00.001Z

Photo from Gold Coast show by Mark Calleja

Soundgarden have started their tour down under with some well-received appearances at the 2012 Big Day Out in Auckland, New Zealand and Australia's Gold Coast.

The New Zealand Herald called Soundgarden's set "nothing short of thrilling" while 3news.co.nz said "Soundgarden were the standout act of the final Auckland Big Day Out, with frontman Chris Cornell proving he’s maintained his vocal prowess over all these years."

After the band's first show in Australia, TripleM said "The hotly anticipated set from the newly reunited Soundgarden - featuring Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron and Chris Cornell - was epic."

Meanwhile, fans who attended the events had their say at Soundgardenworld.

Chris Cornell at the Golden Globes

2012-01-16T08:26:00.000Z

Chris Cornell & his wife Vicky on the red carpet [photo: Jason Merritt, Getty]

Chris Cornell attended the Golden Globes in Los Angeles last night with his wife Vicky. Although Chris's song 'The Keeper' from Machine Gun Preacher was nominated in the Best Original Song category, the award went to Madonna for her song 'Masterpiece' from her self-directed film W.E. A complete list of this year's winners can be found at the BBC and there are more photos of Chris and Vicky here.

'The Keeper' appears on the longlist for Oscar consideration; Madonna's song does not, apparently because it was placed too far into the end credits of the movie to qualify as a 'lead song' - see this Digital Spy news item. The list of Oscar nominations will be announced on January 24.

Soundgarden rehearsing for Australian Tour

2012-01-15T11:03:00.000Z

Chris Cornell tweeted this Soundgarden rehearsal photo today with the message "Rehearsing with Soundgarden for the upcoming tour down under!"

The band appear to be in Pearl Jam's Seattle rehearsal rooms - and if you look at the photo full size, is that Mike McCready sitting down in the background there?

Soundgarden start their run of dates in New Zealand and Australia on January 20 in Auckland. See the full list of dates at http://www.soundgardenworld.com or http://chriscornell.com.

Soundgarden Play Berlin

2012-01-11T11:40:00.000Z

Soundgarden have announced another European headline show, this time at the historic Zitadelle Spandau in Berlin on 31 May 2012.

Tickets are available HERE, or box office info is available on 01805.570000 (0,14 Euro/Min, mobile phone prices max. 0,42 Euro/Min.) Here's some further info about past concerts at the venue.

Soundgarden Play Paris

2012-01-09T10:35:00.000Z

Soundgarden announced this morning that they will be playing a headline show at Le Zenith in Paris on May 29 2012. Tickets are on sale HERE . You can phone the box office :for more info on 0892 392 192 (0,34 €/min , France only) or +33 149 975 191 (international).

Chris Cornell Plays 'The Keeper' Live On Leno

2012-01-07T01:06:00.001Z

Here's video of Chris playing his Golden Globe nominated song "The Keeper" last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The other musicians accompanying are his guitar tech Stephen Ferrera-Grand and strings are courtesy of Section Quartet.

Soundgarden To Play Italy

2012-01-05T09:13:00.001Z

Soundgarden will be returning to the live stage in Italy for the first time in 16 years when they play the Fiera Arena on 4th June this year. Tickets are available from January 9th at http://www.ticketone.it/ - more info at http://www.soundgardenworld.com/news and http://www.livenation.it/news?id=276671

Soundgarden are also on the cover of the new Rolling Stone (Australian edition, see above) in advance of their tour there which begins later this month. The magazine features an interview with all four members.

Soundgarden to play Euro festivals in 2012

2011-12-19T08:42:00.006Z

Soundgarden are playing various European festivals next summer.

On Monday, they announced that they will be playing Germany's festivals Rock Am Ring on June 1 and Rock Im Park on June 3 2012. This was followed on Tuesday and Wednesday by similar announcements for Pinkpop in the Netherlands on May 27 and Sweden Rock on June 7.

Go to their official site for more details of live shows in Europe as they are announced.

Chris Cornell nominated for Golden Globe

2011-12-15T14:43:00.005Z

Chris Cornell's 'The Keeper' has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

The song was featured in the soundtrack for Machine Gun Preacher, the Marc Forster-directed film starring Gerard Butler. It tells the story of unconventional missionary Sam Childers and his efforts to save the children of South Sudan.

The other nominees in the Best Original Song category are:

Chris Cornell - The Keeper (Machine Gun Preacher)

Glenn Close & Sinead O'Connor- Lay Your Head Down (Albert Nobbs)

Madonna - Masterpiece (W.E)

Elton John and Lady Gaga- Hello Hello (Gnomeo & Juliet)

Mary J. Blige- The Living Proof (The Help)

You can listen to extracts from them all via Spin or read Chris's reaction to the good news in the Hollywood Reporter:

"Chris Cornell, Machine Gun Preacher, "The Keeper" -- best original song, motion picture: "I was dead asleep after staying up with my family, the four of us with two beds pushed together watching Hook. It’s a huge honor for me and also an opportunity for a song to have a little more life and to get a message across. I tried really hard to write a song about the Sudanese orphan children without having lived those lives. “

The Golden Globes, voted upon by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are one of the most widely watched awards ceremonies during the lead-up to the Oscars in February. The event will be broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on January 15, 2012, by NBC.

Soundgarden announce Australian sideshows for 2012

2011-11-27T23:42:00.002Z

Soundgarden have today sent out the following email to their mailing list:

Soundgarden to headline in Sydney & Melbourne

It’s been fifteen years since Soundgarden last performed in Australia and the first time since 1997 that Soundgarden will perform outside of the USA. Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd have chosen the BIG DAY OUT to mark their triumphant return to the international stage. These new headline dates in Sydney - January 25th and Melbourne - February 1st are the only Australian Soundgarden shows outside of the Big Day Out 2012 dates.

Pre-sale tickets to both headline shows are available for purchase on 12/2 at 9am, password is "SG2012". To purchase pre-sale tickets visit http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

January 25, 2011
Sydney Entertainment Centre
Sydney, NSW w/ special guests The Bronx
Tickets go on sale at 9am AEDT on Tuesday 6 December, 2011
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

February 1, 2011
Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Melbourne, VIC w/ special guests The Bronx
Tickets go on sale at 9am AEDT on Tuesday 6 December, 2011
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

For additional details, please visit SoundgardenWorld.com

Chris Cornell's Songbook: Review

2011-11-18T22:14:00.001Z

‘Songbook’ is not only Chris Cornell unplugged - it’s Chris Cornell untroubled by genre. Here are his songs in their purest form, stripped of anything that might pin them down in time, place, category or style. The man who fronted two platinum-selling rock bands and experimented with everything from urban dance-pop to Italian nu-jazz is here relying only on an acoustic guitar and his own extraordinary voice.

And what a voice it is. Whatever damage might once have been done by booze and cigarettes has long since healed, and what’s left is a mature instrument of unparallelled expressive power. It’s not just about range with this man - it’s about timing, agility and above all musical instinct. And over fifteen live tracks, all recorded on his Spring tour this year, he barely puts a foot wrong.

Cornell knows just when to bend a note and by just how much; he knows when to fall back to a whisper and when to let his voice swell and resonate. On Can’t Change Me he plays with the musical metre of a phrase, dropping lazily behind the beat and then seizing on a moment of drama. Shorn of their original arrangements, songs reveal new aspects - even when there are imperfections. The slight huskiness in tone on Audioslave’s I Am The Highway adds a touching vulnerability to some serpentine vocal twists and turns in the vocal line, lighting up a ballad which in Audioslave’s hands could sometimes sound pedestrian. ‘Scream‘’s Ground Zero translates into a piece of gritty agit-folk, all guttural fury; Soundgarden’s dark anthem Fell On Black Days becomes a delicate, almost Latin-inflected hymn to bewilderment. The latter ends with some sublime vocal acrobatics reminiscent of Cornell’s late friend Jeff Buckley, whose red telephone sat beside the singer at every show on this tour. Another ghost arrives in the shape of Johnny Cash, for whom Cornell wrote the previously unreleased Cleaning My Gun - an elegantly understated piece of American gothic which the country legend never got around to recording.

Complemented by a few hand-picked covers - John Lennon’s Imagine, Led Zeppelin’s Thank You - and the studio version of new acoustic ballad The Keeper, Songbook is an extraordinary testament to the work of a great songwriter and showcases just how versatile a talent Cornell has become. Joining the dots between past achievements, it also opens up the way to the future. May it burn every bit as bright.

- Clare O'Brien

Songbook is released in Full on Monday, November 21 worldwide, See chriscornell.com for buy links.

Four more tracks from ‘Songbook’ now streaming online!

2011-11-14T17:09:00.000Z

Four more songs from Chris Cornell's forthcoming 'Songbook' album are now streaming online at Billboard.com.

Doesn't Remind Me, Wide Awake, Call Me A Dog and Black Hole Sun are all from Songbook EP2, which will be released for download on iTunes tomorrow, Tuesday November 15. The full album will be released from all usual outlets on November 21.

Chris Cornell Heads For South America

2011-11-08T21:03:00.003Z

Chris Cornell with Alain Johannes on 'Letterman' 2011

After a bout of flu which led to laryngitis and the postponement of four shows, Chris is now recovered and heading out to South America to resume his 'Songbook' tour.

Beginning tomorrow, Chris will play two theatre shows in Argentina, followed by major festival appearances in Chile and Brazil. See tour dates for more details.

For all four shows, Chris will be accompanied onstage by Alain Johannes,who co-produced "The Keeper". Alain was one of Chris's musical collaborators on 1999 solo album Euphoria Morning and has since played with QOTSA and Them Crooked Vultures.

For the two shows in Buenos Aires, opening act will be an acoustic performance by Massacre.

Four songs streaming from 'Songbook' album

2011-10-31T19:30:00.000Z

Four songs from Chris Cornell's forthcoming 'Songbook' album are streaming at Billboard magazine. They are: Scar On The Sky, As Hope And Promise Fade, I Am the Highway and Like A Stone

The four tracks form the first of two 'Songbook' EPs, the first of which will be released exclusively on iTunes tomorrow.

ChrisCornell.com redesigned: new song 'Cleaning My Gun' streaming!

2011-10-24T21:04:00.004+01:00

If you want an early taste of Chris Cornell's new live acoustic album 'Songbook', released November 21 - head over to the newly redesigned ChrisCornell.com to hear new song 'Cleaning My Gun' streaming live onsite.

While you're at it, have a look at the artwork for the album! The cover features a photo taken by fan photographer Stacy Albright at the Seattle stop of Chris's spring Songbook tour.

The track listing for 'Songbook' is as follows:

1.”As Hope and Promise Fade”
2. “Scar On The Sky”
3. “Call Me A Dog”
4. “Ground Zero”
5. “Can’t Change Me”
6. “I Am The Highway”
7. “Thank You” (Led Zeppelin cover)
8. “Cleaning My Gun”
9. “Wide Awake”
10. “Fell On Black Days”
11. “All Night Thing”
12. “Doesn’t Remind Me”
13. “Like A Stone”
14. “Black Hole Sun”
15. “Imagine” (John Lennon cover)
16. “The Keeper”

There's lots more to see and hear at the site, which features full integration with Facebook so that you can use your Facebook account to comment on every bit of site content.

Watch Chris Cornell on Jimmy Kimmel

2011-10-13T14:59:00.003+01:00

Chris Cornell's performance of new song 'The Keeper' was screened last night on US TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live. The TV performance was recorded before Chris left for his current solo acoustic tour of New Zealand and Australia and featured Alain Johannes accompanying on second guitar.

'The Keeper' is the theme song from new Gerard Butler movie Machine Gun Preacher.

Chris Cornell to play free show in Sydney October 8

2011-10-05T12:19:00.000+01:00

Chris Cornell will be playing a free show at Rock Lily, Sydney's live music hub @ The Star on October 8 2011.

Demand is likely to be huge! A queuing system will established on the morning of the event and the first 300 patrons in line will be given wristbands and guaranteed entry to the show. Doors open from 8pm. Over-18's only.

According to the venue organisers, the performance space is situated within the casino floor with openings on all sides "which will enable patrons outside the room to view the show."

More details at Rock Lily's website or online schedule.

Songbook Opens Down Under To Rave Reviews

2011-10-03T18:43:00.000+01:00

Photo by Edgeline Photography

Chris Cornell played the opening night of his tour of New Zealand and Australia on October 2, to rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

Chris was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd at the start of his two-hour set, which included covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Syd Barrett as well as his own songs from right across his career with Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, Audioslave and as a solo artist.

Wellington newspaper The Dominion Post wrote: "Cornell's voice is huge. It is a thing of beauty. It is effortless. And he had the crowd on his side right from the start...it was positively transcendent; post-modern torch singing will never be better than this." Read the rest HERE.

Fan comments on Twitter and Facebook included:

@thatboyneave: Just been to @chriscornell's Wellington solo gig. Playing without a band throws that incredible voice into sharp relief. Just, wow.

@davebruce thanks for the awesome Wellington concert Chris! thanks for coming to our tiny corner of the world.

Katrina Huisman: fantastic show last night, never been to an all acoustic show before, what an amazing experience.

Emma Drysdale: Wellington gig was one of the best live performances it's been my pleasure to experience. Thank you!

Simon Knowles: ‎1 of the most amazing live performances I've ever seen! Thanks so much for coming to wellington nz. Hunger strike, imagine and wide awake were just brilliant.

Dawn Logan: Fantastic show tonight - loved the cover of Imagine - a perfect song to end the night! Also very much loved Wide Awake, esp as an American living in NZ. Come back soon!!

You can check out the setlist in full HERE:

Soundgarden To Headline Big Day Out

2011-09-29T22:18:00.003+01:00

Soundgarden have been officially announced as headliners for the Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand next year.

Although the news first broke unofficially via a leak in the New Zealand Herald earlier today, the official announcement was exclusively announced on Soundgarden's website. Chris had recently mentioned in an interview that Soundgarden were planning a trip down under.

1/20/12 - Auckland, NZ

1/22/12 - Gold Coast, AUS

1/26/12 - Sydney, AUS

1/29/12 - Melbourne, AUS

2/3/12 - Adelaide, AUS

2/5/12 - Perth, AUS

Visit Soundgardenworld.com for more details and to find out how to buy tickets.

New Songbook album, new live dates for Chris Cornell

2011-09-28T15:10:00.001+01:00

Photo by Deena Cavallo

The following news has just been officially released via ChrisCornell.com:
"Chris Cornell will be releasing an album of live Songbook tour performances on November 21^st (UME), featuring his own songs as well as a few covers. All fans who purchase their Songbook tour tickets online will receive a digital copy of the album with each order.

Songbook Full Track Listing
1. As Hope and Promise Fade
2. Scar On The Sky
3. Call Me A Dog
4. Ground Zero
5. Can't Change Me
6. I Am The Highway
7. Thank You (Led Zeppelin)
8. Cleaning My Gun
9. Wide Awake
10. Fell On Black Days
11. All Night Thing
12. Doesn't Remind Me
13. Like A Stone
14. Black Hole Sun
15. Imagine (John Lennon)
16. The Keeper

Chris has also added four more dates to his Fall/Winter Tour. These are in Torrington, CT, Pittsburgh, PA, Indianapolis, IN and Louisville, KY. See below for full list of tour dates and tour section for all details of presale and onsale dates and times."

Watch the video for The Keeper!

2011-09-28T10:09:00.000+01:00

The official video for Chris Cornell's 'The Keeper' has gone live at Yahoo! Video Premieres. It combines footage of Chris performing the song with extracts from the movie Machine Gun Preacher, starrting Gerard Butler. Watch it below - and don't forget to share the link and give it a rating at Yahoo!

Chris Cornell Adds Second Atlantic City Date!

2011-09-28T00:14:00.000+01:00

Due to demand, a second Atlantic City show has been added to Chris Cornell's Songbook Tour.

The new show is on November 25 and presale opens September 28 10am (public onsale Friday Sept 30). Go HERE for tickets.

Watch Chris Cornell interview on Travis Smiley

2011-09-27T18:36:00.003+01:00

Watch Chris Cornell talk about his new song The Keeper for movie Machine Gun Preacher and about his work with Soundgarden on Tavis Smiley's PBS late-night talk show. Nice to see Mr Smiley tipping the song for an Oscar!

Watch the full episode. See more Tavis Smiley.

You can also read a transcript of the interview here. (Click "read the transcript")

Chris Cornell talks to Tavis Smiley Sept 26

2011-09-25T11:03:00.002+01:00

Chris Cornell will be appearing on Tavis Smiley's late-night chat show on PBS tomorrow night (September 26). He'll be talking about all his current projects, including his new original song 'The Keeper', written for the movie Machine Gun Preacher.

Find out more at Travis Smiley's site HERE.

Chris Cornell plays The Keeper on Letterman

2011-09-23T08:39:00.006+01:00

Chris Cornell performed "The Keeper", the theme song from new Gerard Butler film Machine Gun Preacher, on the Late Show With David Letterman last night. He was accompanied by Alain Johannes, who co-produced the track and worked with Chris on the Euphoria Morning album and tour at the turn of the century.

The soundtrack album for Machine Gun Preacher is out today (September 23) and features "The Keeper" as well as a bonus demo version of the track

Chris also tweeted this photo of his friend Nile Rodgers with Alain backstage:

"Nile Rogers and Alain Johannes shredding "The Keeper" backstage @ Letterman"

More Songbook Tour Dates Announced

2011-09-22T00:21:00.000+01:00

More Songbook tour dates have been announced for the autumn and winter. Some go onsale this week - presale for certain dates begins tomorrow, so check the info carefully at Chris Cornell's official site, on the news and tour pages. The presale password is being sent out today to those on Chris's mailing list.

You can see the full run of upcoming dates, taking in New Zealand, Australia, the US, Argentina, Chile and Brazil on the tour page of this site.

Chris Cornell Live Songbook Album In The Works

2011-09-21T13:01:00.002+01:00

Photo by Don Van Cleave

During an interview yesterday with Cindy Scully of Dallas radio station The Scully Show on 97.1 The Eagle Rocks, Chris mentioned that a live album is in the works and that he's aiming for a November release.

The album will feature songs recorded on his solo acoustic 'Songbook' tour in Spring 2011. You can listen to the interview below, or find more recent interviews with Chris here.

Chris Cornell on Jimmy Kimmel Live October 12

2011-09-20T16:52:00.000+01:00

Those in the LA area will probably have entered the Twitter contest run at the weekend to give away tickets to Jimmy Kimmel Live, where Chris Cornell will be performing his new song "The Keeper" from the movie Machine Gun Preacher.

Although the performance is being taped today, the show will air on October 12. Put the date in your diary, and see the Jimmy Kimmel official site for more details!

Chris Cornell at Toronto Film Festival

2011-09-10T11:59:00.028+01:00

Chris Cornell with stars Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan & Michael Shannon & director Marc Forster in a promo shot for forthcoming movie Machine Gun Preacher (photo by Matt Carr)

Lots of media is emerging around Chris Cornell's current visit to the Toronto Film Festival. Although he's there mainly to promote Machine Gun Preacher (for which he wrote and performed theme song The Keeper) and Pearl Jam Twenty (in which he appears), he was also photographed arriving with his wife Vicky at the premiere of Brad Pitt's new film Moneyball - and in various interview footage, including a clip from the Toronto Globe & Mail in which he talks not only PJ20 but also U2 retrospective From the Sky Down.See pictures below and go here for video/interviews.

Chris with Sam Childers, the real 'Machine Gun Preacher' whose charity will benefit from profits of Chris's song The Keeper(photo Jeff Vespa)

Promo shot for Machine Gun Preacher (photo by Matt Carr)

Chris Cornell talks about Machine Gun Preacher at The Variety Studio At Holt Renfrew


Chris & Vicky Cornell arriving at the Machine Gun Preacher premiere (photo Jason Merritt.Getty)

Chris Cornell at the premiere of Machine Gun Preacher (photo Jason Merritt/Getty)

Chris Cornell with Brad Pitt at the premiere of his forthcoming movie Moneyball

Chris Cornell arriving at the premiere of Moneyball with his wife Vicky (photo by Kevin Mazur)

Chris Cornell signs autographs on the way into the Pearl Jam Twenty premiere (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images North America)

More at Getty Images, Just Jared, Wire Image and AP Images

Temple of The Dog Reunite At PJ20

2011-09-04T08:50:00.009+01:00

Temple of The Dog reunited for a short set during Pearl Jam's performance at the PJ20 festival in Alpine Valley, WI last night.

Chris Cornell joined members of Pearl Jam for Mother Love Bone's "Stardog Champion" before going onto TOTD's "Say Hello To Heaven", "Reach Down" and "Hunger Strike".

Pro photos of the soundcheck have already been added to Chris Cornell's Facebook page. You can read about the setlist at GrungeReport.net and feast your eyes at Jeffgarden.com ; you can read the Chicago Tribune's review, or see what Billboard and Rolling Stone had to say.

Chris's verdict on the show? He tweeted "#PJ20 amazing band. amazing crowd. time for “all you can eat” potato wedges."

UPDATE: Temple of the Dog repeated their appearance on the second night of PJ20, this time playing Hunger Strike, Call Me A Dog, All Night Thing and Reach Down.

Chris Cornell Spotted By Celebrity

2011-09-03T14:51:00.004+01:00

Celebrities often get spotted and snapped when out and about - but not usually by other celebrities. Earlier today, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas tweeted the following photograph - with accompanying message "Chris Cornell was just serenading me... Me in an empty amphitheater." Those who keep up with live music news should draw their own conclusions!

Somewhat earlier, Chris himself tweeted: "Just landed in Chicago. Now what?"

It's likely that many people are about to have fun finding out. Watch this space!

The Keeper now available on iTunes/Amazon

2011-08-30T23:16:00.001+01:00

Chris Cornell's new song "The Keeper" from the forthcoming film Machine Gun Preacher is now available to download on iTunes and Amazon in the US. You can stream the song in full at ChrisCornell.com.

Download Chris Cornell's new song "The Keeper"

2011-08-29T05:56:00.001+01:00

At the stroke of midnight EST today a new Chris Cornell song was live streamed on Chris Cornell's official website, along with the following message:

Chris Cornell is pleased to announce the release of his new song “The Keeper”, lead track on the original motion picture soundtrack for forthcoming movie Machine Gun Preacher. Based on a true story, the movie is directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster’s Ball) and stars Gerard Butler (300, The Phantom of the Opera) as Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who finds faith leading him on a path to East Africa. Shocked by the mayhem in Sudan, Childers becomes a crusader for hundreds of refugee children fleeing death and enslavement.

For 24 hours exclusively on ChrisCornell.com, all proceeds from the donations generated will go directly to Sam Childer’s Angels of East Africa charity. On Tuesday, August 30 the song will be available for sale on iTunes® and the full soundtrack album is released September 20. Machine Gun Preacher hits select US theatres on September 23.

For additional information on the film, please visit:

http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/movie/

Those with their wits about them will already have noticed that the cryptic line "Beauty and truth collide where love meets genocide" which Chris tweeted on Friday is a line of lyric from the song.

Chris Cornell Adds Buenos Aires Date to Songbook Tour

2011-08-17T17:28:00.001+01:00

Teatro Gran Rex interior

Chris Cornell has added another South American date to his acoustic 'Songbook' tour. He'll play the beautiful art deco venue, the Teatro Gran Rex, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 9 2011.

Fan Club presale tickets will be available on August 18 (password will be sent to email list members before presale opens) and go onsale to the public on August 19. See HERE for all ticket sales and further information.

Soundgarden announce Dallas date

2011-08-02T20:11:00.000+01:00

Soundgarden have announced an additional date for the autumn. Straight after Chris Cornell returns from his 'Songbook' tour of Australia and New Zealand, he'll be joining the rest of Soundgarden for a date at the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie on October 26, with very special guest Mastodon.

Tickets are available HERE. And if you're signed up as a member of the Soundgarden fan club, pre-sale begins August 3 at 10am Central Time - you'll probably have already received your presale password.

Chris Cornell to play SWU Festival in Brazil

2011-07-30T19:54:00.001+01:00

Chris Cornell will play the multimedia, multi-genre SWU Music & Arts Festival in Paulinia, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 13 2011, along with the great Peter Gabriel. Tickets are available HERE.

Chris Cornell confirmed for Maquinaria Festival, Chile

2011-07-28T17:47:00.001+01:00

Chris Cornell will be taking his 'Songbook' solo acoustic tour to South America this autumn. He has been confirmed for the Maquinaria Festival in Santiago, Chile on 12 November this year.
He is one of several headlining acts, also including Faith No More, Snoop Dogg and Megadeth with others still to be announced.

The festival, which is modelled on European summer festivals, aims to gather together differing musical styles. Read more here; buy tickets here.

Stars come out for Soundgarden

2011-07-24T00:18:00.005+01:00

Dave Grohl in the pit - photo by Linda Marsalis

Soundgarden's show at the Forum in Los Angeles on Friday night was a star-studded affair...with an accent on music and tennis! Spotted in the crowd were members of Foo Fighters, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, No Doubt and Alice in Chains while Pearl Jam's Mike McCready joined the band onstage for "Superunknown"! Rock fan and tennis champion John McEnroe was there, as well as both Serena and Venus Williams who tweeted about how excited they were to be at the show (Serena posted a photo and added "Love Chris Cornell!!!") Also in evidence were Chris's former collaborators Tim Commerford and Alain Johannes, and Audioslave producer Rick Rubin.

Happy Birthday, Chris Cornell!

2011-07-20T13:19:00.003+01:00

Photo by Soundgarden contest winner Kara Thomas, from Philly 13 July 2011

The Chris Cornell Fan Page would like to wish Chris a very Happy Birthday. This year he has to work - Soundgarden's show at Lake Tahoe is tonight - so let's wish him, his band and his family all the very best for a special night!

Chris shares his birthday with many luminaries including Carlos Santana, Stone Gossard, Diana Rigg, Sir Edmund Hillary, Natalie Wood, Alexander the Great (reputedly)...and the Apollo moon landings. Neil Armstrong made his one small step on Chris's 5th. By the way - if you happen to be on Twitter and want to send your own birthday wishes to @chriscornell, fans are using the hashtag #HappyBdayChrisCornell.

Opener for Australian Songbook tour announced

2011-07-14T11:03:00.000+01:00

photo by Claire Gorman

Matt McHugh has been announced as the opener for Chris Cornell's forthcoming Australian Songbook tour in October.

Matt is the creative force behind The Beautiful Girls and has a solo album, Go Don't Stop, out now. He includes Nick Drake and Johnny Cash amongst his influences and you can find out out more about him and his music on his website. Meanwhile, on his Facebook page he has this to say about opening for Chris:

"When I was a teenager I used to practice singing by singing along to Soundgarden records. Seriously, every day I would do it. I couldn't imagine a better singer or teacher than Mr Chris Cornell. I'm beyond thrilled to be able to share a stage with the man himself when I support him on his. entire Australian tour. There's been some highlights in my career so far but THIS will be hard to top. Thank you universe."

Chris Cornell's 'Singles' score to feature in PJ20

2011-07-05T13:36:00.001+01:00

Director Cameron Crowe has mentioned that part of Chris Cornell's unreleased score for the 1992 movie Singles will feature in his upcoming PJ20 Pearl Jam documentary.

Asked about a possible extended edition of Singles, Crowe said: "Some of Chris Cornell’s unreleased score will be in PJ20 – which is great because he’s a natural scoring artist and did GREAT stuff for the movie that was never used."

Read more here. Cameron Crowe also recently posted a photo of Chris being interviewed - a few months ago, it seems, judging by his lack of beard - for the PJ20 documentary.

Cameron Crowe on WhoSay

Soundgarden tour launched in Toronto

2011-07-03T10:17:00.020+01:00

Chris Cornell onstage with Soundgarden in Toronto: photo Andrew McBride

Soundgarden's first tour since 1997 kicked off last night at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto. The setlist was as follows:

Black Rain - Searching With My Good Eye Closed - Spoonman - Gun - Rusty Cage - Blow Up the Outside World - Let Me Drown - Jesus Christ Pose - My Wave - The Day I Tried to Live - Outshined - Beyond the Wheel - Fell on Black Days - Ugly Truth - Burden in My Hand - Superunknown - Black Hole Sun - 4th of July -- Face Pollution - Like Suicide - Slaves & Bulldozers

There are some great photos out there already, including some stunning shots from Michael Hurcomb, Tom Pandi, Jaye and Mike English and Andrew McBride.

Here are the pro reviews: (click links to read in full: more to follow)

Toronto Sun: "[Cornell's] also got some of the best hard rock pipes in the business, even at the age of 46, and is pretty charismatic and easy on the eyes....Cameron was also a well-oiled machine....the group played on a fairly stripped down stage save for an impressive lighting rig and the occasional video backdrop and let the music do most of the talking. In that regard, if there was any disappointment on Saturday night, it was that Soundgarden’s choice of songs seemed to fall into two categories - either incredibly good or largely forgettable."

Reuters: "The foursome raced through 21 songs in two hours at the Molson Amphitheatre, focusing mostly on the riff-laden dark material that transformed them into MTV darlings...In contrast to the tense final show of their last tour in 1997, the scene on stage seemed particularly more relaxed. Singer/guitarist Chris Cornell shot some video footage of the audience, and his young son could be seen in the wings playing air drums and singing along. His traditionally stone-faced colleagues allowed themselves the occasional smile, but they rarely acknowledged each other..."

Globe & Mail: "The loud sullenists, led by doom-pilot Cornell, are on the radar once again – black days and black-hole suns, back on the horizon....What followed was nearly two hours of pummel, sludge, speed and scream – hits, volume and angst to spare, rusty cages broken from....long-haired and broodingly messianic at age 46, Cornell was up to vocal-shredding snuff on Spoonman and Jesus Christ Pose."

Toronto.com: "At the Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday night, however, 16,000 roaringly supportive Torontonians got to witness the Seattle grunge quartet’s proper rebirth. Louder than bombs, tightened up in all the right places and at times hair-raisingly intense, this was a gig that could make one believe in Soundgarden again, believe that the band might now have something more than a pale shadow of its former self to offer its fans."

The Grid: "...fans certainly got the ticket price’s worth from the players. Cornell, still striking poses in his long locks and surprise new Jesus beard, soared vocally throughout, reminding us why he has so often been compared to Robert Plant. Cameron (perhaps better known of late as the drummer for Pearl Jam) is now a machine of Terminator-level efficiency and ferocity. Thayil, the masterful guitar hero, and Shepherd, the wild child, held it down with effortless cool."

National Post: "So, here was Soundgarden at full power once again. And was that ever something to see. Some sound issues notwithstanding, this was a shockingly great performance. The group has been holed up in studios, rehearsing and writing for months, and it was apparently time well spent...Cornell sounds as good as he ever did, and his return to long hair strangely gave the affair a vintage feel. Thayil and Cameron, both technical wizards, didn’t miss a beat."

Spin: "Their rousing greatest-hits set included... six more tunes from the same [Badmotorfinger] era, nine songs from 1994's chart-topping Superunknown, and six other selections dating back to "Beyond The Wheel" from 1988's Ultramega OK album by an ensemble that had obviously put in the time needed to whip its legendarily fearsome, stoner-metal-gone-prog attack and frontman Cornell's high-register vocals back into fighting form."

Examiner.com: "Chris Cornell (vocals/guitar), Kim Thayil (lead guitar), Ben Shepherd (bass) and Matt Cameron (drums) played with the energy, chemistry and camaraderie that comes from loving what you do, and being very, very good at it."

Read more at fansite GrungeReport which carried a live report of the night from an eyewitness. Meanwhile, here's the shot of the tour poster (by Munk One) for this opening night of the tour.

Fans witness Soundgarden 'soundcheck' in Toronto

2011-07-02T09:39:00.001+01:00

Radio contest winners were lucky enough to witness a final soundcheck/rehearsal at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre last night before the tour proper kicks off tonight. According to reports, the band played around 8 songs. Strictly no video was permitted, but fans were allowed to take photos - here's a shot of Chris and Matt posted on Twitter by fan @metermaiden.

Soundgarden have 14 new songs for forthcoming "heavy" album

2011-06-19T12:07:00.000+01:00

In an interview with Stereogum, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil says the band have "about 14 songs in various stages of completion" for their new album.

He describes the music as "really heavy" and says the songs explore "emoting aggression and anger and hostility in ways that feel new", complementing Chris Cornell's own recent description of the new music as "about aggression, adrenalin, and rhythmic chaos."

No release date for the album has yet been announced.

New Dates Added to Chris Cornell's Songbook Tour Down Under

2011-06-10T00:47:00.007+01:00

By Deena Cavallo

Due to overwhelming demand which saw tickets in some cities selling out in minutes, several more dates have been added to Chris Cornell's tour of New Zealand and Australia this October.

The new dates are in Auckland, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. All dates are onsale now and fans are advised to keep their eyes peeled in case more are added!

October 2 Wellington, NZ: Michael Fowler Centre - Buy Tickets
October 4 Auckland, NZ: ASB Theatre - Buy Tickets
October 5 Auckland, NZ: ASB Theatre - Buy Tickets [new!]
October 7 Canberra, Australia: Canberra Theatre - Buy Tickets
October 10 Perth, Australia: Concert Hall - Buy Tickets
October 11 Perth, Australia: Concert Hall Buy Tickets [new!]
October 13 Adelaide, Australia: Festival Theatre - Buy Tickets
October 15 Brisbane, Australia: QPAC Concert Hall - Buy Tickets
October 17 Brisbane, Australia: QPAC Concert Hall - Buy Tickets [new!]]
October 19 Melbourne, Australia: Palais Theatre - Buy Tickets
October 20 Melbourne, Australia: Palais Theatre - Buy Tickets [new!]
October 22 Sydney, Australia: Opera House Concert Hall - Buy Tickets
October 23 Sydney, Australa: Opera House Concert Hall - Buy Tickets [new!]

Soundgarden confirmed for Voodoo Festival, New Orleans

2011-06-01T10:07:00.003+01:00

Soundgarden have been announced for the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans which runs from 28-30 October 2011. Few details have yet been released, but tickets are available here and you can read more at Soundgardenworld or at the official Voodoo site.

This Soundgarden date will follow almost immediately after Chris Cornell's 'Songbook' solo acoustic tour of New Zealand and Australa.

Soundgarden add new Calgary date

2011-05-30T23:13:00.000+01:00

Soundgarden have announced a new tour date on July 27 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. Meat Puppets will be the special guests. Go here for details of presale and onsale arrangements.

Chris Cornell Takes 'Songbook' Down Under

2011-05-26T00:06:00.000+01:00

photo courtesy jeffgarden.com

Fans down under will get a chance to see Chris Cornell in October when he takes his acclaimed 'Songbook' solo acoustic show on tour to Australia and New Zealand.

Fan Club presale will begin on 6 June at 10am (7 June in Perth), ticket agent presale begins 8 June at noon and public onsale will begin on 10 June at 9am.

October 2 Wellington, NZ: Michael Fowler Centre
October 4 Auckland, NZ: ASB Theatre
October 7 Canberra, Australia: Canberra Theatre
October 10 Perth, Australia: Concert Hall
October 13 Adelaide, Australia: Festival Theatre
October 15 Brisbane, Australia: QPAC Concert Hall
October 19 Melbourne, Australia: Palais Theatre
October 22 Sydney, Australia: Opera House Concert Hall

More (including ticket links) at chriscornell.com

Soundgarden add new Lake Tahoe date

2011-05-25T11:21:00.001+01:00

Soundgarden have announced a new tour date on July 20 at Harvey's Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, Stateline, NV. The Mars Volta will be the special guests. Go here for details of presale and onsale arrangements.

Soundgarden Announce Summer Tour

2011-05-05T19:06:00.004+01:00

Photo by Jaye & Mike English

Soundgarden have now announced the rest of their summer tour dates. The month-long tour runs from July 2 to July 30 and openers include Coheed and Cambria, The Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, and Meat Puppets. Go to Soundgarden's official site for more details, including how to buy tickets (including details of the special presale for existing members of the Soundgarden Fan Club).

Soundgarden July Tour Dates:

Date	City	Venue	PreSale Times
July 2	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheater	On Sale Now
July 3	London, ON	John Labatt Centre	Mon, May 9, 10:00 am PDT
July 5	Ottawa, ON	Ottawa Blues Fest	On Sale Now
July 6	Uncasville, CT	Mohegan Sun Arena	Mon, May 9, 11:00 am PDT
July 8	Newark, NJ	Prudential Center	Mon, May 9, 9:00 am PDT
July 9	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre	Mon, May 9, 7:00 am PDT
July 10	Mansfield, MA	Comcast Center for the Performing Arts	Mon, May 9, 12:00 pm PDT
July 12	Fairfax, VA	Patriot Center	Tues, May 10, 9:00 am PDT
July 13	Philadelphia, PA	Festival Pier at Penn's Landing	On Sale Now
July 14	Atlantic City, NJ	Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center	Tues, May 10, 10:00 am PDT
July 16	Chicago, IL	UIC Pavilion	Tues, May 10, 11:00 am PDT
July 18	Morrison, CO	Red Rocks Amphitheater	On Sale Now
July 21	San Francisco, CA	Bill Graham Civic Auditorium	Tues, May 10, 1:00 pm PDT
July 22	Inglewood, CA	The Forum	On Sale Now
July 23	Las Vegas, NV	The Joint	Tues, May 10, 2:00 pm PDT
July 19	Vancouver, BC	Rogers Arena	Tues, May 10, 3:00 pm PDT
July 30	George, WA	The Gorge Amphitheater	Tues, May 10, 4:00 pm PDT

*All dates are subject to change.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Coheed and Cambria: all shows 7/2-10 (Toronto, London, Ottawa, Uncasville, Newark, Wantagh, Mansfield)
The Mars Volta: all shows 7/12-23 (Fairfax, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Chicago, Morrison, San Francisco, Inglewood, Las Vegas)
Queens of The Stone Age, Meat Puppets: 7/29 (Vancouver)
Queens of The Stone Age, Mastodon, Meat Puppets: 7/30 (George, WA)
*All special guests are subject to change.

Chris Cornell on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' May 10

2011-05-03T17:10:00.001+01:00

Chris Cornell will be playing live on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' on Tuesday May 10 at 12.35/11.35C on NBC.

Chris, whose acoustic cover of Marley's "Redemption Song" is well-known to those who have witnessed his acoustic 'Songbook' shows, will be appearing as part of a week-long tribute to Bob Marley. Other artists taking part include Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Hudson, Ziggy Marley and Jakob Dylan.

According to EW.com, "Each artist will perform a classic Marley tune that pays tribute to his revolutionary spirit and deep influence on music." Read more here!

Soundgarden to headline Ottawa Bluesfest July 5

2011-04-27T09:07:00.007+01:00

Soundgarden have been announced as headliners for the Cisco Ottawa BluesFest this summer. They will play a two-hour set on the festival's main stage on July 5 at 9pm - full details here.

Meanwhile, Chris Cornell's sold-out Songbook tour continues across Canada and the US, gathering rave reviews from the press. Check them out - along with setlists, photos and fan comment - on this site's tour page.

Tonight's Songbook show postponed due to illness

2011-04-19T23:17:00.000+01:00

Chris has postponed tonight's show at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, NY.
The following statement has been issued:

"Due to illness, tonight's (4/19) Chris Cornell's show at Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, NY has been rescheduled. A new date will be announced in the coming weeks. All tickets for tonight's show will be honored at the rescheduled date. Refunds are available at point of purchase. Please go to http://www.bardavon.org for more information."

"We've all changed..." says Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil

2011-04-14T22:17:00.002+01:00

Soundagrden guitarist Kim Thayil has spoken to Kerrang about the band's current studio work-in-progress, saying "the last thing we want to make is another grunge record or metal album." He explains that band's main concern is "that the material excites us" and stresses that the band's sound has evolved, benefiting from the musical experience each member has gained elsewhere since disbanding in 1997. Click on the image below to read the full article:

In another interview with Spinner.com, Thayil adds that "at our core we're still moved by the things that informed Soundgarden's body of work, which is the sort of dark beauty, heaviness and an aggressiveness without being viscerally old and awkward. There's gonna be a lot that's familiar and similar. There's gonna be stuff that's definitely different; the stuff that's different however will be within the context of those elements that are described earlier."

Soundgarden announce touring plans: 4 dates, more to come

2011-04-14T18:31:00.002+01:00

Photo by Roger Kisby

Soundgarden have announced plans for a summer tour, with four dates in Toronto, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles going onsale shortly (with a special presale for fans ALREADY registered at www.soundgardenworld.com) and more dates to be announced later.

Go to soundgardenworld.com for the full announcement and details of how to get your hands on tickets.

Chris Cornell opens Songbook tour with song co-written with fan

2011-04-02T13:10:00.003+01:00

Chris Cornell kicked off his Songbook tour proper last night in Austin, Texas, with a very special song - "I Promise It's Not Goodbye".

Co-written with Rory de la Rosa, who died recently of cancer. Written from the viewpoint of Rory's young daughter, who died of the same disease, it was a touching tribute to Chris's friend and fan Rory, whose son was in the audience for the show.

All info about Songbook shows as the tour progresses - including setlists, reviews, and photos - can be found HERE.

Opening act announced for Chris Cornell's Songbook Tour

2011-03-30T22:20:00.002+01:00

photo by Curtis Lehmkuhl

The opening act for Chris Cornell's forthcoming acoustic Songbook tour is the blues singer/songwriter from Iowa, William Elliott Whitmore. The tour begins on April 1 in Austin, Texas, and ends on May 6 in San Diego, California.

Chris Cornell heats up Aspen

2011-03-26T13:47:00.036Z

Although his Songbook tour proper doesn't kick off until April 1 in Texas, Chris Cornell played a special warmup show in Aspen, Colorado last night at the town's Belly Up venue. Here's a great multimedia slideshow, courtesy of Jason Sherry -

The following setlist is a conflation of Chris's original typed list plus YouTube video evidence and recollections from crowd members - order may not be accurate.

DARK GLOBE - CALL ME A DOG - CAN'T CHANGE ME - IMAGINE - SUNSHOWER - HUNDER STRIKE - I AM THE HIGHWAY - DOESN'T REMIND ME - MAN OF GOLDEN WORDS/COMFORTABLY NUMB - FELL ON BLACK DAYS - - THANK YOU - BURDEN IN MY HAND - LIKE A STONE - BLACK HOLE SUN - AS HOPE AND PROMISE FADE - BILLIE JEAN
ENCORE: ALL NIGHT THING - DANDELION - BLOW UP THE OUTSIDE WORLD - BE YOURSELF

Here are some eye witness reactions to the show from Twitter, Facebook and the forums:

JasonHirschhor: Chris Cornell Live & Acoustic in Aspen last night. Solo stuff, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, covers + more. One of the great voices ever.

BrokenString: best show I have ever seen and heard was last night. Thank you man! Acoustics at @BellyUpAspen were phenomenal.

HeyJaye: Awesome @chriscornell show, he rocks!!!!! Voice unreal live.

ArletteKent: Shout out to Mr. Cornell for an amazing show in Aspen! Totally worth the trip from Canada! My favorite show ever! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Flatdog: What a spectacular show. Cornell was spot on and acoustics could not have been better.

From April, setlists and details of shows can be found once again on the main site's Tour Page. Feel free to mail photos, videos or reviews to here.

Ross Halfin on Chris Cornell

2011-03-21T18:23:00.000Z

Photo by Ross Halfin

Ross Halfin talks about his dual career as rock and travel photographer on this site for Genesis Publications, publishers of his limited edition book of travel photographs, Sojourner.

He has this to say about a recent session with Chris Cornell:

"We were trying to do a noir type shoot and make it look a bit European, so LA wasn't exactly the best place to do it. We wandered down Sunset Blvd and I shot him in the late afternoon sun, with the palm trees out of focus around him. Got to say, Chris Cornell is great subject matter. He looks fantastic and all women love him."

Ross has been photographing Chris throughout his career - you can see vintage shots of him solo, with Audioslave and with Soundgarden at rosshalfin.com.

Chris Cornell warms up for Songbook at SXSW!

2011-03-13T09:59:00.036Z

Photo by Dutch Doscher

Chris Cornell played a short acoustic set at The Belmont Austin last night as part of the SXSW festival in the city.

Photo by Dutch Doscher

Warming up nicely for his forthcoming Songbook tour which runs through April and the first part of May, Chris played a mixture of his own songs - from all his bands and projects - and some cover versions, including a song by Austin duo Ghostland Observatory.

Photo by Corey Frey

The original setlist for the Nokia-sponsored event was as follows - though he deviated from it as he often does!

Terrapin [Syd Barrett] - Imagine [John Lennon] - Fell On Black Days [Soundgarden] - I am The Highway [Audioslave] - Doesn't Remind Me [Audioslave] - Sad, Sad City [Ghostland Observatory] - Can't Change Me [solo, from "Euphoria Morning"] - As Hope And Promise Fade [solo, from "Scream"]

Encores: Sunshower [solo] - Like A Stone [Audioslave] - All Night Thing [Temple Of The Dog]

Here are some mini-reviews from eyewitnesses on Twitter:

@jboogie Chris Cornell = non stop cold chills. So awesome!
@Do512_Kristin: Chris Cornell is singing Ghostland, unreal
@juuuso Wow! @chriscornell is killing it at the @Nokia party. Awesome acoustic gig.
@spyglasscircle Chris Cornell is rocking the Belmont...acoustically!
@dondodge: Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave at SXSW. Wow, he can sing.
@carlosandrade @chriscornell un maravilloso set acústico en el #SXSW
@MagicSauceMedia just saw Chris Cornell sing live at #SXSW, formerly Soundgarden & Audioslave. Love his voice & yeah he's hot too.We all (women) thought so.
@joeldelagarza Three feet from @chriscornell last night. Amazing set! Woulda loved more sg stuff, but the totd touch was great! Only at #sxsw

Chris Cornell to play set at Austin's SXSW

2011-03-11T20:14:00.007Z

Chris Cornell tweeted the following message today:

"Playing acoustic solo set at #SXSW tomorrow night with #nokiaconnects. Have some tix for fans. Watch Twitter and Facebook for more info."

SXSW Music is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with more than 2,000 performers playing in various venues in Austin, Texas. More info here.

Update: on Saturday 12th Chris also tweeted: "Head over to http://bit.ly/fCBXrV by 1pm CST today to win VIP access to my acoustic solo set at #SXSW tonight with #nokiaconnects." Good luck!

Classic Rock 5-page Soundgarden special!

2011-03-05T17:30:00.003Z

If you missed the Guitar World Soundgarden special that came out around New Year, never fear - you can enjoy what's essentially another version of the same interview with Chris & Kim in the new April issue of Classic Rock. There's a lot less about guitars, chords and tunings, and a few extra quotes and anecdotes here and there - aside from that it's much the same kettle of fish, but well worth buying, especially if you missed the muso's version last time round. As a taster, here's a quote from Chris Cornell that wasn't fully included in the Guitar World version:

"By the 2000s when I was still touring a lot, I was going to the same places and playing the same stuff. Even when I made new albums it felt like something I had done before in my previous band, so it wasnt as unpredictable or as pioneering as the original 13 years were. That's why guys who are 70 years old piss off their wives when they say that the best years of their lives were when they were with their buddies in the army in a trench eating toothpaste."

The feature is by Chris Gill, with photos by Danny Clinch.

New photos of Chris Cornell by Ross Halfin

2011-03-03T17:12:00.000Z

Photo courtesy of Ross Halfin, used by permission

Photographer Ross Halfin has some new photos of Chris Cornell, taken last month in Los Angeles.
Feast your eyes here.

Chris Cornell confirms Soundgarden recording plans

2011-03-02T08:54:00.002Z

Chris Cornell has confirmed that Soundgarden are to go into the studio in Seattle in a week's time, but have no firm deadline for completing or releasing a new album.

"We're putting the music first," Cornell explains. "The process of writing, recording, and being creative together is the most important thing, not meeting a deadline." He also confirms that Adam Kasper will be producing.

Chris was talking to Spin magazine yesterday. You can read the interview here - a full Q&A will be published later in the week.

Chris Cornell acoustic 'Songbook' Tour now sold out!!

2011-02-21T20:40:00.031Z

Photo by Julio Meliani at The Roxy, Los Angeles, 2010

Chris Cornell's forthcoming acoustic Songbook tour, announced just over a month ago, has now completely sold out for all 28 dates.

The high demand meant many shows saw all the tickets snapped up within minutes, and three more dates were added to the original tour routing to help more fans see Chris in this intimate acoustic setting. To offset the effects of scalpers acquiring tickets and reselling at high prices, it was also announced that Chris would use his own ticket allocation to supply various contests and giveaways for fans in the period running up to the shows.

The tour begins on 25 March in Aspen, CO and ends in San Diego, CA on 6 May. See full list of dates here.

Kim Thayil speaks on Soundgarden's future recording & touring plans

2011-02-18T17:39:00.003Z

A new interview with Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil sheds some more light on Soundgarden's creative process and future plans.

The interview, with Rolling Stone's Greg Prato, was obviously given prior to the band's recent statement about going into the studio to record a new album. However, Thayil talks about new material, saying: "The era of the band I could best compare it to is late 2010/early 2011! It isn't sounding like anything else. It's definitely sounding like four guys who write songs, who have a little weird twist to how they approach their instrument, who haven't played much in the past dozen years" and that "everyone has new creative insights into themselves that they're contributing to these sessions." He also indicates that Adam Kasper, who worked on "Black Rain" and the band's forthcoming Live on I5, would be the most likely choice as producer for a new album.

He's more guarded on the band's touring plans, though, saying only that "I think it's probably likely that we'll be playing live. And I think we would be happier to do that in tour form than just to do it as one-offs". However, he stresses that "nothing's on paper or in stone, I wouldn't want to disappoint people." He also retiterates that drummer Matt Cameron's "primary concern is Pearl Jam...[although] Matt definitely loves us as friends and as a creative partnership."

Read the whole interview HERE.

Soundgarden announce new album plans

2011-02-15T22:57:00.005Z

After months of speculation and scuttlebug, Soundgarden have finally put an end to the gossip with the following official announcement:

Our Goal For 2011 - Let's Make A Record
Over the past few months, we've been busy jamming, writing and hanging out together - exploring the creative aspect of being Soundgarden. It feels great. We have some cool new songs that we are going to record very soon. Thank you for all of the support!

Loudest of Love,
Ben, Chris , Kim and Matt

More studio photos here.

Update : on 16 Feb, Matt Cameron told Pearl Jam Radio on internet station Sirius that Soundgarden had been writing songs since December last year and would be in the studio to record from early March. Details and a download link can be found in this thread. Chris Cornell's acoustic 'Songbook' tour begins in Aspen, CO on 25 March.

Bonus CD with 'Live on I5' pre-orders at Soundgardenworld

2011-02-08T19:41:00.001Z

Fans who pre-order Soundgarden's forthcoming live album Live On I5 via the band's official Soundgardenworld site will also receive a bonus soundcheck CD featuring this tracklisting:

No Attention (Oakland soundcheck)

Never The Machine Forever (Oakland soundcheck)

Waiting For The Sun (Oakland soundcheck)

Room A Thousand Years Wide (Vancouver soundcheck)

Somewhere (Sacramento soundcheck)

The soundcheck bonus tracks will be available to download exclusively from iTunes.
Read more about Live on I5 here.

Chris Cornell announces contests to win tickets for sold-out 'Songbook' shows

2011-02-03T17:18:00.003Z

Ticket demand has been overwhelming for the recently announced dates on Chris Cornell's acoustic 'Songbook' tour, with 19 shows sold out so far, many in minutes. As often happens when demand is so high, scalpers have been able to sell some of the tickets on at inflated prices. Knowing that many loyal fans would be disappointed, Chris has decided to run some contests so that fans can win extra tickets from his own personal allocation. The following message from Chris's team has been posted at all Chris Cornell's official sites:

Dear Chris Cornell Fans,

Chris and his management team have seen all of the feedback and comments from fans who have been shut out from buying tickets for the upcoming Chris Cornell solo tour. We made every possible effort to ensure that as many tickets as possible were allotted to the fans who have been so supportive over the years. As is the case with any pre-sale, passwords get spread around and unfortunately tickets do often fall into the hands of scalpers and ticket brokers. We are sorry that real fans can not get all of the tickets and will continue to look into ways to avoid this problem for future on-sales.

Chris has decided to give away tickets from his personal guestlist through some contests we are going to set up over the next couple of months to make sure that even more of his true fans get into the show...please stay tuned for further updates and see you out on tour!

- Team CC

Meanwhile, check the tour page to see which shows still have tickets available.

Live On I5 album cover preview

2011-01-25T18:32:00.002Z

Artwork for Soundgarden's forthcoming live album Live On I5 has been released online by Amazon.com. The image apparently shows Interstate 5, which gives the 1996 live album its title.

You can pre-order the album here and get a free bonus download, or read more about it here.

Update Feb 5: According to a post on Soundgarden's Facebook page, pre-ordering the CD at Soundgardenworld will also secure "a soundcheck bonus CD". More news on that when we have it.

New photos of Soundgarden working together

2011-01-22T00:23:00.008Z

Six new photos of Soundgarden working together in the studio have been added tonight to the gallery at their official website and to their Facebook page. You can see the rest of the photos, watermarked 2011, HERE or HERE.

Chris Cornell announces acoustic tour

2011-01-19T17:55:00.006Z

UPDATE: 21 February 2011 The 'Songbook' tour is now completely sold out, even after 3 extra dates were added.

If you were lucky enough to see Chris Cornell's 'Songbook' shows at places like the Troubadour and the Roxy in Los Angeles last year, you'll know how happy the rest of America is going to be about the acoustic Songbook tour that's just been formally announced on chriscornell.com.

If you had to make do with the amazing videos from those shows, you're in for a treat - Chris will be playing a 'Songbook' show in each of 25 cities across the US and Canada during April and May this year.

Presale and onsale arrangements vary according to show, but you can find full details over at the official site's tour page. Tour dates can be found on this site, too.

In the meantime, be sure to sign up for Chris's mailing list, because on 24 January members will be receiving the special presale password for the show. There's even a box on this very site to make it easy for you!

James Franco to play serial killer Ramirez in Cornell-produced movie

2011-01-16T12:50:00.015Z

According to an article in the New York Post today, actor James Franco is to play Richard Ramirez in a movie adaptation of author Philip Carlo's biography of the serial killer, "The Night Stalker". Franco - who received a Golden Globe nomination for his recent lead role in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours - will also direct the movie, which will be titled Beyond Good And Evil. Co-producers will be Chris Cornell, who will also write music for the movie, and screenwriter Nicholas Constantine.

The book's author Philip Carlo died two months ago after a long illness, but his widow tells the Post that when Cornell and his brother-in-law Constantine first optioned the book, Carlo "spent many hours talking with them and was very impressed with their vision for this film."

More details here and here.

"Live On I5": Soundgarden to release live album from 1996 tour

2011-01-13T23:04:00.005Z

Soundgarden have announced that they'll soon be releasing a live album compiled from their 1996 North American tour.

Live On I5 - the title's apparently a reference to the Interstate 5 which runs along the American west coast - has been put together from live 24-track recordings made by producer/engineer Adam Kasper. Soundgarden had always intended to release a live album, but after the band broke up, the tapes were left in the vaults - until now.

The album will be released on UMe on March 22, 2011. The track listing will be as follows:

1. Spoonman

2. Searching With My Good Eye Closed

3. Let Me Drown

Tracks 1-3: Recorded live at Crosby Hall, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA – November 30, 1996

4. Head Down

Recorded live at Mercer Arena, Seattle, WA – December 18, 1996

5. Outshined

Recorded live at Crosby Hall, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA – November 30, 1996

6. Rusty Cage

Recorded live at Pacific National Exhibition Forum, Vancouver, BC, Canada – December 7, 1996

7. Burden In My Hand

Recorded live at Salem Armory, Salem, OR – December 8, 1996

8. Helter Skelter

9. Boot Camp

Tracks 8 and 9: Recorded live at Crosby Hall, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA – November 30, 1996

10. Nothing To Say

Recorded live at Mercer Arena, Seattle, WA – December 18, 1996

11. Slaves And Bulldozers

12. Dusty

13. Fell On Black Days

Tracks 11-13: Recorded live at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA – December 5, 1996

14. Search And Destroy

Recorded live at Mercer Arena, Seattle, WA – December 18, 1996

15. Ty Cobb

Recorded live at Crosby Hall, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA – November 30, 1996

16. Black Hole Sun

Recorded live at Mercer Arena, Seattle, WA – December 17, 1996

17. Jesus Christ Pose

Recorded live at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA – December 5, 1996

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-01T14:51:00.001Z

Let's ring in a new decade by revisiting the style of another - here's Handsome Hank And The Lonesome Boys' thoroughly enjoyable cover of Soundgarden classic "Black Hole Sun", done 1920s style. Enjoy!!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-26T11:10:00.005Z

Hope everyone reading this page found something nice under the tree yesterday and isn't suffering too much from the after-effects of fine food and drink! While you enjoy the rest of the holidays, here's a brand new photo of Chris Cornell enjoying the day with his children Toni & Christopher - plus a nice old gent in a red coat and cap who's dropped by to add to the festive cheer. (No, Chris hasn't cut his hair - he just likes to tie it back out of the way).

courtesy Toni Karyiannis

Chris Cornell on cover of Guitar World

2010-12-07T19:19:00.008Z

Chris Cornell and fellow Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil are on the cover of the new (Jan 2011) issue of Guitar World, which promises to teach you how to play Rusty Cage. Go here for details, including a video teaser!! And to whet your appetite further, here are some selected quotes from the 10-page article (no, I'm not scanning it right now - print media are like endangered species these days and magazines deserve to sell some copies first! However, you'll find it online if you root about in some of the usual places...)

Chris Cornell: There are no specific scenes now. Music from 1992 doesn't seem to be from an older or nostalgic musical period based on what we're presented with today.There should be music out there now that makes that music seem old and nostalgic, but there isn't anything.

Kim Thayil: Ultramega OK spawned Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. Guys in both of those bands have said that to us and they've said that in interviews. That album showed them that a band could have metal elements but you didn't need to be a bunch of dumbasses.

Chris Cornell: We were always an eclectic band. We left things open for whatever we wanted to create. There was no concept of being subservient to the fans.

Kim Thayil: There are always ideas and thoughts. Nothing has been set ahead. It's more a matter of if we feel like doing something when the time comes.

Chris Cornell: I don't like it when the most important thing is what you don't do as opposed to what you do. "You can't do this! You can't do that, otherwise you're not this!" Then there are rules and you can only do less.

Kim Thayil: We definitely plan on releasing collections and packages of unreleased and uncompiled Soundgarden material.I can assure that you'll see more of that in the next couple of years.

Chris Cornell: When you're in a band, you can't map everything out. Everything we did was something unpredictable that came up at the last minute....I can always say pretty confidently that I want to be doing something with music, but who knows if some other passion will get a hold of me in the next 10 years? That's always possible.

Soundgarden live album due Spring 2011

2010-12-02T16:18:00.002Z

Photo: Paul Lorkowski

According to a radio interview with Kim Thayil on Toronto's 102.1 The Edge, Soundgarden are currently working on mixing a live album which they "hope to have" ready for release in Spring 2011.

In March 2010, Soundgarden circulated this message to fans along with a free download, fuelling speculation that a live album from the '96 tour would be released at a later date.

Hello SGWorld,
Submitted for your listening pleasure, please enjoy this live version of Spoonman from a show we played on 11/30/96 at the Del Mar fairgrounds in San Diego CA. On this '96 tour, we recorded all the shows (on two inch tape) from the west coast run to one day release as a live album (disc). We never got around to mixing those shows until recently and we were surprised at how crazy cool it all is!
Loudest of love,
SG

Elsewhere in the Toronto interview Thayil discusses the Tadgarden incident in Seattle, Matt Cameron's continuing involvement in Pearl Jam, talks about the "difference in direction" represented by the band's various other projects and explains that the reunion has been a "gradual" process. Asked about the possibility of writing new Soundgarden material, he says that the band have been "jamming" together and that it's "natural" that musicians who have a rapport will come up with new ideas when they play in a room together.

You can listen to the whole interview here or download it at Jeffgarden's site.

Soundgarden's "Black Rain" nominated for Grammy

2010-12-02T09:40:00.001Z

"Black Rain", Soundgarden's recent single which also appeared on their retrospective album Telephantasm, has been nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category.

Produced by Adam Kasper, "Black Rain" is a hybrid of old and new Soundgarden. Originally an unfinished track from the "Badmotofinger" sessions, the song now includes new vocals and guitar alongside the elements recorded back in 1991. Read more about the recording here.

The other nominees are Alice in Chains, Ozzy Osbourne, Stone Temple Pilots and Them Crooked Vultures. You can read more about Soundgarden's Grammy Award history at Jeffgarden's site, or see the full list of nominees in all categories here.

Soundgarden triumph on Conan

2010-11-10T10:22:00.017Z

Soundgarden played a blinding performance as musical guests for the second night of Conan's new talk show on US television last night. Playing their current single, the previously unreleased "Black Rain" for broadcast (below). They also recorded a second song - a version of their first ever single "Hunted Down".

Press reviews of Soundgarden on Conan: (click links to read more)

MTV: "O'Brien saved the best bit for the web: A performance of "Hunted Down," the band's very first single"

Spin: "Chris Cornell and Co ripped through "Hunted Down" and "Black Rain," both off their September retrospective collection Telephantasm."

Rolling Stone: "The guys may look older, but sonically, they haven't aged a bit."

Billboard: "Frontman Chris Cornell and co. brought the song's gritty edge to life on Conan's darkened stage in front of rotating search lights.."

CNN: "...they still sounded pretty good despite the fact that Cornell’s vocals weren’t mixed very well."

Washington Post: "...in the 13 years since the band broke up, Cornell has not lost any of his angsty charm."

Anticipation for the show (which included an interview with notable Chris Cornell fan Tom Hanks!) had been building all day on social networking sites, with Soundgarden's Facebook posting a photo of the band soundchecking and amusing tweets from members of the Conan team...

@Dubouchet: Chris Cornell just sat in for part of our morning production meeting. It was weird to see him not screaming.
@BrentMorin: Hey Chris Cornell from Soundgarden, stop being taller and better looking than me. You're making me a little insecure right now, okay?

After the show aired, Soundgarden became a trending topic internationally, to the consternation of the curious who'd never come across them before. The morning after the performance, the band's name was among the top 20 most-searched Google terms. Viewers were overwhelmingly positive about the performance - although some thought the guitars were too loud in the mix. Read fan discussions on Soundgarden's forum or on their Facebook wall.

Chris Cornell sings live with Gabin on Italian TV

2010-10-23T14:46:00.002+01:00

Chris Cornell sang live on Italian TV show "Parla Con Me" last night with nu-jazz band Gabin. The song, which opened the show, was "Lies", the new single from the band's album "Third and Double" which features various guest artists.

You can download the single from iTunes via this link - or if you speak Italian, you can enjoy the whole of last night's show via this alternative link from TV channel RaiTRe.

Soundgarden to appear on Conan

2010-10-21T17:34:00.002+01:00

Soundgarden are set to appear on Tuesday November 9 as part of the first week of Conan O'Brien's new late-night show on TBS. More information here.

Other guests on the show include actor Tom Hanks and comedian Jack McBrayer.

Download Gabin's "Lies" featuring Chris Cornell !

2010-10-14T21:41:00.004+01:00

US fans can now download the amazing "Lies" featuring Chris Cornell with Italian nu-jazzers Gabin from this iTunes link

You can read more about the track here.

Free "Black Rain" video download on US iTunes

2010-10-13T18:58:00.000+01:00

If you're in the US (what about the rest of us, then, iTunes?) you can get the "Metalocalypse"-themed animated video for Soundgarden's "Black Rain" free this week only via this iTunes link.

Guitar Hero helps Soundgarden go platinum with Telephantasm

2010-10-04T10:11:00.001+01:00

Soundgarden's new retrospective album has attained immediate platinum status in the US after Activision's guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock game bundled the album with its first million copies sold.

In a press release, Kate Harold of the RIAA explained its thinking on the issue:

"This groundbreaking partnership between Soundgarden and Activision marks the first time a newly released music album has been simultaneously bundled with a videogame launch, and has opened the door to a new type of RIAA certification: recognizing a band's success based on the sale of non-returnable units from a music label to a gaming company, instead of to a traditional retailer.
We're delighted to be able to recognize this innovative new method of selling music. Guitar Hero® is a huge platform for music, and embracing alternative outlets is essential to an artist's success in today's marketplace. This unique partnership between Universal Music Group and Activision demonstrates the value music brings to other industries and is a perfect example of how modern music companies continue to find new ways to reach fans. I anticipate we'll be seeing more and more of these types of partnerships and cross-pollination of industries which benefit everyone, especially music fans. Here's to the future!"

Traditional retail sales figures for Telephantasm will begin to be available shortly.

Soundgarden play secret show to launch Activision's Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

2010-09-28T14:25:00.013+01:00

Soundgarden played a secret show last night in Hollywood to mark the launch of Activision's Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock game - and the release of their retrospective box set, Telephantasm.

Poster courtesy Brooke Mello

Local fans signed up for the fan club at Soundgarden's official site got a very special email on showday. The fastest off the mark (who could prove their membership!) could claim a wristband for themselves and a guest.

That got them free entrance to Activision's special event on the backlot at Paramount. The site had been especially transformed into the perfecct place for a New York block party - including a replica of the historic NYC venue, CBGB's.

The reunited band played a short 10-song set, including their initial vinyl reissue Hunted Down and their new, previously unreleased single Black Rain, which appears on the Guitar Hero game. "Voice of Guitar Hero" Gene Simmons was amongst the celebs spotted in the crowd.

Setlist photo courtesy Ben Shepherd

Live debut of "Black Rain" (thanks @tenaciouslibbs, who now has video of the whole show available)

Spoonman and Rusty Cage (thanks Christy Borgman)

Chris Cornell has tweeted some photos from the event - and his wife Vicky shared some of their daughter Toni helping Dad get ready and being taken on a tour of Hollywood's own NYC.

Here's some reviews & accounts of the event....

Reuters
LA Weekly
Blabbermouth
Daily Truffle

And finally, more pro photos from Zimbio and Terra.com, some great audience photos from fans Lisa Guilin and Christy Borgman...and a few comments from Twittering eyewitnesses:

@GuitarHero: Some major crowdsurfing to end the @Soundgarden show. They totally rocked it!
@AlainJohannes Soundgarden in my ears and eyes again. So happy right now. The dudes are sounding amazing!
@LoProBass: Just saw Soundgarden at a secret show in LA.Holy shit, they were good. they gave me a musical boner.
@HalSparks: SoundGarden was brilliant last night.. Like a club date in '93...
@samjamesvelde: Soundgarden were great last nite. Super raw & unpolished. Great set list.

Now We Are Six - Cornells celebrate daughter's birthday

2010-09-26T15:45:00.007+01:00

Chris Cornell's daughter Toni recently celebrated her sixth birthday - her presents included a parrot which likes to perch on her father's head.

Toni celebrated with a party at the American Girl toy store at the Grove in Los Angeles on Saturday. A crowd gathered as passers-by cottoned onto the fact that Brad Pitt had brought his daughter Zahara to join the fun, and dad and daughter were deluged with paparazzi as they left the party. The story even made the international press, see this fully illustrated account from UK newspaper The Daily Mail.

Soundgarden's Black Rain video is here

2010-09-17T17:19:00.003+01:00

The video for Soundgarden's single Black Rain - directed by 'Metalocalypse' co-creator Brendon Small - is now live at AOL Music. Read all about its making here.

Black Rain video premiere Sept 17 - preview available

2010-09-13T21:00:00.002+01:00

The official video for Soundgarden's single Black Rain is set to premiere on September 17 on AOL Music. In the meantime you can catch this 30-second preview! AOL Music. You can RSVP on Soundgarden's Facebook for a video premiere reminder.

Black Rain is featured on new greatest hits retrospective album Telephantasm, released September 28, and on the soundtrack of new Activision videogame Guitar Hero®: Warriors of Rock.

Telephantasm promo hots up

2010-09-08T10:36:00.014+01:00

Promotional activity for Soundgarden's forthcoming retrospective set Telephantasm is hotting up. Check out this Facebook-linked contest and get yourself in the running to win a guitar, autographed Telephantasm press sheets, or copies of the album.

Chris Cornell will also be appearing on "In The Studio" during the week of September 27. He will talk to Dallas-based rock DJ Redbeard about Telephantasm and given the usual format of "In The Studio" - an hour-long spotlight of some of rock's classic bands and albums - we're guessing he'll be looking back over Soundgarden's whole career. More details to follow. [Update: two new radio interviews with Chris Cornell are now available to stream online - with Boston radio station WAAF and UK flagship music station BBC Radio 1 (for a limited time).

Chris's Seattle-based bandmates Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron have already been chatting to local radio in their home town - check out their recent interviews at 107.7 The End and KISW. And don't forget that Soundgarden will be appearing on nationally syndicated US radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on not one but two dates - Monday October 11 and Wednesday October 13 at 8:30 pm. PT / 11:30 pm. ET. [Update: you can download the interview from Jeffgarden's Soundgarden fansite here.]

Soundgarden CD release party in Seattle Sept 27

2010-09-05T17:32:00.000+01:00

A release party for Soundgarden's Telephantasm will be held at Seattle's Feedback Lounge on Monday September 27. More details to be released soon - in the meantime watch this space.

Chris Cornell takes his family to the movies

2010-08-29T19:02:00.001+01:00

Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images North America

Chris Cornell and his wife Vicky took their children Toni and Christopher to a screening of "Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue" in Beverly Hills last night. See more pictures at Zimbio.

Santana "GuitarHeaven": full details revealed

2010-08-25T18:57:00.003+01:00

"Whole Lotta Love" featuring Chris Cornell will be the opening track on Santana's new covers album "Guitar Heaven", to be released on September 21. The whole track is now streaming live at Amazon.com.

Full track listing (in order) is as follows:

1. “Whole Lotta Love” featuring Chris Cornell (Led Zeppelin cover)
2. “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” featuring Scott Weiland (Rolling Stones cover)
3. “Sunshine of Your Love” featuring Rob Thomas (Cream cover)
4. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma (Beatles cover)
5. “Dance the Night Away” featuring Pat Monahan (Van Halen cover)
6. “Back in Black” featuring Nas and Janelle Monáe (AC/DC cover)
7. “Riders on the Storm” featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek (Doors cover)
8. “Smoke on the Water” featuring Jacoby Shaddix (Deep Purple cover)
9. “Photograph” featuring Chris Daughtry (Def Leppard cover)
10. “Bang a Gong” [Get It On] featuring Gavin Rossdale (T. Rex cover)
11. “Little Wing” featuring Joe Cocker (Jimi Hendrix cover)
12. “I Ain’t Superstitious” featuring Jonny Lang (Howlin’ Wolf, Jeff Beck Group cover)
13. “Fortunate Son” featuring Scott Stapp (Credence Clearwater Revival cover)*
14. “Under the Bridge” featuring Andy Vargas (Red Hot Chili Peppers cover)*
*Deluxe edition only

Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd responds to Spin Magazine's "sensationalizing stunt"

2010-08-25T14:38:00.000+01:00

Soundgarden / Photo by Francesco Carrozzini

Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd has responded to Spin magazine's recent controversial interview with the band via their official website.

In this month's cover feature, which angered some fans because of what they saw as its unwarranted intrusion into band members' private lives, the magazine had referred to the bassist as "homeless" and claimed he "could use the money" from Soundgarden's reunion. Responding to what he called their "sensationalizing stunt", Shepherd writes:

"I feel the banner saying that I am homeless was merely a sensationalizing stunt done by workers at SPIN magazine to sell their story, or make it seem more exciting than it actually is. It makes me feel embarrassed for the truly homeless people to be associated at all in any way with the likes of me. I seem to have been lucky, as most of you, in never having to survive day to day (on the streets) anyway.

Furthermore, my friends and family have always been by my side so I have never gone without love, care, food, compassion, and understanding. I would actually like to thank whatever editor that played this hand for helping once again bring to light the subject of the homeless and uncared for human beings of this dangerously bleak world. I humbly ask for whoever reads this to realize we are all in this together, and try to just remember that once in a while and not only at some convenient time.

I in no way refute what was written in the article, I say what I mean with someone else's alphabet, so it is no wonder to me that my blathering can be so easily 'shined up' or misinterpreted to whatever purpose, especially to a stranger who has no idea of my horrible humor, or my delusional ideas. There I was thinking i was on top of the world, doing what i love and GET to do- (music I mean)- sure I've been couch surfing but that's a far cry from the plight of many many millions of good people worldwide. I just don't want our loyal and most badderasser fans to be mislead, or a bad light to be shone upon my family or friends who have helped me and tried to help me get along. It would be wholly unfair of me after all this to not stand up for them. Now feck auf, thanks.

Ben"

Soundgarden reveal "Telephantasm" artwork

2010-08-19T12:00:00.002+01:00

Soundgarden have revealed Josh Graham's colourfully apocalyptic artwork for their forthcoming retrospective album/DVD package, "Telephantasm". Check it out at his site Suspended in Light or at the Soundgarden website where you can also pre-order your copy of the album and listen to streaming audio of new single Black Rain. More details about the album (available in several formats) including a full track listing here.

Soundgarden's Black Rain released on iTunes

2010-08-17T13:16:00.001+01:00

As of today, Soundgarden's single "Black Rain" is available to buy internationally on iTunes.

The song is an unreleased outtake from the sessions for 1991 album "Badmotorfinger". According to a recent radio interview with bassist Ben Shepherd, the core of the song is one he brought to the table when he first joined the band and was once going to be titled "Fell On Black Days". As Soundgarden fans will know, a completely different song of that title later made the cut for 1994's "Superunknown".

Producer/engineer Adam Kasper told Spin that Chris Cornell recently recorded some new vocals that were mixed into the original song. "What's amazing is Chris recorded new vocal bits, and his voice still hits all those notes. You can't tell which vocals are from 20 years ago and which are from today."

Meanwhile, not unreasonably, the band's management and label have requested that streaming audio of the song be removed from third party sites.

Soundgarden close out Lollapalooza 2010, launch "Black Rain"

2010-08-09T13:28:00.022+01:00

The reunited Soundgarden have closed out Lollapalooza 2010 in classic style while their unreleased old/new track "Black Rain" was released to radio and streamed online - read more about that here.

photo by Roger Kisby/Getty

Their powerful Lolla live set included much the same material as their recent warmup show at the Vic Theater with minor variations: the running order was reshuffled and ten-minute jam "Slaves and Bulldozers" included a section from "Overfloater" (with altered lyrics...)

The setlist: Searching With My Good Eye Closed - Spoonman - Gun - Rusty Cage - Blow Up The Outside World - Let Me Drown - Flower - Outshined - Jesus Christ Pose - Fell On Black Days - Ugly Truth - Get On The Snake - Burden In My Hand - Superunknown - Black Hole Sun - Mailman - 4th of July - Face Pollution - Like Suicide - Slaves & Bulldozers (with Overfloater)

MTV enthused about the show, saying said "the group have not lost a step" and provided "a truly harrowing night of pounding, aggressive rock"; Bob Gendron's Chicago Tribune review said "the Seattle quartet exceeds expectations and confirms its place as one of the last great hard-rock bands to emerge in the last 25 years" and notes that Chris Cornell's "lung-clearing wail is in fine form".

Rolling Stone called Chris "the consummate rock frontman...his leonine wail is the perfect vehicle for the songs' tortured pathos." Spin, struck by "Chris Cornell's eerily ageless face", felt that the band "capture the moment...these guys just may have a chance to make it all over again"; the Chicago Sun-Times said "the band's set downplayed hits in favor of brute strength" and Seattle's The Stranger concluded that "all of that practice seemed to have paid off." Entertainment Weekly and Billboard were less impressed by the set, favouring Arcade Fire who played simultaneously with Soundgarden.

Photo courtesy of The Stranger

photo by Roger Kisby/Getty

Check out more photos from Jeffgarden, Dave Mead, Carl Pocket and from Zimbio.

More reviews, photos & video to follow!

Soundgarden warm up for Lollapalooza

2010-08-06T13:01:00.017+01:00

Seems Soundgarden were warming up nicely at Chicago's tiny Vic Theater last night for Sunday's headlining spot at Lollapalooza.

Photo courtesy of Billboard

The 22-song setlist was as follows:

Searching With My Good Eye Closed - Spoonman - Gun - Rusty Cage - Let Me Drown - Jesus Christ Pose - Flower - Outshined - Fell On Black Days - Ugly Truth - Get On The Snake - Burden In My Hand - Pretty Noose - Head Down - Face Pollution - Superunknown - Black Hole Sun - Mailman - Slaves & Bulldozers - 4th of July - Blow Up The Outside World - Like Suicide.

Here are some pro reviews from Spin (see photo 5 - were there actually any women at the show?), MTV (there's a nice MTV blog, too...), Billboard (who run the best photo - see below) Rolling Stone, Chicago Sun-Times and Time Out Chicago (who seem to have more to say about the marketing than the music.) You can find more pro photos at FilmMagic and Getty.

Here are some stunning audience photos from Jeffgarden, TheGrungeScene and stephiemtx and the best of the YouTube crop (thanks jeffgarden, stephiemtx & geauxeasy1)

photo courtesy of jeffgarden.com

And one for the guitarists - according to Gibson, Chris "played his Gibson ES-335s and a Les Paul exclusively throughout the evening while tearing through an absolutely rocking list of tunes."

Poster for Soundgarden at The Vic 5 August 2010 by Brad Klausen. Someone owns a few Dennis Wheatley paperbacks...

Last few tickets for the Vic - get scavenging!

2010-08-04T23:02:00.001+01:00

If you weren't lucky in the ballot for tickets for Soundgarden's warmup show at The Vic in Chicago tomorrow night (5th), here's a last chance to get in.

If you're in the Chicago area, you'll be interested to know that tickets to the show - and "other prizes" - will be hidden in various locations and clues of the band’s whereabouts will be left via Twitter and Foursquare. Here's how it'll work: on August 5, a member of the Soundgarden team will travel the city streets using Foursquare's mobile app to check in at a handful of locations, leaving pairs of tickets and mementos along the way. The first lucky fan to check in after the band at each location will win the tickets. Follow the band on Twitter and Foursquare - and keep your eyes peeled.