A new Nirvana tribute band has been formed and are scheduled to play their first show in St. Louis, Missouri on
February 22. They will be playing at a club called Off Broadway.
Here is a short biography: "LITHIUM - A tribute to Nirvana. It started as an idea
over dinner in Rick Rodemacher's former garage-punk band, Vallium. To do a set that consisted entirely of Nirvana
songs. Why not? Rick had always been pegged as a mirror of Cobain by concert goers and everything from his guitar
playing to the chill of his voice were undoubtedly reminiscent of the late grunge poet. To make a long story short
Vallium said no. Vallium broke up. Now, about two years later, Rick and former Vallium drummer, Mitch Backwoodz,
have put that idea in motion. Lithium is not Nirvana. Some bands have tried to copy Nirvana's style in their original
material. It's obvious and insulting to fans. It's those very fans that are the reason Lithium exists. To play a set
that we'll never hear otherwise. There can be no Nirvana reunion. A lot of people missed out on seeing Nirvana live.
Now you have a chance to see the best tribute of that experience." Thanks to Rick for the info and bio.
Andreas sent in this information: "I am very happy to present a very special compilation to you.
The German grunge-community (www.grunge.de) has released with "Unterm Durchschnitt Records" a bombastic 14 track
cd-compilation of 7 great grunge bands from Germany and Switzerland. 'The Anti-Rockstar Revolution' also
contains a 12-page booklet and is organised and created by members of the bulletin board. Order the compilation for
no more than 8 euros at Unterm Durchschnitt." The compilation
can also be ordered from the websites for the bands presented on the compilation. Click here
for some info on the label putting out the compilation. You can also view a biography of Black Box Pilot (formerly Squeeze#6),
one of the bands on the CD, here and a picture. One of the
other bands on this german label is called Bleak and they also appeared on the 2nd NFC
Compilation. Click here for a picture of the band. Thanks to Andreas for the info and pictures.
"The Triple J Hottest 100 songs of 2002 were announced on Sunday 26th of January. Triple J is Australia's
most popular national youth radio station and the Hottest 100 is one of the worlds largest and most respected music polls in
the world, with over 650,000 people voting for their favourite song of the year via the Internet. Nirvana managed to lodge the
No. 12 spot with You Know You're Right. This year was also dubbed the Year of Dave Grohl with Grohl contributing to 10
of the 100 songs. 1 being Nirvana's YKYR and 4 places with his band the Foo Fighters (No. 55 with Disenchanted Lullabye, No. 23
with Times Like These, No. 13 with All My Life and No. 11 with The One). He also grabbed 5 spots with Queens Of The Stone Age
with No. 81 You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire, No. 56 First It Giveth, No. 48 Go With The Flow, No.
44 God Is In The Radio, and hitting the No. 1 spot with No One Knows. The record for the amount of times one person/band apear
in the 100 was previously held by The Cure who apeared in one countdown 9 times in the early 90s." Thanks to Riz!
The "Driven: The Secret Life of Kurt Cobain" VH-1 special has AGAIN been re-scheduled. The new airdate is February 23 at
11 AM EST. The show was originally planned for broadcast last year, but has since been re-scheduled about five times or
so, most recently last week (when it was set for a February 5 airing). It does have an interesting description, though:
"Through rare and unreleased footage, photos and artwork, new interviews with friends and stories from
Kurt's newly-released journals, Driven Presents: The Secret Life of Kurt Cobain portrays the Kurt Cobain the public never
knew. After eight years of attention on Kurt's drug abuse and tragic suicide, conspiracy theories regarding his death and
lawsuits about control of the band's legacy, this special will focus on the man, his creative vision and his off-stage
personality. We'll learn what Kurt was really like in contrast to his public persona. While he portrayed his success as a
product of luck that hit at the right time, he secretly plotted out his career path and planned for rock stardom. While some
consider him an angry, dour rock poet, in person he was really funny and playful. An avowed punk rocker, he had a soft spot
for catchy pop tunes and cried whenever 'Seasons in the Sun' was played. He complained about his bad press clips, but secretly
wanted to write articles about his favorite bands. And while he publicly demurred about being a generational spokesman, his
writings were filled with screeds of class warfare against Baby Boomers, whose loose morals he felt had contributed to society's ills."
Speaking of MTV/VH-1, they are currently seeking fans for an upcoming special: "Kurt Cobain was voted for
having one of the greatest voices of all time. And MTV2 is seeking true Kurt fans that live in the New York area and would be
willing to sound off, on camera, why Kurt's voice is so influential. I want to find REAL fans that could represent him well since
I am a fan myself. So anyone who is interested should email us immediately.
Remember to include your name, age, and phone number (all of which will not be shared), and also a little bit on why you love Kurt
Cobain." Thanks to Khadija and MTV.
Earlier this month, Krist Novoselic spoke out on the situation with Iraq. Read more here,
courtesy of dotmusic. Thanks to Justin for the link.
A new edition of the popular NIRVANA photography book by Stephen Sweet and Steve Gullick has been released:
"To mark the release of Kurt Cobain's diaries and the long awaited lost song You Know
You're Right on Nirvana's self titled best of album, Vision On publishing have re-released their best selling
photographic book Nirvana by british photographers Steve Gullick and Stephen Sweet, as a luxury Collector's
Edition. The british press had the best access to the band, and this compelling mix of on stage, back stage and off
duty shots shows the whole band in poses that range from the comic to the iconic. The new Collector's Edition consists
of a hardback book signed by both photographers, a poster of many unseen contact sheet images from the making of the
book, and a signed photographic print all inside a clothcovered presentation box. The RRP is £100/$150 but you can buy
it from Vision On Publishing at a 25% discount." This hardback edition of
the book is limited to 1000 copies and is, as mentioned, signed by both of the photographers. To view a scan of the box
that the book comes in, click here. You can also view the cover
and a scan of the rare poster that comes with it. Finally, the Steve Gullick
print can be viewed here. To order this limited edition 256-page book, with a 25%
discount, simply go here. Thanks to Alasdair for the info and images.
The March/April 2003 issue of Revolver magazine features an 8-page article on Nirvana. This includes a few
"never-before-seen" photos and some information about the last recording session in January 1994. The mag
has Jenna Jameson on the cover. Thanks to Chris for the info.
Apparently the NIRVANA (Best-Of) album has been released on 12" vinyl in Europe. The album is spread
over two vinyls, with 4 songs on each side. It includes "Something In The Way" (previously only available
on the Japanese CD version) and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (previously only available on the non-US CD version).
VH-1's "Driven" special on Kurt Cobain has finally been re-scheduled for a February 2 airing. It will debut
at 11 AM Eastern Time. Thanks to RockOnTV. Speaking of VH-1, in a "100 Greatest TV Moments of All Time" chart
made in association with TV Guide, they listed Nirvana's Unplugged performance on spot #14. The debut of the
Smells Like Teen Spirit on MTV ranked as #56 while Nirvana's performance of Lithium on MTV's VMA's
was listed as #65. As a sidenote, the "Top 10 @ 10" special airing on MTV Europe this morning focused on The 90's
and Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit was the #1 video followed by Red Hot Chili Peppers on spot #2.
Slant Magazine have made a list of the "100 Greatest Music Videos" and Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit
video made it to place #67. Heart-Shaped Box was #81: "Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' is
as ripe with allusions as it is oversaturated with color (the video was shot in black and white and then computer-colorized).
Directed by Anton Corjbin, the clip features surrealistic images including a winged, gluttonous woman reaching for plastic
fetuses hanging from a tree and an emaciated Jesus with a Victorian beard and Santa hat climbing onto a cross. While the
song makes vague references to cancer, umbilical cords and meat-eating orchids, the video entangles faith and sickness with
the clarity of a man who's damn close to giving up his eternal search." The number one video on the list was,
surprisingly, Madonna's Express Yourself. In fact, there are 5 Madonna videos in the Top 20. Courtesy of Slant Magazine.
From Randy: "In February's edition of Stuff (a magazine for men) there was a very interesting and
funny interview with the Foo Fighters. At the very first they mention a funny story about Kurt Cobain. 'Kurt [Cobain] and
I were sharing a hotel room. I went to the bathroom and took a nasty dump. He wanted to use it right when I was done, but I was
like, ''No, dude, you really should wait a few minutes.'' But he just shrugged and walked in. All I heard was the door close, a
pause and then blarrrrfggghh! He just came back out and watched TV. I was like, ''Dude are you OK?'' and he just looked at me.'
At the end of the interview which was after a Foo' show Stuff asks Dave 'Did the crowd chanting, Courtney sucks secretly delight you?'
and Dave answers: 'That has only happened twice. People do it, I guess, because they assume I fucking hate her. They'd probably stop
if they realized I really just don't care.' "
It appears that the person who murdered Mia Zapata has finally been found and arrested:
"A 48-year-old Marathon has been arrested in the 1993 slaying of rising punk-rock star Mia Zapata, the Seattle
Police Department said Saturday. Investigators arrested Jesus C. Mezquia in the Miami area late Friday night after
DNA evidence linked him to the death, department spokeswoman Deanna Nollette said. Mezquia, of Marathon, was charged
with first-degree murder and held without bond late Saturday at Miami-Dade County Jail, officials at the jail said.
Zapata, the 27-year-old lead singer of The Gits, was last seen alive shortly after 2 a.m. on July 7, 1993, after a
night of hard drinking in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. She was strangled with the drawstring of her Gits sweat
shirt, and her body was left 1.6 miles away on the curb of 24th Avenue South. Her arms were outstretched, her legs crossed
at the ankle, as if she had been crucified. Zapata was little-known nationally but popular locally at the height of
Seattle's grunge-rock scene in the early '90s. Her death prompted an all-night vigil attended by 1,000 people as well
as the creation of a self-defense group, Home Alive. The Seattle music community -- including Pearl Jam, Nirvana and
Soundgarden -- raised $70,000 to hire a private investigator for three years, but eventually the funds dried up.
'It's just a great relief,' said Charles Cross, longtime editor of the defunct Seattle music magazine The Rocket.
'Mia was a great singer, and with the timing of it -- how powerful a stage presence she was and what a major talent
she was -- the band clearly was on to much bigger things.' The popularity of grunge rock was about to explode, but
The Gits remained below the radar. They released two singles and an album, 'Frenching the Bully,' and were finishing
up the vocals on a second album when Zapata was killed. The band continued playing together for about five years
afterward and led the private investigation into the case, hoping to keep it in the spotlight. 'It's been a long,
hard road,' Cross said. 'But she was not forgotten, and that's one of the good things to come out of the sad loss
of this tremendous talent.' " Story courtesy of The Seattle Times and AP. Nirvana played a Mia Zapata benefit
show in 1993 and contributed with a song to the "Home Alive: The Art of Self-Defense" compilation.
"A panel of music journalists, commissioned by Britain's Q Magazine, put 'That's All Right' [by Elvis]
top of a list of '100 ground-breaking, world-altering songs that changed music and the world forever.' It beat dozens of
better known tracks including The Beatles' 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand,' Bob Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' and 'Good Vibrations'
by the Beach Boys. 'That's All Right is a wonderful track and we all hail it for starting Elvis's recording career but it
didn't change anything,' veteran music journalist Paul Gambaccini told BBC TV. Grunge gurus Nirvana were fifth with Smells
Like Teen Spirit" Story courtesy of MSNBC and Reuters Limited.
Yesterday, former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl turned 34! Happy birthday Dave!
The music world lost another prominent figure today: "Maurice Gibb, who with his brothers
built the Bee Gees into a disco sensation that ruled the charts in the late '70s with hits like 'Stayin' Alive'
and 'More Than a Woman,' died Sunday at the age of 53. 'To our extended family, friends and fans, with great
sadness and sorrow we regretfully announce the passing of Maurice Gibb this morning,' Gibb's family said in a
statement. 'His love, enthusiasm and energy for life remain an inspiration to all of us.' The Bee Gees, short
for the Brothers Gibb — twins Maurice and Robin, and their older brother Barry — were known for their tight,
high harmonies and original sound." Story courtesy of Yahoo! and The Associated Press.
Fernando sent in this one: "Nirvana is the cover story of our magazine Rock Brigade
this month, with a huge story about their career and EXCLUSIVE pics of the bands gig in Brazil, 1993.
Please visit our site for a preview of this issue."
Thanks to Fernando Souza Filho of Rock Brigade Magazine for the story. Rock Brigade mag is 22 years old
and has a monthly circulation of 60,000 in Brazil and Portugal.
"Kurt Cobain is one of five singers whose faces are on the cover of the Jan. 11-17, 2003
issue of the U.S. magazine TV Guide (the others being Eminem, Mariah Carey, Ozzy Osbourne, and Kelly Clarkson -
winner of the "American Idol" TV show). Inside, Nirvana is ranked three times; here are all of the Nirvana mentions
(ranking numbers appear before each article): #14 Reaching Nirvana: How could we not have seen it coming? Five
months before he killed himself on April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain, one of rock's genuinely tortured geniuses, staged
what in hindsight seems to be a suicide note set to music. On MTV's Unplugged, Cobain and his Nirvana bandmates
performed anguished, haunting acoustic versions of some of their favorite songs, and MTV got it's most searing,
wrenching concert ever. #53 Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' debuts on MTV, September 14, 1991. #65 Even by the
wild standards of MTV's Video Music Awards, Nirvana's incendiary performance on September 9, 1992, raises the bar."
Thanks to Jonathan and Pat. You can view the TV guide cover here.
There is also a Nirvana mention in the February 2003 issue of Q Magazine. In the January one, Nirvana's Nevermind
was ranked as the #1 'greatest album ever' in a reader poll. In the February issue, there is a Dave Grohl cover story
where he talks, in part, about Nirvana and Kurt: "It's annoying that on this tour ... probably more
for the other guys than for me ... I have become the unofficial spokesman for Nirvana, which is incorrect. I was, like,
the fucking sixth drummer of the band. When I think of Nirvana, I think of Krist Novoselic, man, he's the one. I'm not
comfortable [about] being the voice of Nirvana because I never really was." - "I won't read [Kurt's] diaries because I
don't want to. I've seen little pieces of it, but it just feels strange. It just doesn't feel like it was meant for me
to read them. I don't feel comfortable peering into Kurt's private thoughts. Sure, he was my friend and what we did together
is incredibly valuable to me, but would you want to read a friend's diary? A complete stranger's diary might seem easier--a
little more distant. You can read it and it's less of a violation, maybe. It depends what your relationship with the diarist
was. It's no big deal, it's just that--for me--it doesn't feel like the right thing." - "I talk about Nirvana in the same way
Nate [Mendel, Foo bassist] would talk about Sunny Day Real Estate or Taylor [Hawkins, Foo drummer] being with Alanis Morissette.
They're just bands we used to be in. Of course, it's an incredibly special thing for me, but I share it with them openly. It
doesn't help to mystify it." Courtesy of Q Magazine. Thanks to Randall for passing on these interesting quotes. On a
sidenote, the mag gave the Eyes Adrift album 2 stars out of 4 in a review and said they would have a Q&A session with Krist
in an upcoming issue: "March's issue of Q magazine will see the legendary Krist Novoselic have the thumbscrews
applied as part of the regular inquisition that is Cash For Questions. And there is much to ask that could bag you £25. What does
he think of the 'new' Nirvana song, You Know You're Right? Being the bass player in one of the greatest bands ever – overrated or
rather good fun? His post-Nirvana band, Sweet 75 – did we not give them the chance they deserved? This making up with Courtney Love
– will it last? And what was it like being the tallest man in grunge? Send your posers to CashForQuestions@Q4music.com, marking your
entry 'Krist Novoselic'. Name and address, too, please." -- Q mag.
Looks like Nirvana won't be getting a grammy award this year: "This would have been a great time for Grammy
voters to make up for their virtual snubbing of Nirvana and nominate You Know You're Right, an old recording that was released
for the first time last year. But the record was released after the close of the eligibility period. Foo Fighters, formed by Nirvana's
Dave Grohl, was nominated for hard rock performance for All My Life. Foo Fighters received a second nomination for rock song for
All My Life" Thanks to Ronan for the story. The Eligibility Year for the Grammy's ran from October 1, 2001 through September
30, 2002. Nirvana's Best-Of was released on October 28/29 2002. You can view the full list of nominees for the 45th annual Grammy Awards here.
"Nirvana hangs on to the top spot on the NMC Alternative Rock eTrack this week, powered by the album Nirvana.
These 'seasoned rockers' are the most popular alt. rock act on the web. Audioslave moves up six slots to the number 2 position
this week. Rounding out the Alt Rock eTrack top five: Foo Fighters are number 3, Puddle Of Mudd is number 4, and Coldplay moves
up to number 5." Also thanks to Ronan. Finally, check this story
where a group of teens discuss the impact of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain (courtesy of Y-press online).
Sometime in early 2000, a "rare, heavy" version of the Nirvana song Opinion turned up
on Napster - at the time a huge online file-sharing service. The song quickly became popular
and was shared amongst lots of fans through Napster, and later other file-sharing programs such
as WinMX and KaZaA. While the file was being distributed and labeled as a genuine Nirvana song,
it was in fact a cover of the Kurt Cobain composition that was only performed solo by Cobain
himself for a 1990 radio show.
Many insist erroneously that it is Kurt Cobain's voice on this "heavy" version -- one fan even
speculated that Kurt's voice had been overdubbed to a cover version by some other band:
"I may not be the expert you are, but I know Kurt's voice when I hear it. I have been listening to it for 11+
years and there is no way to fake his voice." A similar argument came from a different listener:
"That is most definitely Kurt on vocals. Either that, or it is the single most
fucking incredible Kurt Cobain sound-alike on the entire planet. What gives? There's no way that's
not Kurt..." The truth is that the "heavy" version of the song is indeed a cover and it is not
Kurt Cobain's voice.
Who the actual artist was, however, remained up in the air until recently when I was contacted by a fellow named Scott.
He came forward and said that he was the one who had recorded the song. I was quickly convinced
that he was right in this claim as he provided a 4-track demo version of the cover, and a better quality copy
of the 8-track recording that had been spread around on the Internet for some 3 years. Here is his story:
"I can't believe how far my cover version of Nirvana's Opinion went on the net. I
originally threw it on the end of my demo tape, and someone lifted it on Napster, maybe 4 years ago. I tacked
it onto the end of my song Trees. When I had Napster up someone yanked it, re-titled it, and put it up
for the world to see. After a while I forgot about it. Then I was browsing through my wife's copy of the Cobain
'Journals' book and I saw the lyrics [for Opinion] and decided to see if it was still out there. Kind of
funny what I found. It was tabbed out (still cracks me up) on people's Top 10 Rare Nirvana songs, and it was noted
on your website (which I check all the time). I think it's great that people like it, but there is no way in hell
you would ever confuse my voice for Kurt's! I am amazed that some people actually like the version."
Scott, who was frontman of the band Slow Driver Down at the time, has recorded two EP's where Opinion
concluded the first, as sort of a hidden track. "I decided to cover the song because I felt
that Kurt intended to rock it out, but never got the opportunity. I recorded it 11/98, at a local studio called
Cleopatra Park in a 2 day recording session and a 3 day mixing session. I played all the instruments and did the
vocals. I've been in a couple other local [Seattle] bands that never went anywhere; Pez, Slow Driver Down (named
after a misunderstanding of a Pixies lyric), and my new band Coriander."
The cover is a full blown rock version as opposed to the acoustic solo performance that Kurt Cobain did of it back
in 1990. Scott's cover of Opinion has become fairly popular but he adds: "Sorry if people
got confused and thought it was actually Nirvana (maybe they thought Kurt was really really sick and didn't sound like
himself, I don't know. I don't sound like him though!). I wish he did actually record it in the studio, or better yet,
that he was around to keep writing new and better songs. I miss him immensely." Funnily, previously two different
artists ("Porcelain God" and "The Disenfranchised") have stepped forward and claimed credit for recording this cover.
You can download the "heavy" version of Opinion here (courtesy
of Scott). You can also check out one of his other great songs, L.D., by following this link.
Finally, you can download a clip of the actual Kurt Cobain/Nirvana version in the NFC Sound Gallery.
Visit the website of Scott's latest band here.
Perhaps this story will teach people to be a little more careful before claiming a "rare" song they found online to be
authentic. On a similar note, it amazes me how many people confuse the Stone Temple Pilots classic Creep (track #7
on their debut album Core) with a Nirvana composition. An MP3 of this song has been mislabeled as "Nirvana - Half the
man" (or "Half the man I used to be") and spread rapidly on file-sharing services. Many "fans" insist it is Kurt Cobain's
voice while it is obviously not. Scott Weiland, Stone Temple Pilots frontman, and this song has nothing to do with Nirvana.
"On 107.7 The End's Top 107 Songs of 2002, Nirvana's You Know You're
Right was voted #1! You can check out their website for the full list of 107 songs of
2002 as voted for by the listeners." Thanks to Kristi. More chart news:
"On MuchMoreMusic's countdown of the '90 Greatest Videos of The 90's', Nirvana landed at number 1
with the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit." Thanks to Randy.
"I saw an interesting tidbit in the 1/10/03 edition of 'Entertainment Weekly'.
[#690, Nicole Kidman is on the cover] In it, there is an article asking celebrities a question on
what kind of biographical movie they'd like to star in. The question asks: With holiday releases
ranging from 'Antwone Fisher' to 'Catch Me If You Can' based on true-life stories, we asked celebs:
'What biopic would you most like to headline? Avril Lavigne answered: 'Kurt Cobain.' Also answering
was David Spade, saying: 'Kurt Cobain. Nirvana was on SNL twice when I was there, and he was really
cool.' In kind of a sidenote, Avril performed on 'Last Call with Carson Daly' last night, and had 'Pixies
Rule' written on the drumset. This must be some sort of insidious plot to court the indie rock crowd!"
Thanks to Dustin for this story.
After running for several months longer than intended - the 10th NFC Competition has finally ended! Five lucky winners have
been selected and they are as follows. The first prize (a signed edition of the Michael Azerrad book Our Band Could Be Your
Life) went to Jakob Dybro Johansen. The second prize (the "NIRVANA" photo book by Steve Gullick and Stephen Sweet) went
to Jeroen de Wit. The winner of the third prize ("Live Through This - American Rock Music In The Nineties", a book by
Everett True) was Blake Harris. The fourth prize, which was given away already back in April, was tickets to the Olympia Music
Fair in London, UK. The winner was Kaine Pringal. Finally, the fifth and last prize (a copy of the 2nd NFC Compilation) went
to Shane Averette. Congrats to all the winners, and sorry for dragging out the deadline for so long. A new competition should
be up sometime in the new year. Contact the webmaster if you'd like to sponsor prizes (books, CDs, shirts or whatever).
The Danish channel TV2 Zulu will be airing "1991: The Year Punk Broke" on January 4th at 9.25 AM. Nirvana is featured
several times in this documentary and there are several clips of Nirvana playing live. Nirvana's "Live! Tonight! Sold
Out!!" video will be aired by the same channel on January 11 at 9.40 AM. All times are CET. Thanks to 'Happy Hour'.
"I was just watching MuchMusic's countdown of the favorite videos of 2002 voted by their website users.
Nirvana's You Know You're Right got spot #16!" Thanks to Randy.
Archive of past months news and website updates:
1999:
[ Oct | Nov | Dec ]
2000:
[
Jan | Feb |
Mar | Apr |
May | Jun |
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct |
Nov | Dec ]
2001:
[
Jan | Feb |
Mar | Apr |
May | Jun |
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct |
Nov | Dec ]
2002:
[
Jan | Feb |
Mar | Apr |
May | Jun |
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct |
Nov | Dec ]
2003:
[
Jan | Feb |
Mar | Apr |
May | Jun |
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct |
Nov | Dec ]
2004:
[
Jan | Feb |
Mar | Apr |
May | Jun |
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct |
Nov | Dec ]
2005:
[
Jan | Feb |
Mar | Apr |
May | Jun |
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct |
Nov ]