Soundgarden confirms reunion rumours
Stuff.co.nz
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Iconic rock act Soundgarden, led by vocalist Chris Cornell, have confirmed rumours that they will reunite in 2010.
The widely anticipated news was announced via social networking site Twitter, with a message that read: "The 12 year break is over & school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!"
The message linked to the band's new website soundgardenworld.com.
Soundgarden consists of vocalist Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd. They formed in 1984, won Grammy awards for the songs Spoonman and Black Hole Sun, sold around 20 million albums worldwide and broke up in 1997.
Cornell joined three former members of Rage Against the Machine to form Audioslave, which lasted for three albums. He then launched a badly-received solo career, including last year's tragic collaboration with hip-hop producer Timbaland, Scream.
Reunion rumours have surrounded the band for around 12 months after they regrouped on stage to perform the Temple of the Dog song Hunger Strike together during a Pearl Jam show in the US.
Cameron, a member of recent New Zealand visitors Pearl Jam, told Stuff.co.nz entertainment editor Chris Schulz in late November he doubted Soundgarden would reform.
"(Singer) Chris (Cornell) is pretty active with his solo career, and I'm super busy right now," Cameron said in the interview. "The last thing on my mind is getting a band back together."
Cornell last visited New Zealand as the opening act for Linkin Park for two Auckland shows in 2007, where he played several Soundgarden songs, including Rusty Cage and Black Hole Sun.
Soundgarden is the latest in a long list of bands to reform recently, including Rage Against the Machine, Faith No More, The Pixies, Limp Bizkit, Blink 182, Stone Temple Pilots and the Smashing Pumpkins.
* Are you glad Soundgarden are reuniting? Post your comments below.
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at last! can't wait...
I don't care if it is for the money - it will be great to hear the old tunes again, relive my youth haha.
it will be a real reunion if chris plays guitar alongside kim in concert. that dedication will show me that he's doing this for the music and not just hiring a touring rhythm guitarist to fill out the sound. that would bring back the old magic for me...
they need to space out the dates to save his voice, he never warms up so front-load the easier songs then go for the kill at the end with all the raging hardest songs. then 2 or 3 days off! in '96 in san jose for instance, after singing his balls off for most of the concert, he pulled off near-perfect back-to-back versions of face pollution, slaves & bulldozers, jesus christ pose, limo wreck and a couple more. incredible!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll be happy as long as they return to their early grunge days when they kicked @ss. If they make girly pop-rock like Cornell has been doing for the last few years, i'll just ignore them and listen to their classics that made them famous.
I am absolutely thrilled, 2nd to a Zeppelin reunion, I couldn't ask for more this year!!! I don't care about cash in cash out talk, I respect these guys...as musicians...at this point with Superunknown and Down on the Upside still being talked about as relevant and impacting, them taking the lid off and going at it again is the best news
It was just a matter of time. Can they pick up from the almost out of control, 2 wheels on the road momentum of Ty Cobb, or the huge groove riffs of Superunknown?? Hope so. One of the last concerts they did was in Wellington and it bloody rocked! What this doesn't explain is what is Matt Cameron doing? Does he leave Pearl Jam high and dry, because without Cameron, Soundgarden is not Soundgarden.
yawn. another b(l)and reforming to trade their credibility for cash... who'll jump on the nostalgia bandwagon next?
I wonder if they'll all travel in seperate aircraft again en-route to each concert.
I think the money must be running out. They should call it the Jesus Christ I need a new Stove reunion tour.
Yaaaaay! Now whats a bt they'll play Akld and Chch only?!
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Although nothing will surpass the gig I witnessed at the powerstation in 94 ( I even got to meet the band and hang out with Kim after the show for a while!!) It will still be well worth checking these guys out again, FNM proved that age hasn't killed their performance and enthusiasm, these guys are all exceptional musos, bring it on!!