Back in the ’90s when grunge first emerged, the previous generation of older school guitar bands generally blamed the angsty Seattle scene for killing rock n’ roll. With that in mind, the fact that one of the biggest hard rock bands of all time just covered a Soundgarden song in honour of late grunge legend Chris Cornell is a particularly powerful sentiment.
Guns N’ Roses have just joined countless other musicians and bands in paying musical tribute to the departed Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple Of The Dog frontman, who broke millions of hearts last week following his shocking and tragic death by suicide.
But somehow, GNR’s tribute feels more significant than any of the others. Their performance of Soundgarden’s iconic ‘Black Hole Sun’ is a powerful symbol of musical unity, and putting past tensions aside to honour the legacy of a true musical genius (it should also be pointed out that Axl Rose is one of the only vocalists around who could go toe-to-toe with Cornell’s staggering four-octave range).
“This one’s to you Chris, Black Hole Sun live from Slane Castle,” the band tweeted moments after the performance of the Superunknown classic in Ireland.
Watch their performance below.
Meanwhile, Chris Cornell has just been laid to rest in Los Angeles this weekend at a ceremony attended by his family, friends and fellow rock legends.
