An interesting little message that arrived in my inbox today; "A-1 were crowned kings of the Internet on Thursday night (23 November) after winning the prestigious People's Choice Award at the UK Online Music Awards [ URL ]. An amazing 2221 sites were entered into the competition and over 75,000 people voted for their favourite websites. Your site was voted among the top 100!" The Internet Nirvana Fan Club landed at spot #74, out of the 2221 sites participating in the awards. We got more votes than sites such as "The BarryNet - Barry Manilow International Fan Club Official Site", theoffspring.com and "Leftfield online". Thanks to everyone for voting! Also thanks to Franck Alfier for the news.

"I would like to verify for you that Nirvana's 'Aneurysm' has been the title theme song to WAAF Real Rock TV since 1996. In fact WAAF Real Rock TV has produced over 180 original episodes since, making it the most successful live music broadcast television program in the United States." This info was courtesy of Ian Barrett, producer of WAAF Real Rock TV.

As mentioned earlier, Rolling Stone Magazine recently published a list of the Top 100 Pop Songs of all time; "Five Rolling Stone editors and a crew of MTV programmers, producers and researchers traded lists, opinions, barbs and everything but blow in trying to narrow down a wide range of popular music to the final 100." As mentioned, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it to the number 3 spot. The choice was explained in an interesting article, with fresh comments from Krist Novoselic and Nevermind producer Butch Vig. Read the article here.

People sell everything these days, especially after the online auction eBay openened its doors. Currently up for auction is "a window from the garage on the Cobain estate where Kurt committed suicide." Nothing less. "It is one of only two windows to survive the demolition of the garage by Courtney Love! I purchased it from an antique window dealer in Snohomish, Washington who bought it directly from the demo guy! This is definitely a unique and exciting piece of rock and roll history." Should you for some reason be interested, the bidding starts at $200 here. Thanks to Reidar and a couple of others for the link.

Rob made an interesting observation; "Karl just posted another Weezer MP3 covering Nirvana here. This time its Weezer, under disguise as Goat Punishment, covering [Nirvana's] 'Blew'." Thanks to Rob Holmes for this tidbit.

"A new movie called 'Hamlet' just opened in Germany and one of the actors is Ethan Hawke, who said that 'Hamlet is like Kurt Cobain: He has problems with his parents, an identity crisis, a difficult girlfriend: It's like this for all guys, isn't it?'. You can find this quote on all the adverts for the movie. Apart from that a (probably German) band called Balloon just covered SLTS. They also changed the title to 'Monstersound'. This cover version already entered the German charts at position #23 this week." Thanks to Franzi for these stories.

"In the most recent Melody Maker magazine, Dave Grohl was asked; 'If your house was burning down, which one object would you save?' His reply was; 'This letter I got from Kurt in 1992', he says. 'That sounds terribly melodramatic, but its true. He wrote it to me when everything was going nuts. I got really bummed out and Kurt sent me this letter about my role and stature in the band. It was all I love you like a brother.'" Courtesy of Ben.

In the town of Salisbury in the UK, an Australian Nirvana cover band will be doing a show on December 16th. Coinsidentally also my birthday; "Here we are now, entertain us: Burt Cokain, frontman of the Nirvana tribute band Teen Spirit, boards The Black Pig on December 16. The show features all the hits and has been known to include ballgowns, exploding drum kits and, to date, the destruction of 45 electric guitars." View a scan of the band's lead singer here. Thanks to Rich for the scan and info.

I just added another two rare Nirvana photos, shot by Gilbert Blecken (see November 11 update for more details). One of the new photos is a close-up of Kurt Cobain - the other is a nice pic of Dave Grohl. You can check them out in the picture gallery. Special thanks to Gilbert Blecken for these. Also thanks to numchux for help.

Speaking of photos, I just got some very rare ones that were apparently shot by Michael DeWitt - Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's former nanny. While I can not guarantee that these actually stem from Mr. DeWitt, they are certainly interesting. Special thanks to 'Coxxyx' (ICQ: 1307746) for these. #1 - Kurt's ashes and a snippet of his hair. #2 - A picture of the garage at Kurt's residence. #3 - Bill Gates' home, from inside the estate (!). #4 - Kurt's dog, 'buddha' (I doubt this was really Kurt's dog ...). #5 - Kurt's room. #6 - Artwork by Kurt, from inside the house, along with some sculptures. #7 - Another shot of the garage, focusing on the room where Kurt died. Disclaimer: these pictures might seem too personal or offensive to the memory of Kurt Cobain.

I keep getting e-mails from people asking about Frances Bean, daughter of Cobain and Courtney Love. I do not have any information about her current life. Though, I can offer links to some nice pictures of her and Courtney, shot earlier this month at the world premiere of "How the Grinch stole Christmas". Pic #1, #2. © 2000 Paul Smith, courtesy of fansites.com. You can also find a pic of Courtney and Frances, shot at the "Charlie's Angels" world premiere in Hollywood last month, here. If the links don't work, just go here instead.

"In the online chat Trent Reznor did Tuesday (November 21, 2000) he mentioned NIRVANA in the below question. 'What do you see as the future of rock music, with the death of disbanding of several bands and the rise of hardcore rock? Many good bands such as Smashing Pumpkins are calling it quits' Trent: 'I think the future of any genre of music relies on innovations. And people making chances. When you have a marketplace flooded with sound alike bands...and I don't have to name 'em b/c you know 'em. Rap rock crap. Post grunge anonymous bands. And that's being propelled by record labels who are much more interested in selling cds than taking chances. Chances on anything that might be unusual or something that might topple this pyramid of shit. I have to have faith that the public is smarter than that. And will reach a saturation point. And demand something of substance. It happened with punk. It happened again with Nirvana killed off Guns N' Roses. It can't get much worse that it is now. And I think, for me personally, something that makes me like a band or a project is the feeling that they're sincere. Or they really mean what they say. And I see an awful lot of bands that are real angry, fat guys from CA who are skaters all of a sudden that I don't believe it. I believe they have flannel shirts hanging in their closet that they had to take of when grunge dies. Hanging right next to the spandex and the Axl Rose headband that they had to take off to put the flannel on. And I don't buy it. I see big change on the horizon. And I hope that there are still people out there who want something more out of music than lowest common denominator stupidity. I appreciate you all being here. It means more than you'll know. And that's what keeps me going. I won't let you down.' " Thanks to Ben.

The NFC Museum was briefly updated, offering a little new info, and some corrections. Check it out here. If you can think of something that should be added to the museum, feel free to let me know.

MTV just published their latest chart; the "100 Greatest Pop Songs". Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it to the number 3 spot, only beaten by the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Other artists on the list include Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Hanson, Wham! and Blink 182 :) You can view the full list here. While I don't know how much of a 'pop' song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is, it's certainly an interesting chart! "NIRVANA Fan? Then be sure to watch MTV as we air the countdown of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs ALL THIS WEEK! (and watch for interviews that you won't wanna miss!) Log on to MTV.com, where we list the greatest songs 1 to 100. CLICK on the song titles to see the VIDEO CLIPS. RANK the Top 5 Pop Songs yourself! and read about the artists!" Story courtesy of Alexia Simmons and MTV.

A cute little story from AllStar News; "Courtney Love may not have had the most stable family life herself, but it looks like she's making up for it with her 8-year-old daughter Frances Bean Cobain (who, by the way, is looking more and more like her dad than ever). The pair sat courtside at the L.A. Lakers/Houston Rockets game Sunday (Nov. 12) night in L.A., cheering and noshing on concession food -- Courtney had a loaded hot dog; Frances, a Ben & Jerry's ice cream bar. Courtney showered her daughter with gifts, including a big foam finger, a Lakers pom-pom, and a Kobe Bryant jersey that Frances couldn't wait to put on. The happy family seemed to be great sports -- aside from her new Laker gear, Frances was also wearing a Dodgers cap that her mom eventually swiped and put on herself during a playful point. Courtney didn't even have a chance to lose her cool with fans -- no one approached them the entire game." Courtesy of AllStar News and CDnow Online.

"Kurt Cobain rocks again during our Nirvana Weekend Sale! From Friday, November 17, 2000 through Monday, November 20, 2000, save 30% on every domestic (U.S.) Nirvana album! Choose from 'Nevermind' ($12.58), 'In Utero' ($8.38), 'Bleach' ($8.38), and more at great prices!" Check out CDNow's sale here.

"At [ http://www.pollcaster.com/music9.shtml ], there is a poll stating the most influential band. Currently Nirvana is 2nd, with the Beatles aheard of them." Link courtesy of Rob.

Tonight was the night of the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards, held in Sweden. The Foo Fighters were nominated for two awards; "Best Rock" and "Best Video" but lost to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Moby, respectively. The show featured live performances by U2, All Saints, Madonna, Spice Girls, Jennifer Lopez, Guano Apes and others. You can find a full list of the winners along with more info about the show at the MTV Europe website.

"Kurt, Krist and Dave are in Rolling Stone [Magazine] for the 100 Greatest pop songs ever. 'Smells Like Teen spirit' is number 3 (up with the Beatles and Rolling Stones)." This is in the December 7, 2000 issue of RS (#855). Also; "MTV will be airing the 100 greatest pop songs ever on Monday, 11/20/00 @ 10 pm. It will continue on the 21st, 22nd, 24th and 25th. MTV will also have a special on the Top 40." Courtesy of Jordana.

As you might know, Marilyn Manson recently released a new album. In a review of the album by amazon.com, they compare one of the songs to Nirvana; " ... Holy Wood is a musically diverse and powerful statement. The memorable sing-along 'Disposable Teens' boasts the same kind of staccato, Teutonic, first-thrusting power introduced with 'Beautiful People,' while 'Fight Song' is the Sex Pistols meets Blur by way of Nirvana." Thanks to Reidar for pointing this out.

"This year NPR [National Public Radio] will explore the stories behind the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century. These special on-air segments will cover a wide variety of genres, including classical, jazz, rock'n'roll, country, R&B, musical theatre and film scores. Throughout the year 2000, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR's Performance Today and other NPR programs will explore the stories behind these musical works." Among these "100 Most Important American Musical Works of the 20th Century", Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is featured; "May 15, 2000 -- NPR's Guy Raz profiles the song Smells Like Teen Spirit by the Seattle rock band Nirvana. In 1991, the song was the first big hit for Nirvana. Its quick popularity marked the rising appeal of so-called 'grunge' music, over the synthesized sounds of late 1980's pop. It is one of the NPR 100 -- a list of the most important pieces of 20th Century American Music, as voted by NPR listeners." Listen to the profile here. More info here. Thanks to Kevin Horek for the story.

"FOO FIGHTERS vocalist DAVE GROHL has formed a new heavy metal band, PROBOT, which will feature a selection of his new songs performed by his favourite artists. According to www.rollingstone.com, Grohl will be joined by, amongst others, Soulfly's Max Cavalera, Lemmy from Motorhead, Pantera's Phil Anselmo, and Corrosion of Conformity's Mike Dean on the album, which will be released in spring 2001. All the parts for the album have been written and recorded by Grohl, with the exception of the lyrics and the track titles, which were decided by the individual vocalists. The project is being produced by Matt Sweeney and engineered by Adam Kasper, who worked with Grohl on the band's last album 'There Is Nothing Left To Lose.' " Courtesy of NME.

"I just got this month's copy of Exclaim, a big (but indie) music review paper here in Canada, and they did a special feature called 'The 100 Records That Mattered' because it was their 100th issue since 1991. Anyway, they covered all modern music genres: punk, indie rock, electronic stuff, metal and so on. In Utero made the list, which is pretty amazing since only about 5 other artists on the list have made it big in the mainstream. The rest of the artists in the top 100 are indie. They wrote this for In Utero: 'This was too good, too raw, too visceral to be co-opted by a corporate alternative movement, although it inevitably was anyway. Today it sounds neither bored nor old - the anguished poetics, the accompanying mental and physical wreckage, the churning rhythm section that hits you square in the gut, and a dead man emitting the most convicining primal scream in the 90s rock'n'roll arena - on a track called 'Radio Friendly Unit Shifter.'" Courtesy of someone on the NFC Board.

Another new Nirvana domain opened recently. ultimatenirvana.com offers information on Nirvana's songs, lyrics, tabs and much more - all dynamically linked together. News courtesy of Ned Vizzini.

The latest NFC Poll, "Do you think the September 2001 release date for the box is good?" ended with the following results; 1186 votes (66%) for 'It should be earlier', 39 votes (2%) for 'It should be later', 408 votes for 'The date is just fine' (23%) and finally 162 votes (9%) for 'I dont care'. Thus, a vast majority of the Nirvana fans out there want the release of the fabled boxed set to be pushed forward. Unfortunately, at this point we don't even know for sure if a September 2001 release is going to happen. Thanks to everyone for voting. I don't think a recount from the Florida based votes will change the result :o) Make sure to check out the new poll question; "What should be added to this site?".

I recently got in touch with Gilbert Blecken who interviewed Nirvana in November of 1991, just one week before "Nevermind" went number one. Or, to be exact, the interview was done 9 years and one day ago :) The interview, published in Kerrang! Magazine last year, is about the Nevermind album, Nirvana's view on being famous and other things. I should be able to put up the full unedited interview here soon (the one in Kerrang! wasn't complete). Until then, you can check out some very cool and - mostly unpublished - photos that Gilbert shot of the band. You can check out the great photos in the picture gallery. Special thanks to Gilbert Blecken for the photos.

"VH1 aired a commercial the other day advertising their upcoming '100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.' The commercial featured Nirvana, suggesting that they recieved the #6 slot. It had the VH1 announcer-guy deadpanning the chorus to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' The ad also showed C.C. Deville (of Poison fame) ironically commenting that Nirvana was 'a catheter to the music industry.' The show premiered on Saturday November 11 at 1:30 and lasted 5 hours." Courtesy of Matt and Sara.

Lucas sent me a transcript of the entire Unplugged CD, including what the band members say in between the songs, and all the lyrics. Check it out here.

Last night here in Denmark there was a concert with the band Kelis. As it turns out, the one hour concert was concluded with a cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". A bit of an odd choice for an R&B-singer in her early 20's. I didn't attend the concert myself, so this info is from a review of it. But she has covered the song before, so it is probably part of her usual setlist. A concert I did attend yesterday was one delivered by former Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford, who delivered a terrific performance with his new band. I recommend you Europeans out there to check out his current tour if you get the chance, and his album "Resurrection". Oh and a friendly reminder; if you want to buy a Minidisc recorder, make sure not to get the Sony MZ-R70 (the one advertised for in Premiere, Rolling Stone etc.). It sucks.

Cher just released her Internet-only album, "Not Commercial". As mentioned before in this section, the album includes a tribute to Kurt Cobain; "Full of blunt language and personal confessions, Not Com is Cher's first attempt at full-fledged songwriting after decades of encouraging a long line of producers, lovers, and friends to shape her sound. She wrote it after attending a songwriters' conference on a whim. 'I wasn't going to do anything with it,' she said of the record. 'I was just going to have the experience. I've always written poetry, scribbled little things, little song pieces. Once I committed to this, I just couldn't stop writing.' Among her topics: Her troubled childhood, the Catholic Church, the homeless, the suicide of Kurt Cobain, and a tormented relationship with a married man, which she chronicles on the bitter ballad 'Still.' On 'The Fall,' about the suicide of alt-pioneer Cobain (whom she did not know), she writes of the distinct pressures of iconic stardom: 'Was there no one who could rescue you from the prison of your pain?/ Am I tougher or just lucky my fate didn't end the same.' Though raw in places, she made only a modest effort to spruce up the recording before releasing it. 'This album is not about perfection. If it was, I would have re-recorded the whole thing and gotten someone to really arrange it properly. It's rough. It's just demo quality, really.' " Story courtesy of Yahoo! and Wall of Sound. Also thanks to Daniel.

I got this in the mail; "I work for http://www.muse.ie, a weekly Irish on-line music magazine. This week we're featuring an article on Nirvana written by Lee Casey. This went live last Friday and will always be accessible via our archive." The interview is located here. Thanks to Jo for the link and info.

Another mail I got; "Hello, my name is Chuck Buckman. Me and a few other programmers are working on 'The Nirvana Experience' (totally non profit). Its a program which has all the NIRVANA multimedia squeezed into one program, along with music video's, songs, lyrics, bios, pictures, interviews. 'The Nirvana Experience' [is] a non-profit project designed to help NIRVANA fans find the information they desperatly need and look for. Instead of going through multiple webpages look for the information, they can goto one program with all the music videos, songs, lyrics, pictures, midi's... you want it, you get it here! If you would like to contribute information, frequently asked questions, or some type of multimedia email me at youvegotnoright@hotmail.com, support your favorite band by contributing a mass of multimedia glory." Information courtesy of Chuck Buckman.

The rules for using the NFC Board were updated, and a little Mini FAQ with the questions most commonly posted to the board (with answers) was added as well. If you use the board, or intend to do so, please read the revised rules and the Mini FAQ. Thanks to Juan for both of these. By the way, my Nirvana Puzzle has been updated. Instead of selecting the pieces you want to move with a drop-down menu, you now simply click on the two pieces instead, and press the "Complete move" button to ... complete the move (duh!).

Some info on a commercial Nirvana CD-Rom; "I just wanna say I found that CD-ROM in the UK, dedicated to Nirvana. It's from that company named 'ROCKonROM' which actually has put out CD-Roms about other artists too. It's a nice tribute to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana and you can find a biography, info about the murder theories, trivia, a book, an audio interview, a video documentary and some sound-alikes. The audio interview is really cool and rare I think, and the same is for the video thing where you can see that guy who taught Kurt Cobain how to play guitar, talkin' about how Kurt started as a guitar player. The cd is entitled 'Kurt Cobain ROCK ON ROM' and it has a close up of Kurt's face on the cover." Thanks to Chris for this info. I don't know where specifically to get this CD-Rom, but try looking around the net.

January 2001 there is going to be a very interesting music festival in Rio, Brazil with a stunning lineup that includes artists such as; Guns N' Roses (their first show in 7 years or so), Foo Fighters, Britney Spears, Deftones, Iron Maiden, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Halford, R.E.M. and Sting. "Fifteen years after the first edition, the dream is back. With a strong social proposal, focused on education, Rock In Rio For a Better World is an ambitious project, having silence, music, reflection and action as its main instruments. In the same Rock City that hosted Rock In Rio I - an area of 250 thousand square meters in Barra da Tijuca, in the west area of Rio de Janeiro, the Festival's third edition - Rock In Rio For A Better World - plans to gather 1.5 million people during 7 days (January 12th to 14th, and 18th to 21st). There will be 98 bands, 40 daily hours of concerts, two stages, 3 music tents and video broadcasting to several countries, reaching a total of 1 billion spectators all over the world. Rock In Rio For A Better World, without a shadow of doubt, will be a mark in history, a historical point of reference. It counts with the power of a brand in order to build a solid principle, for a better world." Info courtesy of the Official Rock in Rio website.

The archive of NFC Discussion Board threads was updated again. This time, threads number #2000 through #2999 of the 'Junkyard' forum were added, and the first 1000 threads from the Nirvana forum were added as well. The archive currently holds a total of 3835 threads (compressed into four zip files) that, while uncompressed, take up some 212 MB - one quarter of a Gigabyte. Roughly the same size as my first harddrive :) Check out the archive here.