archived stories from December 2007

28 December 2007

Chris Cornell solo shows have begun to appear on "best of 2007" lists, including the Toronto Sun which had Chris's April show at the Phoenix at #2 and the News Tribune which had his Seattle show at the Paramount Theatre in October at #3. Oh, and I had the London Roundhouse show in September at #1 in my own annual round-up at the UK's Subba-Cultcha. If you've seen a Chris Cornell concert in a "best of 2007" list anywhere else in the world, let me know!

Tour photographer Sean Smith has now posted photos covering the South American tour at Wire Image - check the links below:

Buenos Aires - Santiago - Rio - Sao Paulo - Mexico City

The South American tour may have gone brilliantly, but Chris and his wife lost much of their luggage when their Buenos Aires hotel was flooded after the recent show in the city.

As reported by The New York Post, "Former Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell and his wife, Vicky, lost more than $30,000 worth of valuables when their Argentine hotel room was flooded. The couple were staying at the posh Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires last week when, a pal of Cornell's said, "after performing in front of a sold-out 20,000-capacity arena, Chris returned to his room and was relaxing with Vicky when the walls started trembling, like in an earthquake. Then, Chris smelled something burning, and suddenly, the entire entrance of the hallway collapsed and gallons of freezing cold water entered the room. Within a matter of moments, Chris and his wife were up to their knees in water . . . They finally scrambled out but lost a lot of stuff." A rep for Cornell said, "Chris was understandably shaken - however, he was just happy no one was injured in the flood." (thanks Lyn)

16 December 2007

Yesterday Chris fimed an appearance for Mexican TV. The show, called Sesiones, will air in about a fortnight on the Telehit channel. Some members of the local street team were invited to the taping and saw Chris and the band perform nine songs - No Such Thing, You Know My Name, Like A Stone, Can't Change Me, Say Hello To Heaven, Spoonman, Out Of Exile, Black Hole Sun and Burden In My Hand. [thanks Gabriel]

14 December 2007

Further to the news reported on 2 December, Chris and his wife Vicky have applied for a restraining order on Matthew Turner, an employee of his ex-wife Susan Silver who illegally entered their home. The news has been widely reported around the world today. More disturbing details have come to light in support of the legal application, concerning alleged long-term harassment of Chris's family by representatives of Ms Silver. The relevant court documents are in the public domain and are available to read here. (pdf file)

11 December 2007

"I've been having a wicked time in South America. Haven't been here since I opened for the Rolling Stones in 1997. Some of you may know that half of my heritage is Peruvian. My mother was born in Lima. Been enjoying dusting the cobwebs off of my Spanish. Getting by ok. The fans are rabid here. Nice to be headlining concerts of 50,000. Absolute insanity. These people are the most passionate group I've ever played in front of. Chris and the band are performing inspired. It's summertime here and it's gorgeous in all aspects. Getting on a plane to Rio in a couple hours so need finish packing.

Much Love, Peace and Metta, Yogi"

Here's some Youtube footage of the scrum as Chris and his wife Vicky arrived at the airport in Santiago recently:

...and an article in El Mercurio about his trip from the airport. Not stopping to chat with press or fans en route to his hotel won him the title of "divo". However, at the airport fan Cristian Rodriguez managed to ask Chris for Zero Chance and at Monday's show, Chris duly obliged - dedicating it to the "fan from the airport"! [thanks Cristian for story and photo]

10 December 2007

It seems that the shows in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico, have indeed been postponed until a future date. Here's a notice from the local promoters which explains that the shows have been postponed owing to a date conflict and that ticketholders can claim a refund. Chris apologises to fans and hopes to reschedule the dates. Meanwhile, tickets are still available here for the show in Mexico City on 16 December.

8 December 2007

"Owners are fiercely protective of their machines. Chris Cornell, lead singer for Audioslave and vocalist on the title track for the last James Bond movie, demonstrated his loyalty at a stoplight in North Hollywood last year. One moment he was straddling his jet-black $55,000 custom Exile cycle. The next, he found himself flying through the air, having been walloped from behind by a speeding truck. Dazed but without any broken bones, Cornell flipped open his cell phone and madly dialed for help -- not for himself, but for his Exile cycle. Minutes later a tattooed Englishman with a blond mohawk arrived. It was Russell Mitchell, the man who'd made the bike. He retrieved the smoking, crushed two-wheeler and brought it back to his shop for repair. With just a few cuts and scrapes, Cornell was back in the studio that afternoon."

The piece also includes anecdotes about famous bikers Steve McQueen, Brad Pitt and Kid Rock.

It's possible that two of Chris's forthcoming Mexican dates may be cancelled or postponed. The dates at Guadalajara and Monterrey are showing up at Ticketmaster as "cancelado" but there's no word yet on whether this is a genuine cancellation, a venue change or merely a Ticketmaster error. Watch this space.

6 December 2007

Chris Cornell is nominated for a Grammy once again this year. You Know My Name, which he co-wrote with composer David Arnold and performed for hit James Bond movie Casino Royale, is nominated in Category 84 - Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media. The other nominees include Eddie Vedder, Glenn Hansard of Irish band The Frames, and Prince. Read the whole nominations list in the New York Times.

4 December 2007

Chris Cornell's advertised appearance on the Carson Daly show on American TV yesterday was cancelled at the last minute. No reason has been given as yet but the show is one of many that has been affected by the current writers' strike in the US.

2 December 2007

Chris Cornell is the subject of an article in the New York Post about his ex-wife's legal campaign to win ownership of guitars he acquired during their marriage - according to the piece, a private investigator hired by Susan Silver is facing charges for aggravated trespassing after illegally entering the Cornells' house in Los Angeles to serve papers.

Chris Cornell Fan Page © Clare O'Brien 2007