Fans of grunge legends Soundgarden have been treated to a significant piece of archive footage, with the official release of the closing 21 minutes from the band’s performance at the Pinkpop festival in the Netherlands on June 8, 1992. This newly unveiled pro-shot video, shared on May 23, 2025, captures the band during their ascent to mainstream success. You can watch it down below.
The newly released Pinkpop ’92 footage, part of a broader initiative by the festival to share its archives, showcases Soundgarden tearing through staples from their then-current album, the Gold-certified Badmotorfinger. Songs featured in the broadcast segment include “Rusty Cage,” “Jesus Christ Pose,” and the non-single track “Slaves & Bulldozers.” While bootleg versions have circulated previously, this marks the first official upload of this material. According to the Pinkpop Archives channel: “This is the last part of the concert that was recorded by NTR. It is the last 21 minutes of the total concert of approx. 55 minutes that has survived.”
The timing of this archival release is particularly poignant for Soundgarden fans. There have been persistent “rumblings” about progress on the band’s final studio recordings made with Chris Cornell before his tragic passing in May 2017. Furthermore, Soundgarden is scheduled for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame this coming November 2025.
Guitarist Kim Thayil recently reiterated his determination to see the band’s final album completed and released, viewing it as a crucial part of honoring Cornell‘s legacy and their collective work. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Thayil addressed the prospect: “I think so. Our objective and goal was always to complete that. I probably have OCD enough to not want to leave something unfinished or incomplete like that… I think everyone in the band feels that way. I don’t just to attend to my work, but the collective work, and in this case specifically, the work of Chris.”
Thayil emphasized the collaborative nature of the unfinished material and the profound meaning behind its potential release. “I have pride for what I did and I want to see that come out. It doesn’t exist in the vacuum. It exists as a collaboration with Matt [Cameron, drums] and Ben [Shepherd, bass] and Chris, but it takes on an entirely different weight when you think about what it is you’re honoring, and the work that you’re paying tribute to,” he explained. “It is us collectively. We want to do it proud. And that part of us is certainly one of the most intimate components of what Soundgarden has been since 1984.”
He also sees the album’s eventual release as deeply meaningful for both the audience and his late bandmate: “It would be a great gift to the fans. And I do think about this… I feel like it’s a gift to Chris too.”
