Great and useful review! Thank you

Spot-on review - I only differ regarding My Wave, but I was mainly focusing on Matt's drumming during that and just getting my rocks off. I'm glad someone else made the comment about Ben and Kim, and I'm glad no one took it the wrong way and flamed. They were a little subdued is all, Kim in particular, although I'm sure I caught Ben's attention quite a lot, and got a gesture of recognition too. Possibly because I was the tall guy in the original Screaming Elf tee pogoing up and down with long arms upraised, shouting my head off,  air-drumming in perfect timing with Matt's drumming (it's physically impossible not to drum along with Matt during My Wave)

Opening with SWMGEC was perfect and something I've always wanted to see after that concert footage from the movie Hype! Rusty Cage was EPIC and has been in my head constantly since, Let me Drown was a huge treat, a song that never seemed to get its due, understandably perhaps as it bookends an album so full of hits. (She Likes Surprises suffers the same fate IMO). Ty Cobb was amazing, probably the best song of the night was Slaves and Bulldozers, which got Ben and Kim the most animated they were for the whole gig...the gig ended after that with Ben, Kim and Chris all distorting and sustaining the crap out of their guitars. Benny also got fired up a bit more during Ty Cobb, was was great to see. Despite technical glitches in My Wave, again it was one that the band seemed to REALLY get into, Ben and Matt in particular...the drumming in My Wave is sheer Matt Cameron genius so I'm sure it's a joy for him to play and it certainly looked it. In my opinion the technical glitches weren't enough to seriously detract from the energy level the band threw into it. I was front and centre and didn't really notice much about the sound quality, but that's often a localtional thing. I was on the bad end of that at Tool last year (?). I did think that Chris's vox could have been a bit more up front in the mix, and yes some of Kim's soloing didn't get the presentation it needed either...but I'm not a musician so I don't always focus on that as much as the experience (the zenith of my musical achievement is teaching myself to play Smoke on the Water on a plastic ruler in English class in 1990, finishing off by smashing it...Rock n Roll baby!)

Matt and Chris were nice and animated, 100% predictably as they are consumate professionals. Matt was giving heaps to the crowd which was fantastic to see. I probably concentrated on Chris less than anyone else, seeing as I've seen him more than any of the others since '97 (saw him 3 times in Oct on the Songbook tour, outstanding) but good lord his voice is in amazing shape. It was just such a treat seeing them all together again.

I ended up physically speechless, only able to croak hoarsely after the gig, gave up trying to communicate with my mates after three rounds of guess the croak (what? HUH?), until I got some over-priced H2O. I can safely predict the same will be the case on the next 4 gigs I am seeing in Australia, and that's as it should be, voices are for losing screaming your nuts off at gigs - preferably Soundgarden gigs. The two gigs in a row in Sydney will be a challenge (hopefully Chris doesn't hold back at the private gig to preserve his voice for the BDO), but thankfully the private gig is the first. I'm really hoping that playing a smaller venue to all of their loyal fans will get Ben and Kim a bit more animated, some of the Benny antics I've seen on video are brilliant. I remember him at the 97 Big Day Out doing his incredible leaps into the air, and every time I was amazed that he didn't come down in a heap, wearing the bass strap slung so loose as he does.

Woke up the following day in a strange girls’ bed…(perfect gig checklist point seven: CHECK). Well actually I met her a few days ago but hey… she’s definitely strange ;p

Lost so much weight the last couple days I need a belt for my shorts…

I know this is more of a "What I did at Soundgarden, but Soundgardener, aged 38" review, but I'm sure you guys get the point...I feel like I've been rocked so hard I've ended up in another dimension.

Did anyone see the really short roady guy setting up Ben's bass?  It was down around his ankles, and the mic stand was so high he couldn't reach it.  Talk about comedic relief.

What a fantastic night.  

I would like to add that Matt doesn't show strain on his face when he plays - he shows ANGER.  ANGER at his drumkit.

These are great to read. Mostly just knowing that SG is out there doing there thing. And it's fun getting a glimpse of the experience.

Great ones!! Thanks!!

as i remember it, it was jesus christ pose where the vocal mic cut out back in 1994.

and i was at both big day outs.

Hey all... been lurking here since the reunion, thought it was about time I chimed in. Been a huge fan since BMF came out, seen the band twice in 94 - BDO and a small club show the night before, and again at BDO 97. 

Have to agree with most of the original poster's comments... a very powerful but sometimes uneven set in quite weird conditions. A festival on its last legs in this country, crowd was about a quarter of its usual size due to an underwhelming lineup and much negativity surrounding it. Perhaps the band were feeding off this energy, or lack of... or maybe just some rust from being the first show in a while.

I thought they started very strong, Chris in good form and just nailing Let Me Drown, a thunderous JCP (holy shit Matt Cameron). Rusty Cage was just brutal... so heavy it was ridiculous. My Wave was messy but again very heavy, never been a fave but I really enjoyed it live and so did Ben by the looks of it. Room was great and Slaves was quite possibly the heaviest thing I've ever heard. I thought the lighting and visuals were really good, and overall a pretty good sound especially for an outdoor festival. Matt's kit sounded awesome and the bass was gigantic. Chris was cutting through and yes I could hear Kim!

There were a few hairy moments, Outside World was a train wreck, Ugly Truth was ok but rather plodding. Flies and Ty Cobb were fun but very sloppy... Ben seemed to stop caring about halfway through it. The set seemed to end almost ten minutes early by my watch and it looked like Matt couldn't wait to get outta there. I was really hoping they'd come back for Beyond the Wheel but sadly that was it. 

So overall a very enjoyable show, sometimes they didn't quite take flight, but when they did it was like a jumbo jet taking off. Here's hoping for a real show next time.

Cheers

I regret not making an extra effort to get to the '94 Powerstation show.. I've only seen the band play outdoor stadiums, where atmospheric conditions can interfere with the sound. Would love to see them in controlled conditions and a tuned room. It'll happen! (Audioslave at the Town Hall was an excellent presentation). Thanks to BDO for bringing them to the country 3 times.

I'll have the Sydney and Melbourne BDOs to review and compare with the Auckland gig soon, will let you know. Oh and the private shows. Yeah the Auckland BDO was a ghost town, quite sad in a way, lots of good memories of past Big Daze Out, been to about 6 or 7 of them. Sad face. Oh well, we can still come over to Aussie for BDO and Soundwave.

Regarding the private gig in 1994 at the Powerstation in New Zealand, I've had two people independently tell me that it's one of the best gigs they have been to, neither of whom were rabid Soundgarden fans like I. People jumping from the balcony level to the ground floor etc. I am on an email fan forum for Killing Joke and one of the guys on that saw them back in the day with Voivod and Faith No More (what a gig!), said they practically rocked a hole in the roof...this was in response to someone who said Soundgarden live sucked.

I really have my hopes pinned on the Sydney and Melbourne private gigs...so Soundgarden, if you're listening...you've got some very loyal fans hanging out for you to pull out all stops. We sure as hell will be, my voice took two days to recover after last Friday. We'll probably be queing from 3 or 4pm at the Sydney gig this Wednesday so we can get up front...might see some fellow Knights there.

I too would have to say the Powerstation in '94 was probably the best gig I have ever seen. I was right up front leaning against the stage between Kim and Chris. I remember being very happy about that the next day when their set was full of technical issues...

Some of their videos from that era, such as the SWMGEC video in the Hype! documentary, and the My Wave video, look like 94 / 95 was an epic time for live Soundgarden, in terms of their form, and the palette of songs they had to choose from. I know they were described as TOTAL FUCKING GODHEAD live from early on, in terms of their intensity, just to me, having those epic songs off everything up to and including Superunknown would be another level again...both of the videos I mentioned really exude a sense of confidence, a band that's effortlessly gone up yet another gear...

I got into Soundgarden with Superunknown though so I may always be biased, that album means so much to me.

Anyway, nice to hear from someone who attended that epic gig, I'm envious!

Enjoyed reading the reviews. Thanks. 

what was the crowd numbered at??? i was reading a review that said 20,000....to me , it looked more like 2000, if that....the place looked EMPTY.....that had to be pretty discouraging for the band.....

glad to hear their performance, for the most part kicked ass

"Oh and the private shows"

When you say privaye shows, do you mean the BDO sideshows?

I saw the '97 shows (BDO & Festival Hall) and I've got to admit they weren't great.shows. They were lack lustre and you got the feeling the guys really couldn't be fecked playing the shows, so when the split came a month or so later (still a surprise - the guys pretty much did not want to be on stage together) but in context made alot of sense as to why those Oz shows in '97 were memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

The shows in '94 were a totally different proposition.

In saying that I'm really looking forward to these new Soundgarden shows - older, happier, wiser, content - really hope it comes across in the performance.

Watching boots on Youtube, seems like a good show.

Aww - Gold Coast got Beyond the Wheel..

I’ve seen S.G. three times in Melbourne, the side show in ’94, the BDO in ’97 + the ’97 sideshow. I’m too old for the Big Day Out these days, I don’t want to see seven or eight bands in one day. One band will do me just fine, especially if its Soundgarden. So I flew up to Sydney…..

I’d forgotten how the sound can go pear-shaped at SEC, especially if a band pushes its music out to the edges. Heaven and Hell seemed to get it right, but they deliberately built a stage across the centre of the floor area and only offered half the venue for ticket sales. I wouldn’t say the mix was shit, but it was definitely unusual…..

Bass sound – Huge. I was a bit worried after hearing Live on I-5 that they had ditched that heavy bass that won my heart and ears back in the day, but ‘No’, rest assured, its all still there. Ben was ready to rock too. He looks like he’s worked off a few pounds. Kim was a bit back in the mix, but I don’t think that was wrong, the lead break stuff is often a little under the mix on studio songs. Its all part of his sound.

The crowd – Sydney put up some huge noise for the boys. There was a bit of slamming/jumping up the front, but elsewhere they weren’t very physical. We sure made ourselves heard though. Chris did a Freddy Mercury thing with the audience at one point. It was so good to hear the cheer for Kim and Ben at the end after Chris and Matt had the left the stage. They knew they were appreciated

Overall, I’d say they filled about 80-85% of the venue of 13,000 (at $130 AUD per ticket, try doing the maths).

Highlights.

Searching WMGEC– I’d forgotten how much that song means to me. I hope someone posts it.

Drawing flies – this was played about mid-set, and they were pumping along like a freight train. About 30-40 seconds before the end, Ben took off the bass and seriously hoiked it in the air, about 5 metres over his head.  The band had to play on without him. I thought maybe he’d done a dummy-spit over the sound issues, but at the end of the song, Chris started talking to fans close to the stage. Ben joined in, urging everyone back. It sounds like someone lost their breakfast, lunch and dinner in one heave and collapsed on the spot. A sort of limp, rag-doll human being was passed over the crowd’s head to security, and the show got going again. I wonder if Ben saw what was going down and tried to cut the song off...

4th of July – Jesus CP was third song.  I’ve only ever seen it finish the night, so as much as I loved it, it seemed a bit out of place. The bonus trade-off was hearing 4th of July at the end of the pre-encore set. I’m so glad they showcased this song, its got all of SG’s slow, deep heavy swing

Can’t wait for Melbourne…..

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/review-of-soundgarden-at-...

these fan reviews ot the Sydney show are atrocious...not of the band, but the sound.....theyre talking about wanting refunds.....

EDIT~ actually listen to any of that users videos. muddy the whole night

Wow.. what a shame. They've been having some serious sound issues since reforming haven't they

You know its all about location when I went in Philly to see them I went to Kim's side to the far left, and everything was clear. No echo in Chris's voice, could hear bass, Kim's parts, Chris's guitar, and drums.

This isnt some 80's glam band reuniting for some "metalhaeds" ....this is a historic band....with the premier singer of a generation.

They were sending monkeys to the moon 30 yeas ago....theyve been cloning sheep for YEARS....we're talking about a job of making the sound, sound good....this should be a piece of cake, for someone competent ......i have no idea when it comes to electronics, but thats unacceptable......

......n obviously the band isnt to blame, but wtf is up with these sound engineers??!!....n like someone mentioned, it seems as if theyve been having sound issues from the get go....youre talkin about long time fans saying that they actually left the show cause the sound was so bad.....that aint supposed to be happening in 2012.....n to Soundgarden at that?? ....thats a shame 

as they say,"shit happens", but that kinda "shit" just isnt supposed to happen

It saddens me to hear about long time fans actually leaving the concert because of sound issues. And some are even demanding refunds?  WTH?  I hope that they take care of these problems so that people can enjoy their shows in the future.  I'm looking forward to hearing some more positivie reviews...these negative reviews are a real shame! 

I too am sadden to hear that.

I agree with you, it bugs the he'll out of me. I am sick of hearing about this very subject from the fans attending the shows as they want the exact studio sound. LOL

You know, it seems that this is an ongoing posts on other band sites too (like AC/DC, Metallica, and even the Foo Fighters); the one big commonality that the aforementioned bands and Soundgarden have - they are loud as shit!!!!!

I am a by product of the late 70s and 80s and have been to my share of really loud shows by our favorite bands of the past and present.

If you want the studio sound, stay at home and put on your headphones, because live shows are totally different animal.

Please stop whining about the mix, as it really is a code word for TOO LOUD.

I haven't seen a show at Sydney Entertainment Centre but I've heard the acoustics in general there are pretty poor. I saw them in the pit at UIC and while that was definitely a loud show the sound still wasn't as cavernous as it is some of those Youtube clips from SEC, so I dunno... Could be an issue of the venue just as much as the sound crew.

Too loud is one thing...but it seems like there were other issues with sound at the Sydney sideshow.  I feel bad for the people that attended that show, from what I've seen on Youtube the sound really was pretty crappy at times.  I dunno....it's hard to say, I wasn't there.  But, I don't think I would go as far as actually leaving the concert.  

Venues can definitely be an issue for any band.

We had the bad acoustics issue with the Mellon Arena here in Pittsburgh; now we have the Consol Energy Center, and the acoustics in this new arena are just awesome.

In saying that, I have never left a show due to it being too loud and/or bad mixing, even when seeing bands like Motley Crüe and Judas Priest in the 80s; they were and still are very loud as well.

We saw the Foo Fighters there last year at Consol, and man did they sound awesome, and they were loud as hell. Bands love playing the new venue.

Also, we been to about a dozen Pearl Jam shows, and they are turned down really really low, and their mixing is absolutely horrible, but they have more to deal with like the band detuning a bunch of their songs, because of Eddie Vedder's rapidly declining vocals, turned down guitars and drums. He has negatively affected the bands entire sound in the worst way.

I am happy to say that Soundgarden is not in the same place.

Whenever the band begins working in the new material live, we will just have to see what they do with their sound from a mixing perspective, as it will change in some manner if I had to guess.

Did you watch the youtubes? It has nothing to do with being loud, they were obviously having sound tech issues. Being the pros that they are they band played through the problems. Now dont get me wrong I wouldnt have left because of it but I would have been pissed too if a band like Soundgarden came over seas and I couldnt enjoy the sound of the show. Some of the clips from that show its hard to even tell what song they are playing, like Nick said that shouldnt even be an issue in 2012. 

I would not put total stock in the YouTube videos.

The BDOs are recorded and put on television over in Australia; I would be curious to see the video footage from it; I am sure someone will make it available on the torrents sometime this year.

I have been going to concerts for more than 30 years now, they can and do happen, it's just unfortunate that it happened when it did.

Chris looks like he is having a good time. LOL Showing off those pearly whites.

http://media.musicfeeds.com.au/files/c6b9e9befe992372d99aa175026c2ba82-5...

Here is the review which was positive and never mentioned the bad mix, guess it depends like others have said where you are located.

http://musicfeeds.com.au/gig/soundgarden-sydney-entertainment-centre-250...

Melbourne BDO was a great, albeit short set (Fck Kanye).

Couple of happy snap pix @ http://imgur.com/a/JnNyM/

Bring on the bowl.

Cheers.

yes bring on the bowl flying from tasmania on wednesday morning hoping the mix is good

BDO Melbourne set was amazing. Although the crowd was not ideal, it was also good because near the front there was plenty of personal space.

Was a tad disappointed with some of the reaction of fans during songs like Searching, Gun, I Awake, Beyond the Wheel, Drawing Flies and Hunted Down. I know they aren't singles, but c'mon they have been circulating on bootlegs, compilations and live albums for years. For the record Searching is a perfect set opener.

I awake and beyond the wheel were highlights. Was absolutely awe inspiring to see Cornell reach those vocals!!!

Bring on Wednesday.

BDO Melbourne set was amazing. Although the crowd was not ideal, it was also good because near the front there was plenty of personal space.

Was a tad disappointed with some of the reaction of fans during songs like Searching, Gun, I Awake, Beyond the Wheel, Drawing Flies and Hunted Down. I know they aren't singles, but c'mon they have been circulating on bootlegs, compilations and live albums for years. For the record Searching is a perfect set opener.

I awake and beyond the wheel were highlights. Was absolutely awe inspiring to see Cornell reach those vocals!!!

Bring on Wednesday.

Checked this morning and theartscentre.com.au has seats released middle Row 'V' @ $130

Just in front of the sound bench.

You would have to pick them up from the box office near the venue.

I assume ticketmaster has these as well but you cant buy online from then anymore, try calling them.

The boys handed out a lesson tonight at the Myer Music Bowl. A clear, still night in the middle of a Melbourne summer was perfect for the sound. I was on the grass at the back/centre, but I reckon the sound near the front must have been close to perfect.

If there's one show you wanted to be at, this was the one. It won't surpise me if this is the best show on this tour.

The previous Big Day Out show was Sunday night, so The Bowl got to see them fresh from three days rest, and yet still playing with the 'match fitness' that comes in the middle of a tour.

Chris absolutely shredded on Jesus Christ Pose. Full throat, clear head voice, high register. He totally committed to it, I wanted to rush up and say 'hold back a bit boy, you've got two hours to get through yet'.

I think Melbourne scored a longer set than Sydney, we heard most of the same set as Sydney plus Loud Love, Hands All Over and Ty Cobb instead of Gun and Ugly Thruth.

Beyond the Wheel opened the encore. I have nothing to compare this song to, its just peerless & unique. I Awake followed and then Slaves.

I remember reading that Kanye West won't be playing Adelaide BDO, or Perth, so the boys will be headlining those shows.

O I wish I was going there too.

I was lucky enough to be on the barrier between Chris and Kim and must say it was all very surreal been so close to these absolute legends who I never thought I would see again live. They were on fire tonight too, even though they were great at the BDO on Sunday, this was truly above and beyond.

Sound was great. So many highlights. Really glad they pulled out Hands all Over for the first time I believe this tour. Anyway still floating on air from the show, might have more to say later.

sorry double post

So they didn't play Release in their main set?!?  Did anybody catch how their version sounded during soundcheck?  I wonder if Soundgarden covers it in a psychadelic, tripped out manner...

I was also at the front barrier between Kim and Chris and it was a once in a lifetime experience. I'll post a full review later but for now can't believe no one has mentioned they played the johnny cash intro of rusty cage! I don't know if they've done it before but it was way cool. Does anyone know what song the tag was during S&B?

RE: The Melbourne show last night (1st Feb 2012)

We were right at the front too, but on the right-hand-side near Ben.

As soon as the first note of Searching started, everyone raced up to the barrier.

Got tons of photos and heaps of HD video as well (the pic quality is quite good, but the sound quality has got knobs on it............. hmmm...........they are MP4s, I wonder if there is some way to clean up the sound a bit?)

The security guard near us was really cool, and he got me Chris's set list right at the end of the show. Golden !! Its going straight to the pool room.

Will try to post some pics and stuff soon. Also got a couple of the posters.

The long & short of it: great show, what an amazing experience being so close, i'm still deaf but on a real high !!!

Cronky

This was an absolutely phenomenal show! It's up there with one of my all time favorites of seeing any band at the Myer Music Bowl.

We had aisle seats in ROW G, which turned out to be a premo spot once again to view Soundgarden(had almost identical seats to the last Tool show @ MMB - 2 seats across - weird coinky-dink!)

As the house lights went down to the opening intro of Searching with My Good Eye Closed, excitement levels went up and there was a mass exodus of bodies from seats to the front of stage - tonight was going to be a good night (Thxs & FU Blacked eyed pees - it was actually a hell of a lot better than a good night, it was an amazing rock'n'roll show.

It was great to see a band such as Soundgarden just take it back to basics and let their music do the talking. It was a stripped back show; nothing fancy, over-blown or over-produced; I imagine the complete antithesis of the previous night's Kane West show at the bowl - Just a great band with a back catalogue of great music.

Having been off the scene for close to 2 decades and not having a new album/music to speak of it was classic song followed by classic song, which I'm happy to say stand the test of time. It was a massive set which they churned through with abandon with an energised urgency from a band announcing that they were back, re-affirming why they were(and still are!) such a great band. 

SETLIST

1.  Searching With My Good Eye Closed

2.  Spoonman

3.  Jesus Christ Pose - God Damn, first jizz moment of the night(well actually 2nd)

4.  Hands All Over

5.  Blow Up the Outside World

6.  Hunted Down

7.  Drawing Flies

8.  My Wave

9.  The Day I Tried to Live

10. Pretty Noose

11. Burden in My Hand

12. Fell on Black Days

13. Ty Cobb

14. Rusty Cage

15. Outshined

16. Loud Love

17. Let Me Drown

18. Black Hole Sun

19. Superunknown

20. 4th of JulyEncore:

21. Beyond the Wheel - Incredible! Highlight - left others dumbfounded - I always felt it was Soundgarden channeling Sabbath & King Diamond!

22. I Awake - Another Fcuk moment for me!

23. Slaves & Bulldozers - Great way to end the set 

This wasn't a perfect performance, but great rock shows never are about perfection, this wasn't what this show was about(and all of us there knew that). If you were lucky enough to be down the front in the seats/stalls you were witness to what was almost like a club show for Soundgarden. Up close, stripped back, warts and all performance from a great band connecting with their audience through their music. And this was truly a great rock show!

After the show I felt I'd been bludgeoned by Soundgarden and I felt freakin' great!

Wish they had played Limo Wreck...but I can live without it

Hope those that went had a great night like I did.

cheers :) 

Was Front RHS as well, so deaf today.

What an awesome show, well worth the wait.

Geez they make it look easy and that was an epic set.

On a side note the security in the seats had good attitude as well.

Bonus.

I tell ya what is bad about that Sydney Blow Up the Outside World: Ben's bass playing... wow, they will turn him really low in the mix (like the 90's) if that continues.  Kim not real good either, but that's just a pathetic effort from Ben.

Yeah Kim does doodle and adlib parts in that song live. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

It's with great regret I say this but last nights gig at the Myer Music Bowl was average. I have no complaints about the setlist itself - very good. However, the sound was disgraceful - the sound tech should be sacked. The Guitar sound was really bad whereby when both Guitars were playing it sounded muffled and at times just sounded like noise. Moreover, the Guitars drowned out the Bass and Drums  for most of the show. The band were very sloppy. Some of the songs the band played were way too fast and Chris's singing was too slow, vice versa. To me it seemed like 4 individuals were playing on stage rather than a band playing together. I found Chris's vocals extremely pitchy and he had no-where near the same power that he once had on previous tours. JCP was far too quick, Spoonman was all over the place, Black Hole Sun was butchered, Rusty Cage missed the mark and Pretty Noose was absolutely awful. Outshined was one of the few highlights for me. Fell on Black Days was okay, same with Burden in my Hand and Ty Cobb.  Loads of people were leaving the venue from the halfway point of the gig onwards. Finally, the 5 minute feedback session by Kim to end the gig was pathetic. All in all, very, very disappointing. Won't be seeing them again.

At an open air gig you have to wander until you find a sweet spot, there were plenty last night.

For me the bass was a bit poppy and fuzzy but not in a good way, bad with the good.

Whatevs, it was Loud and Live

To me it semed like four dudes havin fun.

We were right at the front and they were all smiling at each other.

If you want perfect sound stay at home.

The breeze was up last night so if you have found a way around nature and physics please let every sound tech know.

Lmao. Its all about location.

Photos I took last night from the front. Really happy with some of the shots, others are not so great at all. Thought I would share! 

http://imgur.com/a/NLgSd#0

What the hell is going on with all these sound problems?