PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready joined SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell on stage this past Tuesday, September 29 at the Beneroya Hall in Seattle, Washington to perform material from their past collaborative band TEMPLE OF THE DOG as well as a cover of MAD SEASON’s “River Of Deceit”. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.
TEMPLE OF THE DOG was conceived in 1990 by Cornell as a tribute to his friend, the late Andrew Wood, lead singer of MALFUNKSHUN and MOTHER LOVE BONE. The lineup included Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament on bass guitar (both ex-members of MOTHER LOVE BONE), Mike McCready on lead guitar, Matt Cameron on drums and Eddie Vedder providing lead and backing vocals. The band released its only album, the self-titled “Temple of the Dog”, in April 1991 through A&M Records.
Last January, the two surviving members of MAD SEASON, McCready and SCREAMING TREES drummer Barrett Martin, performed for the first time in nearly 20 years at Benayora Hall in Seattle. The concert featured the Seattle Symphony plus guests such as Cornell, PEARL JAM and SOUNDGARDEN drummer Matt Cameron and ex-GUNS N’ ROSES bassist Duff McKagan.
Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio how he felt about the experience and whether he might sing with MAD SEASON again in the future. “Once I was onstage and we were doing it, then it kind of hit me that I’m standing up there with these guys, all of which I’ve known for years and years, and I’ve been good friends with, but I’ve never been on a stage with them like that,” he said. “And it was pretty great, it was pretty moving. Unfortunately, I always have so many things going on that, you know, it doesn’t seem like something that would happen anytime in the near future. But it definitely was an amazing moment.”
Mike McCready said in a recent interview about Cornell standing in for late singer Layne Staley: “When I heard he wanted to do that, I literally jumped for joy, I couldn’t believe it. He brought his take to it, and did it beautifully, and I think Layne would have been proud.”
In addition to MAD SEASON songs and new compositions by guitarist Mike McCready, the show also featured a two-song reunion of TEMPLE OF THE DOG that brought PEARL JAM bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard out to perform with McCready, Cornell and Cameron.
The event celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of MAD SEASON’s sole album, “Above”.
In addition to McCready on guitar and Martin on drums, MAD SEASON featured Staley on vocals and John Baker Saunders on bass.
Source: Blabbermouth
