Kurt Cobain’s horrible night in jail

The sounds of the city often have a tendency to merge into one another. Rain bounces off the ground, car tyres screech, horns honk and sirens are heard in the distance. Amongst all of this, the sound of a spray can blend into its surroundings like a heartbeat, undetectable to any nearby authorities as a young Kurt Cobain tags walls with controversial slogans.

“GOD IS GAY” is written across the brickwork; Cobain puts the lid back on the can of spray paint before he, Matt and Buzz of the Melvins move somewhere else to do the same thing. This was becoming a tradition for the trio, who liked to go around the city and write different slogans wherever possible. The more shocking, the better, so the aforementioned “God is gay” plastered across a place known for its devout Christianity, usually did the trick

These nights would follow a pattern consisting of spray paint, move, spray paint, move and then take a detour down different streets and alleys to avoid detection from the police. One night, everything was playing out as usual when the police rode by, and the three Yankee Banksy’s had to take flight.

Buzz and Matt managed to escape, but Kurt wasn’t so lucky. He was cuffed, charged and had to spend the night in a prison cell. He was released the next day, and though he didn’t intend to return to prison, he didn’t let the experience silence him either. He would eventually go on to be one of the most political musicians in the world, never afraid to hold his tongue and voice his opinions on politics, society and people in general.

These nights would follow a pattern consisting of spray paint, move, spray paint, move and then take a detour down different streets and alleys to avoid detection from the police. One night, everything was playing out as usual when the police rode by, and the three Yankee Banksy’s had to take flight.

Buzz and Matt managed to escape, but Kurt wasn’t so lucky. He was cuffed, charged and had to spend the night in a prison cell. He was released the next day, and though he didn’t intend to return to prison, he didn’t let the experience silence him either. He would eventually go on to be one of the most political musicians in the world, never afraid to hold his tongue and voice his opinions on politics, society and people in general.

Years later, when he and his band Nirvana had made it big, Kurt slipped the words that got him arrested into one of their songs. In the hit ‘Stay Away’, Cobain’s screaming vocals at the end proclaim, “Stay away, stay away, stay away, God is gay.”

Even when Nirvana came to fame and was accepted into the mainstream, many people weren’t happy with the messages they persistently conveyed. However, his hometown of Aberdeen was keen on commemorating him after his late death. They were thinking of something conventional, such as a statue; however, Matt said instead, they should put something in the cell where Kurt Cobain spent a night. Despite putting the argument forward, he wasn’t taken up on the offer.

Kurt Cobain is a musician who has never been unwavering in his views, and it’s clear that this was the case not only throughout his music but also before he found fame. By expressing his views and making it clear that he is not interested in being silenced by societal norms, Cobain set himself up to be an icon in grunge.