Why Nirvana songs are “off-limits” to Dave Grohl
Nirvana will always occupy Dave Grohl’s heart. While he wasn’t a founding band member, Grohl was a pivotal part of their history as they went from an obscure grunge group to a decade-defining act. All these years later, he still views their material as too sacred to perform.
When most bands of Nirvana’s stature reach their conclusion, members of the group typically keep their former group’s legacy alive by performing their back catalogue in concerts. However, with Nirvana, Kurt Cobain’s former bandmates decided to leave those songs in the past. After all, the irreplaceable Cobain wrote and sang the tracks, which they could not replicate in a live environment.
Since Nirvana parted ways, Krist Novoselic and Grohl have tried writing new history rather than relying on past endeavours. When Foo Fighters started touring, it would have been an easy win for Grohl to sprinkle a few Nirvana songs into their sets. While most people in the crowd were there due to Grohl’s links with Nirvana, the Foo’s singer was never tempted to delve into their discography.
They are two chapters of his career that Grohl doesn’t believe should overlap. Following the heartbreaking way Nirvana ended, the musician needed to break away from his past and turn the page. The project began as a coping mechanism for Grohl during his darkest hour, and the last thing he needed was a reminder of his late friend while on stage.
During a conversation with Ringo Starr for Rolling Stone in 2019, Grohl revealed “the thing that saved my life was music” before explaining why he only plays Nirvana songs on very rare occasions.
He told Starr: “I haven’t played those Nirvana songs more than a few times in the last 26 years. In some ways, they’re off-limits, unfortunately. There have been a few times — at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, at a show maybe two years ago — that we got to play them. And it’s a funny feeling, because it feels like you’re back together with your friends from the band, but there’s just something missing.”
“Like, we recorded a song with Paul once: me, Pat Smear, and Krist Novoselic,” he added. “And it was such a trip for just the three of us to be playing again; it fits. It’s so easy. A couple of downbeats, and it sounds like Nirvana when Krist and I play together. Nobody else makes that sound. So the first 20 minutes, I’m playing with Krist and Pat again, and it’s like a dream. Then I realize, ‘Oh, wait, Paul’s here too”.”
Without Cobain, there is no Nirvana. While the occasional live performance, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is acceptable, if Nirvana toured with anybody else on vocals, it would dampen their legacy and go against everything that Cobain stood for. Thankfully, the duo understand this is paramount and would never do anything that could damage the sanctity of Nirvana’s soul.
