Fact: every fan loves hearing a rare song live, especially from a band with such an extensive back catalog as Soundgarden. This past weekend, the band gave that gift to their crowd in Adelaide, Australia when they slipped “Birth Ritual” into their Soundwave Festival setlist.
The track is off of the 1992 soundtrack for the movie Singles and has only been performed one other time live, the year it came out. Making this Soundwave performance only the second time in history this song has seen the stage and the first time in over 20 years, it was definitely a really cool moment for attendees of the festival and Soundgarden fans alike. And while Cornell can’t quite hit the notes he did 23 years ago, it’s still a solid version of the song.
In other Soundgarden news, the Australian festival tour wrapup will coincide with their plans for an album in 2016. Kim Thayil, guitarist for the band, recently spoke with The Sydney Morning Herald to talk about the band’s Melbourne appearance, and filled them in on the status of their planning. “No studio has been chosen and no songs are written yet,” Thayil explains, “When we finish these shows in Australia we’ll spend a month or more working on it. It’s definitely going to happen.”
At least while we wait, we can marvel in the “Birth Ritual” live video and hope Soundgarden’s remaining Australian dates dig up some other live rarities. You can view the performance here:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/dFzT1QSv-7w[/youtube]
