[Closed] Nirvana

Watched them at Reading 92 and had tickets to see them in the UK but sadly he did not make it over.

I took my girlfriend to see them at Reading, remember being crushed at the front, with my feet off the ground desperately trying to hold onto her hand!

She hated every second!

I sold all my 12 inch records after he passed away, wish I had kept them now!

Bleach was my favourite album

I saw them Reading '92 as well. They were ace despite the crap weather affecting the sound quality. The whole crowd were bouncing.

they are the one band I'd choose to see if possible, even over led Zeppelin or Hendrix

Lyrically very good, nice sound but musically very much a garage band.

Would have liked to have heard how they sounded once they got past three chord tricks

ooh, didn't know Dave Grohl was in a band before the Foos.

ooh, didn't know Dave Grohl was in a band before the Foos.

Not quite sure if you're being serious or not, but if you are you should watch some videos of Nirvana live - absolutely awesome drummer long before he became a decent frontman.

Had tickets to see them in 94 in Glasgow.

Kurt couldn't make the gig though so they cancelled the tour.

Still listen to them now. Used to play "Unplugged in New York" to my daughter to help her settle down at night

Had a track turn up on my random play iPod the other day, funnily enough - the one that goes "DOLL STEAK!! TEST MEAT!!" (never was great at their song titles) sounded brilliant. I think their harsher tracks, like that one, and 'Milk It' (oh, that is Milk It! 😆 ) for example, have stood the test of time better than the more poppy stuff.
[i]musically very much a garage band.[/i] - is nonsense.

And the Foo Fighters are shite dad-rock in comparison.

Had a track turn up on my random play iPod the other day, funnily enough - the one that goes "DOLL STEAK!! TEST MEAT!!" (never was great at their song titles) sounded brilliant. I think their harsher tracks, like that one, and 'Milk It' for example, have stood the test of time better than the more poppy stuff.

Err, that was Milk It......

They were kinda first of their genre, in a "what else sounds like Nirvana anyway?" sort of way, so you either liked them or you didn't.

Saw them at Reading in 92.

Mrs Tyred saw them at the QM in Glasgow in 91 and claims to dislike anything post-Bleach. She's always been cooler than me.

musically very much a garage band. - is nonsense.

Essentially they played at a level any garage band could execute their songs.

[i]Err, that was Milk It....[/i]

Yeah, I edited. Just that one then 😉

I still love this as a pop song though.

[i]the level at which they could play[/i]
As someone who grew up with punk, that's a GOOD thing.

Never saw them, but hearing the news of his death was one of my "I'll always remember where I was when <xxx> happened" moments.

A friend of mine who's a big muso but not a Nirvana fan maintains that The Foo Fighters are the best thing Kurt ever did.

A friend of mine who's a big muso but not a Nirvana fan maintains that The Foo Fighters are the best thing Kurt ever did.

It's a mystery to me that Nirvana could spawn such bland, MOR pap.

Saw them alot in the earlier days, supporting mudhoney normally. Really good, so much emotion from Kurt. As they got popular he just seemed more whacked out on stage every time, I remember being in an Indie club in Wolverhampton when I learned he died, sad night. I love the Foo Fighters, Grohl can do no wrong in my eyes.

Saw them at Sheffield Uni Octagon in November '91 I think it was.

They were good, but not quite as good as I expected. Got the feeling that Kurt's heart wasn't in it that night as they didn't have the 'fire' in their live performance*

* but with hindsight, I think this was quite a common phenomenon in the days when record companies etc would insist on long grueling tours to promote an album. In the '80s and '90s I would frequently go and see bands multiple times on the same tour and whilst some nights a band could be absolutely amazing, on another night they could be below par; tired, hungover, homesick etc.

But anyway - glad that I did get to see Nirvana and yes - I did buy the T-Shirt! 😉 - in fact I got to see pretty much all of the Seattle/PNW early 90's bands. Many singers who are sadly no longer with us.

My mate tells of a gig before they hit the big time when they played at his school in Hemsworth (West Yorks).

FWIW - I still think they're ace.
They were the punks of their generation, just making the music they wanted.

Great band and listen to them today no bother. Although prob took about 20 year's off from them just through hearing their stuff so much. KC's voice was immense.

Saw them alot in the earlier days, supporting mudhoney normally

Mudhoney were a great live band. Saw Hole supporting them and met Courtney Love well before she became Kurt's squeeze. She was actually really friendly and polite - she borrowed my phone to call her agent.

Saw them play the Duchess in Leeds, place was only half full and it was only a basic bar, this was with Bleach...

Then Nevermind hit the world and I saw them in Bradford Uni I think, might have been Leeds, that was chaos, as you'd expect, everyone waiting for Teen Spirit, vocals were crap but atmosphere was amazing 🙂

They were good, but only and American Therapy? good 😉

As someone who grew up with punk, that's a GOOD thing.

Nowt wrong with Punk or say Paranoid either which is dead simple but it is still simple and easy top play

Watched them twice at Reading 91 and 92. They were ok, much preferred Mudhoney and Dinosaur Jr.

Saw them play the Duchess in Leeds

I used to love that venue ... crap 'lines of sight' with the 'L-Shaped' room if it was busy, but there was something pretty special about that place!

I learnt to play guitar starting with Smells like teen spirit, as did lots of people I guess. There is a raw passion in the music that I don't (seem to) hear so much these days.

I didn't get to see them, I was a huge massive fan, but I was only a young teenager at their height and they were over before I was old enough to go to gigs and stuff.

They were a great band, like lots of other bands they weren’t about polished, over produced 'quality' music, it was very raw and gritty - the world's best garage band perhaps?

Their legacy his huge, but really, if you take away all the stuff that came after Kurt's death - they were a bit of a flash in the pan, their first Album didn't do much, ironically as most people think Dave Grohl is the poor relation he was the final piece of the puzzle that made them click, at the height of their fame when they released Incesticide which okay was a collection of rare songs and b-sides, but very pre-Dave Grohl it didn't sell much and their final studio album In Utero got good reviews but never came even close to being as popular until Kurt died, at the time, in the UK at least the papers were full of Kurt and Courtney Love's personal problems but there was a bit of a back-lash against them musically. Even if Kurt's demons didn't kill him, I don't think there would have been another Nirvana album.

As for Foo Fighters being the best thing Kurt ever did - I don't think that's fair, Grohl wrote all of their first album for potential Nirvana songs but was always too scared to show them to Kurt, partly because he admired him too much and partly because he was seriously unhinged by then - Kurt had no input into them at all, and musically there's a cross-over on the Foo Fighter first album but little after that.

Despite being a huge Nirvana fan, when I first saw the Foo Fighters as a support act for the Prodigy, I had a sort of half idea they were in some way connected, but they were never marketed as being "From the Drummer of Nirvana".

Junkyard - lazarus
musically very much a garage band. - is nonsense.

For clarity I mean in terms of the level at which they could play rather than the quality.
Essentially they played at a level any garage band could execute their songs.

tbh far as I'm concerned the melodic and rythmic qualities of music are far more important than complex chords. Plus chords aren't just what a guitar is playing, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, and voice is a large part of that sum.

Is obvious - check the number of "amazing musicians" on Youtube. Videos of them playing other people's songs. Technical ability is [u]nothing [/u]without artistic talent and originality.

Really like Nirvana.

Love all the albums can't choose my favourite.

As above I don't get the Foos. Just not much thing I guess, probably because I think DG makes better drummer than front man.

Was at their first UK gig at the Riverside in Newcastle in 1989. Great gig, but I vaguely remember preferring Tad. Good job I'm not an A+R man.

They were kinda first of their genre, in a "what else sounds like Nirvana anyway?"

Depends what you mean by "sounds like" - if it's the "quiet-loud-quiet" thing then check out Pixies - Kurt was always very open about his influences..

If you mean the raw, "Seattle" punky-rock sound then they emerged from a thriving scene - Nirvana might have been the ones who blew open the doors to mainstream success with Nevermind, but they weren't the ones locally tipped for success - there were greater expectations for Mudhoney and Soundgarden - Soundgarden made it huge doing their thing, Mudhoney less so but in either case, although they may have got wider attention after Nevermind when the whole world suddenly wanted loud buzzy guitars out of Seattle, neither were Nirvana copyists.

To be fair, Soundgarden and Nirvana were never that similar to each other, but you can hear a lot more similarity with Mudhoney imho.

None of the above is intended as a criticism of Nirvana btw.

I used to love that venue ... crap 'lines of sight' with the 'L-Shaped' room if it was busy, but there was something pretty special about that place!

Essentially [Nirvana] played at a level any garage band could execute their songs.

You don't play, do you? Or at least, you don't write.

Kurt was worried Nevermind sounded too much like the Pixies. I love Bleach and In Utero but seldom listen to them these days.

Another Reading 92 veteran here. What a gig that was.
I remember driving the hire car back up to Manchester, in spite of being covered from head to toe in mud. Awesome.

You don't play, do you?

I am not dissing them I listened at the time and still do but its not the most complex music know to man, rock, pop or grunge for that matter.

Going against the grain, but I'm really not fussed by Nirvana. For me AIC (in particular), Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were all loads better and bands that I listen to much more.

Like early Foo's but the later stuff is just so dull; coffee table rock.

[i]For me AIC (in particular), Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were all loads better[/i]

Couldn't stand any of them. Especially AIC.

I even read music

That might explain it.

I worked in the music industry one way or another for a couple of decades. I've heard so many bands, kids to pros, 'play' Nirvana songs. I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard them played well.

Three_Fish - Member
I even read music
That might explain it.

What's that ment to mean? 😆

What do you reckon?

Three_Fish - Member
What do you reckon?

dunno, i'm asking you? I'm just laughing as it sounds like a daft comment to make, with no relevance, and I'd like you to explain it?

I vaguely remember preferring Tad.

Tad were vastly underestimated I reckon. I recently picked up '8 Way Santa' again after watching the film 'Singles' again recently for the Chris Cornell 'cameo' with the track 'Jinx'.

8 Way Santa still sounds good - raw, and &8%'ed-up! 😉

Despite being a huge Nirvana fan, when I first saw the Foo Fighters as a support act for the Prodigy, I had a sort of half idea they were in some way connected, but they were never marketed as being "From the Drummer of Nirvana".

Was this at the G_mex by any chance? I was at that gig, was really looking forward to seeing the foo's and was surprised that they got booed by the crowd who weren't happy at a"rock" band being at a "dance" gig.

Really liked first foo's album, "for all the cows" being their best tune imo. Second album great, now they're just tedious (to me anyway.)

Watched the Glastonbury footage and was looking forward to it finishing!! Still like Dave and Taylor though, nice chaps!!

And the point about them being just a garage band... Well that's a good thing, garage band level is when most bands are at their best to me.

I was into a lot of that Sub Pop, pro-grunge stuff but leant more to the noise SY/SWANS/Dinosaur Jr side of things.

Caught Mudhoney when they supported SY, they seemed decent people even if they failed to cede seniority of Aberdeen WA to the real city....

Never saw Nirvana live, although mates went to see them in Embra at some tiny dive or other (Liquid Rooms?). I loved Bleach and pestered both Avalanche and 1-Up Records for the upcoming 2nd album. When it finally arrived (think it was delayed for at least 6 month whilst they re-recorded it?) I was hugely disappointed, never recovered my enthusiasm and then, of course, worst of all, they went and became [i]famous![/i] so that was that.

Re Tad, I sported a Loser t-shirt with pride. Never had a Nirvana one (but I did like the circles of hell one...) 🙄

ETA: Killdozer, whatever happened to them, they were ace!

I've got the dark green vinyl of Bleach - worth over £100 apparently 🙂

Mudhoney were a great live band

They still are...

killdozer - the sound of a grown man who's spent a life gargling gravel! from memory one of them was a school teacher?
Right, off to listen to twelve point buck....

Terrible band, banal music,

I was happy when Kurt blew his brains out knowing I would not have to listen to that shit ever again accidentally on the radio

Arf!

Loved them then, loved them since, love them now. Nothing quite touches them IMO. Love lots of their peers too - but not as much.

Whether Nirvana made another record or not - Kurts next musical step could have been very interesting...

Anyway, just wondered if anyone saw them in the day? Any good tales, were they good or overrated and bloody awful!!?

I haven't read any of the other replies. Don't need to 🙂

Yep, I saw them live in '89, at SOAS, supporting TAD. Although, I seem to remember TAD actually came on first, cos they'd been touring together for a bit and knew what Nirvana were like.

It was, genuinely, an awesome gig. Kurt was in great form in those days, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I can't describe it. Kurt's voice, the music (original, raw and exciting back then) and the pure energy coming off the stage and crowd. No, they weren't over-rated. If anything, the opposite. Those early live shows blew the ****ing arse out of anything else I'd seen before or since.

At the end of that gig, me and my mate 'Mad' Pat were drenched head to toe in sweat, shaking our heads in disbelief, and I remember Pat saying 'That was something special'.

I saw them again at Lamefest with Mudhoney, but that SOAS gig, to me, was Nirvana distilled.

I've never been able to bring myself to watch footage of Reading, I still don't consider that to be a Nirvana show TBH, and I couldn't bring myself to play Nevermind for a few years. Kurt's suicide upset me quite a lot, and still does when I listen to the Unplugged album in particular.

So, yeah. You're right to think they're decent. The original fudge packin' crack smokin' satan worshippin' motherf*ckers. Best live band ever. No doubt in my mind. RIP.

worked in the music industry one way or another for a couple of decades. I've heard so many bands, kids to pros, 'play' Nirvana songs. I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard them played well.

I don't play music or have any connection other than listening to it. But it's fairly obvious that Nirvana songs only sound right when played by Nirvana (there's a few good covers but I've seen their tunes murdered by ametures) They're not the most complex tunes, they weren't superb musicians or singers but that doesn't matter or detract from it. Their stuff was very 'right' for a distinct period and in some ways it's fitting that it's frozen in time. If they'd still been going now they'd be all out of angst and just another mellow rock band fading into obscurity. I get why they're so revered but I just don't listen to their stuff anymore because there's too much new music to find.... 🙂

I'd partly agree with Peter - Nirvana songs only sound right if done by Nirvana, when trying to sound like Nirvana doing them. I've heard covers of Nirvana songs where the artist has performed them as themselves rather than trying to do a Kurt Cobain impression and that can work.

Although I'm not particularly referring to Tori Amos' famous/infamous cover of Teen Spirit.

Worth having a look at the Rock'n'roll Hall of Fame induction on Youtube where Dave and Krist performed exclusively with female vocalists - some worked better than others imho but the point is nobody was trying to be anything other than themselves.

plumber - Member
Terrible band, banal music,

I was happy when Kurt blew his brains out knowing I would not have to listen to that shit ever again accidentally on the radio

Now come on, you can't sneak a comment in like that without telling us what music we should be listening to?

Oh yes, he can... and he will 😆

(twiddly diddly **** heavy rock fan IIRC)

[i]Yep, I saw them live in '89, at SOAS, supporting TAD[/i]

Bastard! I missed the Portsmouth gig - actually saw the bands walk past my work window during the day, but couldn't make the gig that night. 😥

Terrible band, banal music,

I was happy when Kurt blew his brains out knowing I would not have to listen to that shit ever again accidentally on the radio

Jesus. They're on the radio all the time despite the fact he's still dead. 🙄

plumber - Member
Terrible band, banal music,

I was happy when Kurt blew his brains out knowing I would not have to listen to that shit ever again accidentally on the radio

How'd that work out for you?

A one-hit album band on the downslope of their mainstream success elevated to legendary status because the singer and face of the band took his own life.

They play Nirvana all the time on the radio, a lot more than say Sonic Youth or Soundgarden who were popular at the same time.

Depends which radio station you listen to I guess, I hear a lot more Soundgarden than I do Nirvana.
I was in the right place at the right time for grunge age-wise but other than the above two bands it didn't do a lot for me. Massive Nirvana fan at the time but I barely listen now, the stuff from Nevermind which got overplayed (pretty much all of it) now bores me to tears 😐

Bleach was my favourite album

I've got the dark green vinyl of Bleach - worth over £100 apparently

Got it on [s]blue[/s] pink vinyl... 😀

(Just checked)

Seems it's worth anything from £100 - $480. Wow.

Recently been listening to bands they've covered (The Vaselines) and that they arguably ripped-off (Killing Joke and The Damned). Sure there's more out there too.

Sundayjumper - Member
Never saw them, but hearing the news of his death was one of my "I'll always remember where I was when <xxx> happened" moments.

killdozer - the sound of a grown man who's spent a life gargling gravel! from memory one of them was a school teacher?
Right, off to listen to twelve point buck....

Yeah, Mike something or other iirc (bass player and singer). He was definitely a shortarse too, I was almost eye level when he was on stage.... 😉

12 Point Buck, need to go dig that out. 3/4" Drill Bit was always my fave. They did a cracking version of Nasty too...

You nailed the description of em too

But it's fairly obvious that Nirvana songs only sound right when played by Nirvana.

Nail>head right there. They may not have been as good as their reputation marked then out to be (especially since Kurt's suicide) but they were unique and mark a period in time that for a whole generation was a watermark in music. Yes, most of the tracks off Nevermind have been played to utter death but if you have a break from them and then listen to them they are brilliant bits of music for an awful lot of people.

But it's fairly obvious that Nirvana songs only sound right when played by Nirvana.

Don't know what you mean

😀 haha, I've never seen that before, hilarious!

The whole played to death argument is a bit irrelevant, I'm sure not many people would say Queen were cr@p, but if I never hear "don't stop me know" ever again, I'll be happy.

[i]haha, I've never seen that before, hilarious[/i]

And I still won't be seeing it!

Queen were crap! 😆

Self appointed judges judge more than they have sold - or something like that....

Reading '91 (broke his arm jumping into the drum kit) and a couple of times later that year (Leeds and Sheffield).

Saw them at Sheffield Uni Octagon in November '91 I think it was.

They were good, but not quite as good as I expected. Got the feeling that Kurt's heart wasn't in it that night as they didn't have the 'fire' in their live performance*

Dinosaur Jr and Mudhoney also highlights from around then.

I still get emotional when I hear smells like teen spirit. Remember the first time I heard it and thought this is life.

Would have liked to have heard how they sounded once they got past three chord tricks

A talented musician is someone who can take 3 chords and make 10 great songs out of them... Yeah, some of it was basic, especially listening back on it in your 40s or whatever, but there was so much more behind it than a few simple chords.

I'd recommend watching Montage of Heck for anyone who's not seen it. Had read biographies and watched documentaries in the past, but this is really sobering viewing. Such a sad story.

Terrific band. Made me laugh when the trendy kids at school started accusing me (mega nerd) of only liking them because they were famous and cool and I was trying to fit in. Odd really given that one of my most nerd like tendencies was my predilection for metal and punk when everyone popular liked indie or chart music.

Yeah that's why the only two songs of there's they'd heard of were the hits from ("their first album") Nevermind. Edit...25 years later and I'm still annoyed. I need to relax more!

Too young to have seen them live, but Tastes Like White Spirit was the first bass line I learned and also the first guitar solo (only about 20 notes iirc).

Chord wise I love Polly but very disturbing song!

That whole Seattle/grunge thing produced some sensational music and far too many prematurely dead band members.

Foo Fighters are ok by me. Different kind of rock for a different mood/purpose.

Saw them at Manchester Poly 1989.
Great gig - The Cateran were amazing, Tad were mind blowing and Nirvana were earth shatteringly good.

... but the point is nobody was trying to be anything other than themselves

They were kinda first of their genre, in a "what else sounds like Nirvana anyway?" sort of way, so you either liked them or you didn't.

Tad and Mudhoney were around before them and Nirvana were very much influenced by them. When I first heard Bleach I actually thought it was a Tad album. If you're a fan of early Nirvana check out Superfuzz Bigmuff by Mudhoney and the track Wired God by Tad.

If you want to hear a great take on Nirvana check out The Battle For Seattle by Little Roy. Reggae, ska and dub versions, but in no way a novelty album. Just a brilliant reinvention of some great tunes. In my opinion Dave Grohls best work was on the QOTSA third album Songs for the Def.

I loved most of the bands from the Seattle scene, but especially Soundgarden, Screaming Trees and Mudhoney. Remember reading an interview with Mark Arm when he said some really famous musician (can't recall who) can't on stage with them. This guy asked them what key they were playing in. Arms answer "what's a key" 😀

Saw them with Tad and mudhoney I think at Edwards no8 in brum. Watched 10 mins of the 91 Reading set, but sloped off as it wasn't my thing.

I didn't mind them, but like the fact they got the mainstream into a different kind of music.

Love Nirvana, still listen to them and I think the music has aged well. Decent variety in their stuff if you chuck in some of their b sides and unplugged etc.

In utero probably ranks as my favourite album, but they're all good.

Kirt did several interviews where he confirmed he wanted nirvana to sound like the pixies. He had been contemplating doing an album with Michael Stipe from R.E.M. too.

Their music was often simple but they're weren't bad musicians, not getting those comments personally but that's just my opinion.

Also agree that whilst I don't hate foos theyre just a bit MOR and karaokeesque. I like the early foos and the album they did when DG was drumming with the QOTSA - it sounds a bit heavier and interesting.

Look, Nirvana were good but to insinuate a comparison with Zeppelin and Hendrix is just wrong headed!

Waderider - Member
Look, Nirvana were good but to insinuate a comparison with Zeppelin and Hendrix is just wrong headed!

I'm not comparing them musically, more as an experience. If asked "what one band would you like to see" then something like led zep or Hendrix in the early days would be an obvious answer, but actually I think I'd really like to see an early Nirvana gig as they probably had more of an influence on my music taste over the years.

I got it. Would rather have seen Kurt's violent anguish than Plant's wailing any day. (Hendrix a different story entirely).
Taste innit.

Also, find it easier to identify with violent anguish rather than ****ing hobbits...

I've got the dark green vinyl of Bleach - worth over £100 apparently

Really? I've got one in white somewhere, and a Teen Spirit picture disc, first release.
EDIT - [url= https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/132105895333?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=38979885970&rlsatarget=pla-325792118389&abcId=1128946&adtype=pla&merchantid=115602201&poi=&googleloc=9046727&device=c&campaignid=856857791&crdt=0 ]This one![/url]