Hindley Street Music Hall was packed to bursting in what Stone Temple Pilot’s front-man Jeff Gutt referred to as a Mad Max Thunderdome, as three tiers of fans held cigarette lighters aloft and belted out lyrics to one of the 90s most mercurial rock bands.
When STP broke through at the dawn of grunge in 1992 with Core, they were not the darlings of the critics. Publications like Rolling Stone thought original front-man Scott Weiland sounded too much like Eddie Vedder; an accusation that was directed towards myriad rockers in the 90s. 30 years on from their seminal second release, Purple, the critics, and their contemporaries, have changed their tune. While the band has sold 40 million records, who knows how big they could have become if not for Weiland’s battle with addiction, which eventually claimed his life. With new lead singer Jeff Gutt, though, 2025’s STP puts on a live show which won over the most die-hard of fans.
As is the case with most anniversary gigs, STP played Purple in full. It meant fans got to hear hits like “Vasoline” and “Interstate Love Song” a little earlier in the set list than they’d normally get. Gutt, with sun-glasses on at night time, looked and sounded like Weiland from the cheap seats at the back, and with the always impressive HSMH sound system, the Pilots roared like a jet plane. “Pretty Penny” was a moment of calm within the storm. Computer generated visuals accompanied each song, with some more generic than others. Following Purple, the band ran through all the hits you’d expect: “Wicked Garden”, “Plush”, the lyrically controversial “Sex Type Thing”, “Dead and Bloated” and “Crackerman”.
With a new young vocalist, and sold out crowds, you can expect the Pilots to fly again with another new album soon. They have plenty of lost time to make up.
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