Set To Reconnect With Faith No More At Soundwave

“I’ve wondered that myself,” he ponders. “I think that’s because the festivals there are pretty big opportunities – you get to play for a lot of people, and they’re well-organised and the promoters always do a great job. It’s probably just logistical, like, ‘If we’re going to go all the way down there then we might as well play for the most people that’s possible.’ It’s the same thing in Europe – in Britain and Europe they have a whole festival season, and that’s a great opportunity for a lot of rock bands. And for fans too – you get one ticket and you get to see a dozen or so bands you like, and some you’ve haven’t seen before.”

Do they enjoy events like Soundwave, which is basically a meeting ground for all things heavy?

“I like playing with bands from different genres."

“Yeah, it’s fun,” Thayil admits. “I like playing with bands from different genres certainly, but this is a little bit more hard rock and metal. We’ve played all kinds; obviously the Lollapalooza festivals in the US are a little bit more alternative – and you get some indie and punk rock, and I like that variety – but obviously when you play the hard rock and metal festivals we run into a lot of friends from over the years, and that’s a lot of fun. The camaraderie is definitely an important part of it.”

The shared history between Soundgarden and fellow Soundwave headliners Faith No More extends right back to the ‘80s.

“We’ve probably done at least three tours together,” Thayil remembers. “We did a little jaunt in the Northwest when Chuck Mosely was singing with them, and then we played a massive tour with us and Voivod and Faith No More joined that for maybe eight weeks – they did the majority of the tour, then were replaced by Prong and Corrosion Of Conformity – and then of course we toured with them later with Guns N’ Roses. So we definitely have a history with them.”

Soundgarden recently returned from a 13-year hiatus that began shortly after their ’97 Australian visit, Thayil attesting that they’re stoked to be back.

“I’m most excited about this phase of our career because we’re really tying up a lot of loose ends with regards to our catalogue and many of our relationships, both professional and personal. We’ve had a great opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with many bands and friends in the music industry from over the years that I personally lost touch with. Playing Soundwave is a great opportunity to reconnect on that level.”