Soundgarden reform - without Chris Cornell

Members of Soundgarden reunited onstage for the first time since 1997 on Tuesday (March 24) - but without founder member and vocalist Chris Cornell.

Bandmembers Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd reformed at a Tom Morello solo gig at the Crocodile Café in Seattle. The band were joined onstage by Morello on rhythm guitar, and Tad singer Tad Doyle on vocals, reports Reverb.

They performed 'Hunted Down', 'Nothing to Say', and 'Spoonman' at the gig.

The reformation comes in spite of recent insistence from Cornell that the band would never reform unless all original members were involved.

Speaking to NME.COM about the release of his new solo album 'Scream', Cornell touched on the subject of his old band reforming.

"When Soundgarden broke up, my discussions with the rest of the band was 'We have to have an agreement that we will never tour Soundgarden - Soundgarden will never exist - without it being a unanimous decision and that everyone who was in the band is in the band'," Cornell told NME.COM.

The singer was then asked if it would have to be a unanimous decision between all Soundgarden members for the band to reform.

"Absolutely. That's something that goes without saying," he said.

Cornell went on to say that the band had an agreement in place that none of them would play Soundgarden songs unless all original members were involved.

He confirmed: "We never, ever entertained the idea of doing it any other way. It has to be how it was and who it was. We put an agreement in place that created a situation where it can't be any other way than that."