In the early days of grunge, Nirvana was a beautiful contradiction. Even though Kurt Cobain might not have wanted to be considered a commercial sellout and preferred to keep most of the arrangements on their material sparse, the sheer level of hookiness behind their songs was enough to get many fairweather indie fans dancing along…
It’s often said that the greatest art is fuelled by darkness and trauma, and that’s precisely what Kurt Cobain embodied. His songwriting delved into the darkest recesses of his mind, presenting a macabre yet beautiful exploration to those willing to listen to it. Within Nirvana, many of his songs were born from narratives steeped in…
Everyone basically agrees that John Lennon and Kurt Cobain are two of the biggest names in rock. Yoko Ono had no interest in those comparisons — but Cobain himself did! Everyone basically agrees that John Lennon and Kurt Cobain are two of the biggest names in classic rock. Yoko Ono, on the other hand, had…
For people who knew Kurt Cobain, there were often two sides to him after Nevermind was released. Sure, he may have been happy to be on a major label and make songs that might actually have a shot at radio play, but there was also a cynical side to him who thought that his own…
By many accounts, Nirvana’s performance on the night of October 30, 1992, was not their best show. In fact, it was possibly their worst. The band was late to arrive on stage. During the first verse and chorus of “Come as You Are,” Kurt Cobain repeatedly said “Hey” for each word instead of singing the…
The longstanding dispute between the rock band Nirvana and Spencer Elden took another turn on Thursday (December 21). The U.S. appeals court revived Elden’s lawsuit claiming the photograph violated federal pornography laws and exploited him. Elden’s nude baby picture was used on the cover of Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind. According to Reuters, the 9th U.S.,…
Metallica is one of the few metal bands that can claim they never shied away from risks, even if it meant making some of the most questionable decisions in metal history. They were always willing to go down with the ship despite facing potential hatred from fans. While their instincts often paid off, as with…
For a band as synonymous with grunge as Nirvana, they were never exactly entrenched in the Seattle scene. There had been many outfits that paved the way for Kurt Cobain to come storming in with his anthems that would change the world, but they were still fairly wet behind the ears as a group when…
Today, festivals are nothing compared to what they used to be. Previously, people would go to festivals expecting to see the world change right before them, and if anything other than the extraordinary happened, crowds left unimpressed. One night, at Reading festival in 1992, the crowd saw some of the most bizarre sets ever performed…
Remember MTV? Well, before the reality shows, that is. When the station’s moniker was more true to its word. In the 1980s and 1990s, Music Television was the preeminent source of culture for young people. And while the station played videos from artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson, a giant part of its programming came…