photo by Damian Rohrlach

Tonight, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington paid tribute to Chris from the stage and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother duetted with him on Hunger Strike.

Intro - Let Me Drown - Outshined - Spoonman - Show Me How To Live - Hunger Strike (with Andrew Stockton) - No Such Thing - What You Are - Cochise - Black Hole Sun - Slaves And Bulldozers/The End/Whole Lotta Love

photos by Elleni Toumpas - used by permission

by funkymonk04

This was only the second time I've ever seen Cornell, the first was with Audioslave back in '03, and this was sooooo much better. His voice was brilliant. At one stage he was saying how at all of the other Linkin Park shows, there was at least one person always giving him the finger, but no one had done it in Brisbane. So he then got everyone in the place to give him the finger and yell "Fuck you Mr. Cornell!". Was classic. Andrew Stockton from Wolfmother came out and sang Hunger Strike with Chris - it was pretty cool.

photo by Elleni Toumpas - used by permission

by madmya

Awesome show last night. I loved it. I think I was the only one standing up in the seated section dancing like a madman... second time I'd seen Chris, the first was in '03 and his voice is way better. That version of Hunger Strike was awesome, and Slaves and Bulldozers was fucking awesome. However, he did not rock harder than Linkin Park. It's impossible to rock harder than someone who ups the sound to twice as loud, has a pretty awesome light show and a supportive crowd. I have no doubt that the best songs of the night were in Chris's setlist and I can't wait to go down to Sydney tomorrow to catch a proper show.

photo by kylie keene - used by permission

Oh yeah, and Chester mentioned during his set that he has huge respect for Chris Cornell who is one of his idols, and that he feels disrespectful that he is headlining him. The crowd was silent, they didn't like that. I said 'you fucking said it!' to which some people around me weren't very appreciative either. Top night though, I don't mind Linkin Park so I enjoyed them too. I just wish I could have been up the front to see Cornell.

photos by kylie keene - used by permission

Metal Forge

Upon entering the auditorium with five minutes to spare, Mr. Cornell’s band of no-names opened proceedings with an instrumental jam before the man himself took to the stage dressed like a broke University student in tight black jeans which showed up his Joey Ramone legs, a grey sweater, and untidy hair and looked in dire need of a good feed.

Let Me Drown from the Soundgarden era is the first vocal track to get the capacity Entertainment Centre in the mood, but it appeared to me looking around at the thousands of bodies, it was evident most of the kids in the crowd had no idea who this rock icon before them was, as their reaction felt a little deflated.

In fact, as much as Cornell’s vocals were in the best form I’d heard in the live surrounds since I first saw Soundgarden in 1994, his stage charisma seemed somewhat empty. Even appearing bored and strolling from one side of the stage to the next, Cornell still won my full attention with the almost faultless set list he served up.

If you came to hear the solo material, you were about to be disappointed, instead Soundgarden and Audioslave material such as Outshined, Black Hole Sun, Rusty Cage, Spoonman, Cochise, Show Me How to Live and Like a Stone was what dominated the show, even Wolfmother front man and good friend of Cornell’s, Andrew Stockdale lent his pipes to Hunger Strike from the Temple of the Dog album.

Wrapping up the sixty minute support slot was one of the best Soundgarden songs, Slaves and Bulldozers which even incorporated the Zeppelin classic Whole Lotta Love in the middle of it. Cornell is definitely on the right path by leaving the overrated Tom Morello and Co from the Audioslave days; let’s just hope he continues down that yellow brick road until he ends up back at the garden full of sound where he belongs. Great stuff!

- Jamie Cooke, Metal Forge

photos by Damian Rohrlach

Backstage in Brisbane - from the official Chris Cornell YouTube channel

backstage photo by Elleni Toumpas - used by permission

See the Chris Cornell Concerts site for a recording of this show

Chris Cornell Fan Page © Clare O'Brien 2007