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Nirvana Band Bios - Circus Magazine, April 1999
- Kurt Cobain bios
By Evan Dashevsky. Transcribed by RH.
It rains a lot in Aberdeen, Washington. A small blue-collar community,
strewn with trailer parks and tough blue-collar attitudes where there
isn't much room or acceptance for being different. Described as "a
hellacious place to live" it was a hard time for anyone whose dreams
weren't of being a lumberjack and proving their manhood at every
chance. This was the situation a skinny, reportedly pot smoking,
musician named Kurt Donald Cobain was born into on February 20th 1967.
Like many small children, Cobain spent much of his time escaping to
other worlds through drawing and sketching. Uncharacteristically, he
was noted for picking on poorer "weirdo's" in the schoolyard, only to
later reach an epiphany and embrace the non-conformity he once
despised. "By fourth grade, I realized that these kids are probably
cooler than the higher class children, more down to earth, down to the
dirt."
Raised on classic rock and lead adrift from his peers in his
preadolescence, Kurt found the world of punk in junior high, reveling
in British acts like the Sex Pistols and The Clash. In senior High
School Kurt reportedly found marijuana and would spend his time
listening to albums and playing hooky from school. Often, when he
wouldn't be attending classes, Kurt would hide in the local library.
"The library never kicked me out, though they knew I was underage." He
became your average high school slacker whose lifestyle would make
Beavis & Butthead proud. However, like most parents, Kurt's mother had
no confidence in her son's musical aspirations, and after a stormy
relationship she kicked him out of her home. He was left homeless and
adrift working odd jobs and crashing at friends' houses. He was even
known to spend nights under a local bridge, possibly the inspiration
for the Nevermind closer "Underneath the Bridge".
Kurt soon found a gig being a roadie for fellow Aberdeenian, Buzz
Osborne and his band, The Melvins. Osborne opened Kurt's eyes to many
things. Buzz took him to his first punk show, Black Flag, and
introduced him to a tall lanky bassist named Krist (then Chris)
Novoselic.
By December of 1987 the original Nirvana (then known as the "Stiff
Woodies") was born, consisting of Cobain on guitar, Novoselic on bass,
and original drummer, Aaron Burckhard. The band recorded a ten-song
demo with respected local producer, Jack Endino. Many of these songs
would end up on their first Indie-LP, Bleach, and the major label
rarities album, Incesticide.
A small floundering independent label named Sub Pop, which was the
original home to some of the early 90's biggest acts, took the band,
now officially known as Nirvana, on. For $600 the band financed it's
first LP with short-lived second axe man, Jason Everman.
At first, Bleach, with such classics as "About a Girl" and "Negative
Creep", failed to find its audience. Nevertheless, the band persevered
and soon more and more faces showed up in the audience for their gigs.
Tracks from Bleach became college radio staples and the band even
toured across Europe with the new drummer, Chad Channing opening for
Seattle pals, Tad and L7.
Soon after, Nirvana, once again found it's self without a percussion
section. After meeting a "weird" duo of Novoselic and Cobain backstage
at a Melvin's concert, David Eric Grohl signed up with the band after
his D.C. hardcore outfit, "Scream", became history.
Now the final incarnation of Nirvana was set. But as things started to
cement, the band believed it was time to move on to a new label.
Nirvana under new management company, Gold Mountain, started to search
for a major label to call home. The David Geffen Company (DGC) seemed
to suit the band's needs fine with its reps molded in the artist
friendly style from the indies. Their roster included respectable
punksters, Sonic Youth (with whom Nirvana would later tour).
The band was set to record their follow up to Bleach in sunny Los
Angeles with producer Butch Vig (now creative force for Garbage) and
mixed by respected engineer Andy Wallace. On September 24th 1991
Nevermind was released and the Seattle explosion of the early 90's was
underway.
The album was certified gold in less than nineteen days. "Smells Like
Teen Spirit" became an MTV staple and was hailed as an anthem for the
disenchanted offspring of ex-hippies. In just seven weeks the album
hit number one (and would re-strike later) displacing the King of
Soulless 80's Pop, Michael Jackson. In droves across the nation, kids
were putting down their Motley Crue and New Kids on the Block albums
for the naked baby swimming after the dollar. Things were starting to
change.
Suddenly from the smallest clubs in Maritime city a plaid-colored
tornado made a dangerous trek across the nation. The Salvation Army
became a fashion goldmine. And it all happened under the gaze of the
disheveled and unshaven smiling face of the smiling new corporate
demon, "Grunge".
Kurt had finally proven that he could break free from the roots he
hated so much. But that very success and being admired by the kind of
people he despised seemed to be tearing him apart in the inside as he
told Circus Magazine in a 1993 interview: "I was upset about finding
myself having to play in front of really rude, sexist jerks. It's all
very well saying 'Well, you signed to a major, so you should expect
that. 'But we'd seen Sonic Youth put out an album on the same label
and they'd barely got a larger audience. They were playing the same
clubs, the same smaller venues, and we thought it'd be the same for
us."
Despite his growing disillusion with his new fame, Kurt found time to
find his soul mate and he married Hole front woman Courtney Love in
Hawaii on February 24th, 1992. They later had their first and only
child, Frances Bean Cobain on August 18th 1992.
What should have been a wonderful time in his life proved to be one of
the most chaotic. He had a new wife and beautiful healthy new child,
however Kurt seemed to be having the most trouble with his fame. And
as he always did he rebelled against what he was "supposed" to do.
It was time to record some new material. Instead of recording another
radio-friendly Nevermind, the band hired Chicago dissonant punk
producer, Steve Albini. The band started the recording of In Utero
(original title, I hate myself and want to die) was recorded in
February of 1993. Nirvana recorded tracks in sometimes only one or two
tries, not even attempting to achieve the polished chorus and grandeur
of Nevermind. The result was a harsh, electric, introspective
collection of punk rock. And despite the attempts at distancing
themselves from their mainstream fan base, In Utero entered the
Billboard charts at #1 after it's release in September, 21st 1993 and
the album's first single "Heart-Shaped Box" was a radio hit.
Kurt found himself in a drug-induced depression he would never escape.
Nirvana was forced to cut short a European tour after Kurt overdosed
on prescription medication and champagne. He ended up in a coma. After
returning home, he experienced disputes with fellow band mates and his
wife, Kurt retreated to his Seattle home for two days and lost contact
with everyone. The world discovered later on April 8th, 1994 that Kurt
Cobain was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Seattle
movement was over. Grunge was dead.
- Dave Grohl bios.
By Evan Dashevsky. Transcribed by RH.
David Eric Grohl was born January 14th, 1969 in Warren Ohio to a
journalist father and English teacher mother. He was a natural
entertainer. He was a child actor in a Washington D.C. theater
repertory and he would play his first instrument, guitar in local
bands covering Beatles and Rolling Stones tunes. As a teenager he was
more prone to banging on his textbooks instead of reading them. Soon
he became a respected drummer in musician circles.
Dave first met two skinny punks from Seattle named Kurt and Krist
backstage at a Melvins show. They met through mutual friend and
Melvins lead, Buzz Osborne. Dave apparently at first found the duo a
little too weird to want to be associated with. And at the time he was
drummer for at hot D.C. hardcore outfit called "Scream". However, in
the middle of a European tour that band broke up. And when told
through Osborne that Nirvana was looking for a new drummer, and they
were impressed by Grohl, he figured "why not".
In September of 1990 Dave Grohl was in [he joined them in the spring
of 1990, actually - NFC] and he recorded two singles for Sub Pop -
"Sliver" (later a single off Incesticide).
After a historic four-year stint with Nirvana, Grohl started his own
project, The Foo Fighters. Dave originally played every instrument on
the original self-titled Foo album. Since then he recruited former
Nirvana band mate and Germs guitarist Pat Smear (who would later quit
the band in 1995 to be replaced by Franz Stahl, who also left - in mid
1999), Bassist Nate Mendel, and drummer Will Goldsmith who were in the
respected Seattle band, Sunny Day Real Estate. Since then The Foo
Fighters have released The Colour and the Shape and have had several
hit singles.
- Krist Novoselic bios
By Michael Hovsepian. Transcribed by RH.
Most people will only remember Krist Novoselic as Nirvana's tall,
goofy bass player, whose miscalculated bass toss cost him a whack in
the face live on MTV during the band's performance of Lithium. But
Krist Novoselic was and still is much more. Krist was born on May 10,
1965 in Compton, California. His Croatian parents had immigrated there
two years before his birth. Eventually the cost of living exceeded the
Novoselic family's resources and they moved to Aberdeen, Washington.
There, Novoselic immediately became an outcast who spent most of his
free time sleeping and listening to his clock radio.
In June of 1980 Krist's depression over living in Aberdeen had reached
its peak, and his parents sent him to live with relatives in Croatia.
There, Krist discovered punk music, made friends, and gained a new
perspective on life. A year later Krist moved back to his parent's
home in Aberdeen, and started taking guitar lessons (coincidentally
his teacher was also Kurt's teacher).
After tooth surgery to cure an under bite, Krist's jaws were wired
shut. He traveled to many a party with wire clippers in hand in case
he had to puke. Krist attended the same high school as Kurt Cobain,
and over the years the two could constantly meet in passing, until
Buzz Osborne, of Melvins fame, formally introduced the two. After
hearing a low quality demo that Kurt had recorded, Novoselic decided
to join forces with Cobain. Krist and Kurt played in many bands
together including The Stiff Woodies, a three piece band with front
man Krist, and drummer Kurt.
Krist was a flashy front man, but if you've ever heard his vocals in
the beginning of Nevermind's "Territorial Pissings", you'll be well
aware of why Kurt eventually took over as singer. The pair started a
Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band aptly called The Sellouts,
which also did not work out. But in December 1987 Krist, Kurt and
drummer Aaron Burckhard formed the original lineup of Nirvana. The
rest as they say is history.
After Cobain's suicide, Novoselic swore off drugs and alcohol. He
helped form JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Music Promotions Political
Actions Committee), which to date, has lead a fight against a couple
of Washington state bills (SB5466 and HB1448), which threatened to
limit sales and distribution of music that government committees
consider obscene. He has also formed a new band called Sweet 75,
headed by singer/bassist Yva Las Vegas, drummer Adam Wade (of Shudder
to Think infamy), and guitarist Krist Novoselic. Krist met Las Vegas
when the street singer was hired to perform at his birthday party in
1994. Later the pair would find out that they had attended the same
high school. Sweet 75 was named after a Theodore Roethke poem, in
which the author thanks an editor for paying him a "Sweet 75" for one
of his poems. The band's low key, self-titled debut is quite different
from Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters. Sweet 75's sound ranges from punk, and
punkabilly, to blues and traditional styles. Both Krist and Dave Grohl
refuses to speak about Kurt's death.
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