Tour News: Chris Cornell announces nationwide tour

Chris Cornell returns to New Zealand to backup his headlining appearance with Soundgarden at Westfest.

It might be time he purchased some property here, because Chris Cornell is packing his bags for his second New Zealand visit this year - and fourth in five years.

The grunge god is backing up his headlining appearance with Soundgarden at Westfest with his own unplugged solo shows, performing acoustically at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch on November 20, Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre on November 23, and Auckland's ASB Theatre on November 26.

He's become quite the regular New Zealand visitor of late: as well as Westfest in March, he also headlined the Big Day Out in 2012 with Soundgarden, and performed his own solo show here in 2011.

He'll be harking back to that with his intimate November tour, playing songs from throughout his back catalogue of bands - including Temple of the Dog, Mother Love Bone and Audioslave songs - as well as tracks from his solo career.

He'll also have a new album out by then, with his fifth and the follow-up to 2011's Songbook, set for release in September.

Of his last solo show here, TimeOut wrote that it was a chance to see a different side to Cornell, one who was "relaxed, smiling and cracking jokes" while perched on the edge of a stool.

"Cornell was in an accommodating mood, joking around with the rowdy crowd and taking requests like a grunge jukebox - even performing Outshined acoustically for the first time," we wrote.

Tickets go on sale on June 1, with pre-sales beginning on May 27.

In other tour news, English art-pop band 10cc are returning to New Zealand for seven theatre shows in Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga and Hamilton from November 10-17.

The group, led by band member Graham Gouldman, who co-wrote the band's string of mid-to-late 70s hits including Dreadlock Holiday, The Things We Do For Love, I'm Not In Love and Art For Art's Sake last toured here early last year.

- TimeOut