The death of frontman Chris Cornell in 2017 marked the end of Soundgarden. The remaining members now played together again.
Soundgarden play for Chris Cornell
Guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron came together for a fundraiser in Seattle this past weekend. They played a small reunion concert under the anagram Nudedragons, which Soundgarden had already used once in 2010. Together with singer Shaina Shepherd, who was already on stage with Thayil in 2020, they offered songs from the early days of their career. Her first address to the audience: “This is for Chris.”
Surprise guest: Duff McKagan
The final lineup of Soundgarden performed their very first single, 1987’s “Hunted Down,” which later appeared on their debut EP, Screaming Life. There was also “Flower” and “Beyond The Wheel” from the first album “Ultramega OK” (1988), “Outshined” from the breakthrough “Badmotorfinger” (1991), and “Kickstand” from the grunge success “Superunknown” (1994). On the latter, the band received support from Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, who contributed vocals. Finally, the musicians played the MC5 song “Kick Out The Jams” with both singers.
The SMooCH event was intended to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital. The event takes place every year. Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron have only played a handful of performances together since Chris Cornell took his own life in May 2017. However, they have apparently been working on putting together a final album for years, something they were already working on with Cornell before his death. The most recent album is “King Animal” from 2012, which was a comeback work after sixteen years of musical silence.