Chris Cornell Fan Page: Live reviews and photos from the Roundhouse, London, 3 September 2007

Photo by Ross Halfin - used by permission

By all accounts this was an outstanding show. Photographer Ross Halfin, who stayed to shoot the whole night, described it as "the best show I've seen this year, better than The Who, Aerosmith and Prince all put together." He was probably not wrong. The Roundhouse is an old and expensively converted tramshed, and has often served as the venue for classical concerts as well as rock events like this one. Chris and the band filled the impressive space with sound and fury, signifying quite a bit. By the end of 2007, UK rock magazine Kerrang had placed the show at #43 in its special issue featuring the "100 Greatest Gigs Ever".

Silence The Voices - Original Fire - Let Me Drown - Outshined - Show Me How To Live - You Know My Name - No Such Thing - Say Hello To Heaven - Be Yourself - What You Are - Rusty Cage - Billie Jean - Fell On Black Days - Preaching The End Of The World - Blow Up The Outside World - Doesn't Remind Me - Cochise - Ty Cobb - Arms Around Your Love - Black Hole Sun - Spoonman - Jesus Christ Pose - Seasons - Wave Goodbye - Burden In My Hand - Slaves and Bulldozers - Whole Lotta Love

I'm completely deaf but I am on such a high! I knew the gig was going to be good (and I was really looking forward to this one after being completely drenched at Chris' performance at Hyde Park a few months back), but I didn't expect it to be THAT good!

Chris' vocals have never sounded better. Dare I say it, even better than when he was in Audioslave! The crowd gave Chris and his band (his amazing band) a thunderous reception when they came onstage at 9 p.m. And for 2 solid hours, Chris & Co rocked The Roundhouse. I mean, just look at the number of songs he played!

The crowd totally got into it and all the rockers, young and new, were headbanging, screaming and moshing away. It was great to see Chris in such top form and I love that little pout and head movement thing he does when he's rocking away. The entire night was something else but the main highlights for me were: Outshined (one of the BEST live versions ever), Be Yourself (beautiful, Chris said it reminded him of Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall... I assume he meant when the crowd was singing it back to him), Say Hello To Heaven (always wanted to hear it live, especially the final verse!), Fell On Black Days (nice surprise during the acoustic set), Cochise (tore the place up!), Ty Cobb (everyone went mental, ditto with Spoonman), Wave Goodbye (written for Jeff Buckley) and Slaves and Bulldozers (out of this world).

I would have loved to have heard Hunger Strike (again), My Wave and Sunshower, but I'm not complaining, Chris spoiled us enough. Maybe next time (please come back Chris!).

His band was on fire! Special mention goes out to Jason Sutter, the drummer. His drum solos were unbelievable; the sheer force he showcased was outstanding. Corey's a sweetie and really knows how to work the crowd. Peter and Yogi were equally amazing (Tom Morello who?) and at one point during Peter's solo, and with Chris' encouragement, he played so hard that the strings on his guitar snapped. Chris and Peter beamed like proud father and son while the crowd cheered!

Oh, and please note that I respect and love Chris as a singer/songwriter first and foremost but blimey, when he came out in the latter half of the show shirtless (Yogi went shirtless much earlier), all I could think of was... DILF!!! Haha! My mind was going SCHWING! HUBBA HUBBA! If only all men were built like Chris!

What an amazing concert it was! The crowd was absolutely insane!! SOO Loud! Actually, the crowd, coupled with Chris' screams did make me deaf for the past 2 days!! Well worth it, though! Mere words cannot begin to describe the experience! I thought that seeing him at Hyde Park was the most intense moment of my life, but I think this safely topped it by a long way! Slaves & Bulldozers into an impromptu version of Whole Lotta Love, I hear you say?!?! Hearing Chris doing the whole "waaaaaaay downnnnnnn insideeeeeee... youuuuuuuu neeeeeeeeed itttttttt" was just out of this world!

Way above any expecations! What an insane gig last night! I was totally blown away. Chris was on incredible form, and his amazing voice is still ringing in my ears...am still on such a high I refused to face the tube strike mission into work this morning, stayed at home and have been listening to every single album from early Soundgarden to Carry On all day! The Doors and Led Zeppelin touch at the end was stunning. I totally lost it moshing to Outshined and the insane Jesus Christ Pose..sorry for any involuntary toe mashing around me..am a bit out of practice! I got kind of more subdued at the sight of a shirtless Chris..wasn't expecting that to send me on such a violent head spin - I kind of lost balance for a few minutes.. Can't say I've felt this high from a concert in a while..(maybe Gogol Bordello got close). Chris was just so generous and it was just so damn cool to see everyone in the band having the time of their lives...AWESOME!

It seems to take forever until the lights go down (there is no support act, and I`m glad; I`m here to see Chris, no-one else...) Me and GrungeGirl have agreed to try and get on the rail, but there has been a mad stampede of people and we end up 4 or 5 people back, but it`s an ok spot and nearer the front than I`ve ever been before; I`m normally wussy and hang at the back, but I`m NOT gonna be at the back for this one!

It`s already getting really hot and cramped though, and when the band come out and the crowd starts to go mental, I have second thoughts. All the stuff that freaks me out; sweat, breath, bodily contact with strange people is reminding me why I don`t go to gigs any more. I`m just thinking to myself that this is a bad idea; that I should get further back, find myself some space, when suddenly Chris is there and I don`t care anymore! I grin from ear to ear like my face might split `cos it`s actually happening; I`m here and there is Chris, for real, this man who has been with me for so long; keeping me company through all those times when I`ve been bleeding and crying, drunk in the dark in my room, like a friend.

And he sounds good; doing `Silence the Voices` when I was half expecting `Let me Drown`, but it`s ok; he`s well into the song; not interacting with the crowd yet, but I can see him glancing up at us every now and then; seeing what`s happening, like he`s checking us out, sizing us up, assessing what we`re likely to give in energy before he lets go...

Original Fire is next and things start to get going; there are a lot of Audioslave fans here, judging by the T-shirts I saw earlier. Then it IS `Let Me Drown`, the crowd are going mad, the band and Chris are really starting to get into a flow and the first mosh pit of the evening starts up around me. It almost sucks me in, but I manage to get shoved out to the edge about 3 people from the front and it`s great! most of the people in front are shorter than me, so I ignore the moshers crashing into my back and stay there; and God, it`s good! Chris is sounding great and he looks in pretty good shape (I`m trying not to look, but I can`t help it..) a bit thin maybe, but not unhealthy. And from there the gig is ...awesome...perfect; more than I could have dreamt of.

Chris is giving, feeding the crowd on his energy and aura now like he`s radiating it out; jumping up and down (ooops; girly bit alert!) giving little glimpes of his stomach under his `Istanbul` T-shirt (sorry; I tried not to look; concentrate on his face and the music but I got, er, distracted a few times...) During `Outshined` I try to take a video clip with my phone; probably not a great idea with the intensity of moshing going on behind me, but Outshined is particular fav of mine; I had to try. Anyway my phone gets knocked out of my hand. I figure out that it`ll be fairly safe to duck down and pick it up; and for a second or two, I swear to God, it`s like being underwater, just like having a wave go over your head in the sea. The sound muffled and thickened, the atmosphere dark, thick and heavy. And just like surfacing, when I stood up the noise cleared and rushed back into my ears and everything was bright.

The rest of the concert was just mind-blowing, awesome. People are moshing, dancing, head-banging and singing along, giving out heaps of energy. It`s really hot and sweaty and it stinks; hell, probably I stink too, but none of it matters because there are Chris and his band. His band are great, seriously; they gel perfectly; Corey is mental dashing all over the stage; I didn`t see Peter break his guitar, `cos I was in front of Yogi; but they were all great, fantastic. Chris is great; smiling and acknowledging them, saying he`s written song with a lot of groups of people but that he loves these guys as much as anybody.

And of course, there is Chris, Chris at the apex of it all; the band, the sound, the lights, the crowd, everything. glowing in his white shirt he is a priest; shaman, trickster; playing with us and unifying us in a mass, throwing himself round the stage, jumping up and rocking out. He is cat-like, stalking, graceful and then, just like a cat rolling on it`s back in the sunshine, he is almost clumsy, moving in the glow of adoration from the crowd but always with an underlying feline grace you can`t tear your eyes away from...And he does stalk the stage; coming right up front to where you are; crouching, staring out, hard, intense with his totally turquoise eyes raking the crowd, searching. A split second after he gets there, the crowd reacts to him; shouting out, screaming out the words and reaching out to him, and suddenly he`s up; his eyes, literally flashing, sparkling `cos he knows he`s got you; knows that we are there with him in the song and the moment, part of the back and forward, ebb and flow of energy that he gives off and that we throw back, that he takes from us and magnifies; throwing it back to us from his outstretched arms, 10, a 100 times stronger.

Chris interacts fantastically well with the crowd. He motions for some guy to throw him the flag he`s holding up. The guy does, Chris catches it and drapes it round his neck and then the mic stand for part of the song. Then he searches the crowd for the right guy and throws it back to him. The flags owner holds it up, balled in his fist and Chris makes a fist back at him, grinning and there is a moment of communion; it doesn`t matter that there is air between them, there is a connection, like God and Adam in Michaelangelo`s fresco.

By the tome we get to Chris` acoustic section I`ve given up taking photos on my phone; I can see they`re not coming out and I`m concentrating on video clips; these are no better in quality, but Chris is instantly recognisable; every move he makes is familiar, despite the fact that he`s not much more than a pale blur on the screen.

It was going through these video clips in my hotel room later that I realised I`d caught a perfect Trickster moment during the encore in `Slaves and Bulldozers`. Chris was at the back of the stage and he hunched over with the mic to his mouth, just like he`s really going to launch into song and he stands up without making a sound, walking to the front of the stage nodding and grinning, `cos he knows he`s caught us out, thinking we`re gonna hear that awesome, soaring voice. And his smile burns through the haze and lands on my phone screen.

The acoustic set is amazing; I`m already more than happy with the songs I`ve heard but he pulls out some songs that make me grin from ear to ear (again!) Fell on Black days, Preaching the End of the World, Blow up the Outside World ending with Doesn`t Remind Me, where the band come back on half way through. When the band kick in, another mosh starts up behind me, and I`m thinking, I can`t believe you`re moshing to this, wtf? But then they break into `Cochise` and I understand it And then, amazingly they`re doing `Ty Cobb`!!! and I`m jumping up and down as well!; I never in a million years would have guessed that I would get to hear Chris do Ty Cobb live : ) I didn`t believe the crowd could get any more mental than it was, but then `Jesus Christ Pose` starts up and we all go wild; I can`t describe the heat, the noise, the energy...

All too soon, Chris is saying they`ll be right back and leaving the stage. BritChic texts me to say that was insane and I`m just about to text back saying, There should be an encore yet, when they are back! I look up and (sorry, another girly moment coming up!) and go into ecstasy, `cos Chris is shirtless, and judging by the way the screams go up an octave, it`s not just me ;) I`m thinking, yes, yes, yes!I didn`t think this evening could get any better and then, on my first and maybe only time I get to do this I get a topless Chris! Doing `SEASONS`! I know it`s about the music and the sheer talent of the man above all else, but God, he is nice to look at as well! The encore goes past was too quickly with loads of great moments; Wave Goodbye, Burden in my Hand, the little bit of Like a Stone at the beginning of Slaves and Bulldozers. Then, in a moment which I was lucky enough to catch on my phone they`re into Whole Lotta Love and the whole place, us, Chris, the band, peak together; it`s not a Chris song but it`s so good, so apt and I know a lot of us know that it`s the end and we want to give every last bit of energy we have left before it`s over.

And then it really is over, the sound dies down, Chris has said thank you and doesn`t need to say anything else. And I know in that moment that I don`t ever need to win a Meet & Greet, get anything signed, touch his hand; it doesn`t matter. I have been there and seen him, and I think, no, I`m sure I KNOW that Chris knows how we all feel and appreciate what he`s given us, and that in an odd way, he loves us for `getting it` and being there to show him that we do. And then and now today, I know that there is no better thing in the world you can be than to be a fan of Chris Cornell.

This was a truly amazing gig. His voice was spot on, hit every note, the acoustic set was spellbinding, the band were tighter than ever. It was obvious the Soundgarden stuff got the best response. Three words, basically JESUS CHRIST POSE, 'twas the shuddering beast it is on BMF, possibly the best gig of my young 39 years I've ever been to, and there's been many, nothing has ever slammed like Jesus Christ Pose did last night, to borrow an american phrase......PERIOD!

Chris was at his magnificent best last night. I saw at him at Hyde Park in July which was in front of people who weren't there to see him specifically. Last night, Chris came out firing from the start and confirmed (as if he ever needed to!) that he is by far the best rock singer of his generation. I was so wired after the show I raced home to download my photos and videos and couldn't fall asleep. Can't wait for the next show...

Here are my memorable moments from the night:- Yogi, Peter, Corey and Sutter making a very low-key entrance to the Roundhouse: their taxi pulled up right outside, they briskly unloaded their stuff, and heads down, simply walked right past us all into the venue. I wouldn’t even have noticed actually, if someone hadn’t yelled out, ‘That’s the band.’ – Cheers for that whoever you were. Right at the beginning, someone threw Chris a flag, which he draped around his shoulders, then hung on his microphone stand for a song. Afterwards he found that person in the audience again and threw it back. Chris telling us, after we’d sung along to Be Yourself that the crowd effort reminded him of Pink Floyd’s ‘Just Another Brick In the Wall’ – I think it was a compliment! Peter destroying his guitar (literally – there was only like one string left on it), but I can’t remember which song/solo it happened in. So funny to see this poor instrument with strings flying and unravelling in all directions though. And Peter looked kinda proud of himself afterwards, lol. Other stuff he said: something along the lines of ‘I love these guys (bandmates) as much as any band I’ve been in’ – yay! And aww … they truly deserve the compliment cuz they rocked their asses off the way they played tonight. Yogi and Peter came up with some amazing solos; Corey was doing some really funky stuff on bass; and yup, another Sutter vs the Picks drum solo. – Wow, he was pounding away on them like a mad thing!

Wave Goodbye was incredible as was everything else - every one was just out of this world! My only low point was opening with Silence The Voices. It is my least favourite CC song, although hearing it live somehow improved it for me, but it still didn't make me really like it. But then closing with one of my faves, Slaves & Bulldozers, as he had done in Glasgow, but this time mixed with the lyrics of Like A Stone another Sutter solo and finally leading right into Led Zep's Whole Lotta Love! Amazing....!

I couldn't believe they played Wave Goodbye...I'm still in shock a bit! And Ty Cobb!!! Of course Say hello to heaven was another highlight. However, the Whole lotta love thing smashed it!!! The only thing I might be a teensy bit critical of is that the Audioslave songs don't vary enough. Ithink I've heard those songs live too much, maybe playing other songs like Wide awake, Revelations, Shadow on the sun, Last remaining light etc, would be cool. A great performance though, I really hope he writes and records the new album with this band. I am awed at their stamina, 26 songs!!! No band I've seen plays that much live!!!

This gig was possibly the best gig Ihave ever been to, such a great performance, totally exceeded my expectations. I was only expecting to hear Chris's Solo albums, and maybe a few Audioslave. But WOW 27 songs!!!

Now the issue is that I’m a pretty massive Cornell fan. While I adore the Pumpkins, Cornell definitely has the best voice of all the 90s grungers, by a long way. Put him up next to Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, Eddie Vedder, Scott Weiland and he trounces each and every single one of them.

Until this Monday, I thought that was it really. The thing is, though the man has been pretty productive over the last few years, being in Soundgarden, then followed by a solo album, then Audioslave came, and then another solo album. My brother’s a massive fan as well, but like him I felt that the latest album was a bit lacking, which unfortunately it is. However, no matter what, Chris can still lay claim to being in my top 10 classic alternative albums of all time.

With his performance on Monday he also showed that he was without a doubt a superb performer that enjoys himself immensely. Everyone who was there just couldn’t get over the fact about how crisp and clear and POWERFUL his voice actually remains throughout the live act. The man and his band played their little hearts out for 2 and a half hours. The band took a break while Chris continued with an acoustic set and then he only took a 5 minute break and was back for another 30 minutes. To say that they rocked the house is a complete and utter understatement. It wasn’t Chris Cornell, it was Audioslave, soundgarden and Chris Cornell all wrapped into one evening....Honestly I don’t know where to start explaining which of the actual songs was the best one, because they were all sung with passion. Hard to say this, but easily one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to.

Ahhhh... another spectacular performance from the man with the killer voice. It was FREAKIN AWESOME. Highlights this time around were Ty Cobb, Wave Goodbye (with a dedication to Jeff), Burden In My Hand and the usual goodness that comes with a Chris Cornell set (Rusty Cage, JCP... EEPS!!! - no Loud Love this time around though). The man never fails to amaze me.

Wow, what a wild night! I think Chris really let go and boy did it show! The crowd went crazy, what a mosh pit!! Had to struggle to stay upright! He was chatty, bending down to greet the fans, he took a flag from one of the them and wrapped it round the mic stand before throwing it back, sticking his tongue out and making silly faces in general! He commented on how great the band was, and man is he right! They rocked! Sutter's drum solo was totally awesome! And Pete totally destroyed his guitar… strings hanging off and flying about everywhere. People scrabbling round to try and catch guitar picks that flew into the crowd freely! He sang to his two good friends who has lost, Andrew Wood and Jeff Buckley - it was mighty hearing him sing Say Hello 2 Heaven for L'Andrew… all the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. My highlights… Ty Cobb - the crowd went mental!! And of course, Chris & Yogi going shirtless!! The whole night rocked… he has surpassed himself once again!!

So there I am, standing by the side of the stage waiting to go and meet the man himself for the second time. Who would have thought I would ever get the chance, let alone twice.

The first time I met Chris, it was backstage of Brixton Academy after winning the chance to meet Audioslave. We were told to line up outside the dressing rooms and that the band would come out, walk down the line and greet us.. no photos, no signatures.. they would post some signed stuff to us after the event. So there I am, at the end of the line… legs shaking, mouth dry.. what do I say to the man that has inspired me so much in my life.. the door at the end of the corridor opens, and out he strolls, all 6ft 3" of him, listening to his IPod. I freeze, standing there with my mouth agape, incapable of speech. He hangs back and the boys move down the line, asking us how we won the competition, giving us each a guitar pick to keep. Then the man himself walks down.. he gets to me and gives me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek… game over.. I struggle to find the words, so much I want to ask him and everything has stopped working.. he spots one of my badges that I am wearing that says "Chris Cornell is God" - he blushes profusely, thanks me and asks where I got it. I manage to stammer an answer and while congratulating myself in my head for managing to get words out, he is ushered on by the record company. We are led out and I burst into tears (I know, loser!).

So here we are, a couple of years later and I find out I have the chance to do it all again! This time however, I was determined to remember the event and not act like a deranged idiot!

As we are waiting by the side of the stage, Peter comes out to greet some friends who have turned up to meet him. He seems to be in a great mood. We get given a photo of Chris each that we can get signed and told we get two minutes with him each and we can get a photo. Off we go into the corridors of backstage, me leading the way. We pass a little room where Vicky, his wife sits with family of other members of the band. Sutter is in the doorway chatting then dashes off into the dressing room next door as we are told to wait in a line outside. We are asked our names and then told to go in, being announced as we go.

In I walk to a tiny dressing room with my friend Lauren behind me. There the boys sit in a semi circle chatting, Chris is flicking through a photo album engrossed. The band welcomes us and we are told to make ourselves comfy. Chris apologises and says they are off to Iceland and were looking at photos of where they are going. I manage the insightful line of "Oh, I've always wanted to go there", mentally kick myself and try and salvage the situation!

As the boys start to sign our photos, I asked them if they enjoyed the night as it sure looked like it! Chris mumbles it was boring then starts to giggle. The band said they had a fantastic time and the crowd were amazing. I mentioned I had been to the Astoria and Hyde Park gigs and I thought tonight was the best by far. Chris seemed really chuffed. He was keen to hear my thoughts on Hyde Park and thought it was very funny how wet we all got.

As I started to notice I was shaking uncontrollably, my mind went blank so Lauren saved the day and brought up my badges again which I had on my bag. I told him that I had showed him the same badge last time I met him and he said he remembered it. He had a look at the other ones I had and was really pleased to see one of the Soundgarden ones, he said it was one of his favourite posters.

Next thing I know its photo time, so wondering how we'll squeeze in, I decided to plonk myself on the floor in front of him (having to lean on Corey as I went!). Then we were told our time was up and it was time to leave, they thanked us for coming and glad that we had enjoyed ourselves… I didn't stop waving till I was out in the corridor, clutching my photograph and camera in hand! Lauren assures me I didn't dribble once or say anything stupid so all in all it went pretty well! What a night! Let's see if we can make a third time…..!

The meet and greet was a strange experience. It got off to a bad start with me deciding it would be funny to repeatedly take shots at the security guy in charge of bringing us in to meet the guys. He didnt like me very much. I had met an old college friend for a few drinks during the day and we proceeded to drink our way up Camden towards the Roundhouse for the show. As a result, was in quite a good mood by the time the m&g came upon us

It was very cool and relaxed, just the 5 guys in a room and they took us in pairs for a couple minutes at a time. We got in and sat around for a minute or two yapping about the night. I told Corey he played excellent while Chris signed all the usual memorabilia I took in. Happened quite quickly and before I knew it the camera was poised and the photos were taken, and I was being ushered out just realizing I had barely even adknowledged Chris in the room. He was sitting beside me quite passive and clearly zen after the performance.

On leaving I asked him quickly about the upcoming tour and when he intended to return to Dublin and he said he didn't know! Also, as I'm moving to South East Asia in a couple weeks, I asked him if he ever intended going there soon and he said yes, although I think that may have been an attempt to tell me what I wanted to hear so that I'd leave!

I'd had a few drinks and the guys seemed entertained by our antics, had a good laugh, but I did come out feeling like I hadn't told him all I wanted to, but no matter. I shook his hand and thanked him for doing the meet n greet and made off. All in all a cool and funny experience.

The term "classic rock" can be shorthand for much that is wrong with music. It can mean backward looking people clining bitterly, and with bitterness, to a time in the past hen they believe (mistakenly, always) music was better, safer, more worthwhile. As Chris Cornell wrings the final notes from a version of Slaves And Bulldozers so heavy it's surprising that the Camden Roundhouse hasn't sunk into the earth and wound up in Adelaide, the songwriter gives the term back its validity. This is music so good that it deserves the "classic" prefix. It is not reactionary, backward, or dead.

One of the notable things about this remarkable show - performed for ore than two hours in fron of 3,000 fans - is how thrilled its author seems just to be here. Not corny, not overly dramatic, just a presence that radiates warmth and charisma. Oh, and talent, because the other remarkable thing is, of course, the music. And where to begin with that? With the confidence to introduce new songs right until the end of the night, Chris Cornell delivers a set that feels like a celebration of a body of work both young and old. Yes, it would have been nice to hear the moral disgust of Wide Awake, but when his quite brilliant brand throws itself into Soundgrden's Ty Cobb its frontman just flies. He flies on You Know My Name, on Burden In My Hand, on the acoustic version of Billie Jean, on the pulverising Outshined, on the graceful, almost whimsical Doesn't Remind Me.

Toward the end of the night, Cornell says of the venue itself - one of the most beautiful in London, should you get the chance to go - how it's a thrill to grace the same stage on which Jimi Hendrix once stood. Someone at the barrier shouts "Bullshit, Hendrix never played here." Well, if not, at least one Seattleite rock god can say that he has.

Later, Ian Winwood wrote the following in a special issue of Kerrang featuring the "100 Greatest Gigs Ever":

"Chris Cornell at the Roundhouse was a masterclass in musical evolution, of how to present a body of work that spans two decades without once appearing, or sounding, like you're growing old. With a band as good as any he's played with in the past, this was Cornell as rock royalty - 150 minutes of brilliance poured into a gig which has already attained legendary status."

For anyone who was in Camden on Monday night, you could be forgiven for thinking it was 1994 again.

Grunge icon Chris Cornell rolled back the years with a stellar performance in front of thousands of fans crammed into North London’s swish Roundhouse venue.

The former Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave frontman is universally recognised as one of the greatest singers in Rock and went onto to prove just why in an amazing set spanning over two hours.

Back in its heyday in the early 90’s, Cornell’s group Soundgarden were one of the pioneers of the Seattle grunge scene. Along with the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, they collectively re-invented the metal scene influencing many of today’s top rock bands along the way.

On Monday night, Cornell showcased some of Soundgarden’s greatest work, performing a plethora of songs from the hugely successful albums Badmotorfinger, Superunknown and Down on the Upside. Many of the fans in attendance grew up with Cornell’s music in their teenage years and did not need any invitation to start head-banging again as he belted out classic tracks like "Let Me Drown", "Outshined", "Spoonman" and "Jesus Christ Pose".

An acoustic set mid-way through the gig was also a highlight as Chris demonstrated his impressive vocal range on Michael Jackson’s classic "Billie Jean".

After the break-up of Soundgarden in 1997, Chris released his first solo album but found mainstream success hard to come by until 2001, when he joined ex-members of Rage Against The Machine to form super-group Audioslave. Cornell opened the gig with Audioslave’s final UK hit "Original Fire" and continued throughout the night singing modern rock classics like "Cochise", "Show Me How To Live" and "Be Yourself".

Following his departure from Audioslave last year, a more mature, family-influenced Cornell is now embarking on a new musical chapter with the release of his second solo album "Carry On". The album has already sparked a huge UK hit with "You Know My Name" – the theme to the highly successful movie blockbuster Casino Royale. The reputation of Cornell is such that he is the first American ever to co-write and perform the theme to a James Bond film.

As Monday night proved, the influence of Cornell on today’s generation of music fans is not to be under-estimated. His versatility as a vocalist is second to none and as the thousands of screaming and singing fans in Camden will attest to, he can still rock hard with the very best of them.

One of the songs on Chris Cornell’s new solo album, Carry On, is called Ghosts. It’s more about cutting loose from the past than anything else, but on Monday night the singer certainly raised spirits - in both senses - within the geometric space of London’s Roundhouse.

Rather like Edward Norton’s conjuror in The Illusionist, Cornell can sometimes turn his magic into a kind of séance. Mother Love Bone’s Andy Wood, dead since 1990, rose and flickered inside Temple of the Dog’s great gospel oration Say Hello To Heaven - and, as Cornell revealed, also in Soundgarden hit Outshined, written not so much for Andrew as to him.

He played his farewell to drowned troubadour Jeff Buckley, Wave Goodbye, too - smiling up into the old tramshed’s rounded roof like he’d suddenly spotted his friend perched on a rafter.

During an extended jam on Slaves and Bulldozers, he channelled Jim Morrison in a softly crooned fragment of The End. Eventually, the whole band joined in, invoking the serpentine glamour of Led Zeppelin with snatches of In My Time Of Dying and Whole Lotta Love.

If this was partly a séance, it was also a celebration - both of Cornell’s past and of his present. The darkness of addiction and loneliness seemed a long way away, replaced by an exultant delight in the moment that lit up every song.

Playing without benefit of an opening act, Cornell seemed wilder and more unpredictable than he did on his last visit to London in the spring: joking with the audience, revelling in onstage horseplay, leaping atop speaker cabs and discarding his shirt for a final, fiery encore.

Now five years sober and living a stable family life, his voice has regained much of the outstanding range it had in the early 90s before drink and drugs sent him into slow decline. There were moments, though, when the feral energy of the music seemed to be pulling him apart. At times his body shook with emotion but his voice barely faltered, even when he tugged at his hair as if trying to tear off his own head.

As all maverick artists should, he has strong support from a band that sustains and complements his voice with solid power and sudden flights of fancy. They are as capable of reproducing the manic thrash of Soundgarden’s Ty Cobb or reinventing the dangerous energy of Jesus Christ Pose as they are of transforming a pedestrian ballad like Audioslave’s Doesn’t Remind Me, with Corey McCormick’s ballsy bass expertly underpinning Cornell’s gospel flourishes.

Five months into the tour, material from the latest album is as tightly rendered as the classics. New rocker No Such Thing and atmospheric, Scott Walker-esque set opener Silence The Voices are especially impressive.

As he did last time in London, movie composer David Arnold joined the band for James Bond theme You Know My Name, and Cornell slotted in an acoustic set which took in live rarities like Preaching The End Of The World as well as a slow, menacing reading of Michael Jackson’s lyrically sinister Billie Jean.

Even critics occasionally see a performance that evicts other memories and claims a special space in the heart. This marathon show, along with some by Bowie, Zeppelin, Radiohead and The Who, was one of that kind. If it had a flaw, it was only that it eventually had to end.

Chris Cornell was brilliant, the best show I've seen this year, better than The Who, Aerosmith and Prince all put together. The band was more loose than before and jammed in a good way, generally jamming is boring. Look what it did for the Black Crowes. They played Outshined, Rusty Cage, Ty Cobb, Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, Jesus Christ Pose, Burden In My Hand and finished with Slaves And Bulldozers which went into a bit of the Doors' Break On Through and Whole Lotta Love (nearly complete including a second drum solo from Jason Sutter which was good enough to join Led Zeppelin ). They even did In My Time Of Dying at the end of J.C.P., plus Chris did a solo acoustic bit and played the other Soundgarden songs you'd like to hear. Great show, and his new songs were good as well. My only complaint was the lightshow was dreadful.