Nirvana

by Everett True

  Great chunks of narrative have been taken from my previous ‘grunge’ book, Live Through This: American Rock Music In The Nineties (Virgin, 2001). Apologies to anyone who may have bought that and realised the marked similarities. I just felt the story deserved a wider audience.

  Most of my articles quoted first appeared in Melody Maker; and also The Stranger, Uncut, NME , Hit It Or Quit It, Plan B and a handful of other publications. Some are original transcripts of tapes that have lain dormant for over a decade. I am grateful to IPC Magazines for granting me permission to quote extensively from the articles concerning Nirvana and Kurt Cobain that I wrote for Melody Maker between 1989 and 1994. And I would like to thank my commissioning editors – particularly Allan Jones – for giving me the opportunity to travel so extensively during the early Nineties.

  The following people were gracious enough to agree to be interviewed for this book: Dawn Anderson, Julianne Anderson, Mark Arm, Cheryl Arnold, Earnie Bailey, Lou Barlow, Leighton Beezer, Ruud Berends, Danny Bland, Kurt Bloch, Anton Brookes, Carrie Brownstein, James Burdyshaw, Kelly Canary, Rosemary Carroll, Chad Channing, Peter Davis, Mikey Dees, Cali DeWitt, Ian Dickson, Christof Ellinghaus, Jack Endino, Eric Erlandson, Jennifer Finch, Steve Fisk, Gillian G. Gaar, Danny Goldberg, Lori Goldston, John Goodmanson, Kim Gordon, Steve Gullick, Tom Hazelmyer, Jessica Hopper, Megan Jasper, Rich Jensen, Barrett Jones, Rob Kader, Wally Kempton, Al Larsen, Michael Lavine, Mary Lou Lord, Dave Markey, Nikki McClure, Jim Merlis, Carrie Montgomery, Craig Montgomery, Slim Moon, Thurston Moore, Rene Navarette, Joe Newton, Bruce Pavitt, Candice Pedersen, Dan Peters, Charles Peterson, Jonathan Poneman, Lee Ranaldo, Janet Billig Rich, John Robb, Debbi Shane, Ben Shepherd, Aaron Stauffer, Stephen Sweet, Corin Tucker, Steve Turner, Tobi Vail, Carlos van Hijfte, Kim Warnick, Rusty Willoughby. Thank you.

  I’d like to particularly thank Gillian G. Gaar for permission to quote at length from her numerous articles on Nirvana. Also, I wish to publicly acknowledge the support and friendship I have been offered while writing this book, particularly from Tobi, Craig, Jack, Earnie, Eric, Jessica and Cali. It’s meant a great deal to me. Thank you.

  The Dave Grohl quotes in Chapter 12 are taken from a 2005 interview conducted by Mojo journalist Stevie Chick. Used with permission.

  The Pat Smear quotes in Chapters 26 and 28 are taken from a 2002 interview conducted by Rasmus Holmen, www.nirvanaclub.com. Used with permission.

  The following people have been supportive, even if no interviews have transpired: Ryan Aigner, Nils Bernstein, Calvin Johnson, Courtney Love, Krist Novoselic, Joe Preston, John Silva, Kim Thayil, Bob Whittaker. Cheers.

  I also want to thank the following: Plan B Editor Frances May Morgan, for her incisive and thorough proofreading, without which much of this book would be crap, frankly; my main Seattle intern, Natalie Walker, for transcription way beyond the call of duty, any amount of research and quote checking and not least for providing the original version of the Aberdeen travelogue that appears in Chapter 1 – cheers; my Omnibus editor Chris Charlesworth for his patient, good-natured support; Johnny Rogan for his excellent index and comments; Emily Graham, Laura Wright and Victoria Hogg in Brighton, and Beth Capper and Melissa Bradshaw in Chicago and London, for further proofreading duties, transcription and generally kicking my ass; my other Seattle interns, William ‘Bill’ Bullock, Katie Shaw, Ari Spool and Abby Waysdorf for their enthusiasm and selfless hours spent transcribing tapes and sitting in on interviews; Alex Roberts at www.livenirvana.com for her suggestions, contact lists and never-ending stream of live Nirvana DVDs; Carol Clerk and Andrew Mueller for making me laugh; Ben Myers, Rasmus Holmen and Mike Zeigler for research; Lance Bangs; Enrico Vincenzi at www.sliver.it for his kick-ass discography; Craig and Eve for providing me with a place to stay in Seattle; my fellow workers at Plan B magazine – particularly Chris, Andrew and Frances – for bearing with me so long; my mother, Margaret Thackray, for baby-sitting her grandchild Isaac through the last few crucial months.

  Finally, I am indebted to my patient, supportive and beautiful wife Charlotte Thackray for continuing to put up with me and encourage me, even as the book dragged into its 16th overdue month. I love you. And I really do promise never to put you through this again.

  www.planbmag.com

  everett_true@hotmail.com

  INDEX

  Albums are printed in italics, singles in roman

  Abba

  About A Girl (Nirvana)

  AC/DC

  Accused, The

  Ackroyd, Dan

  Adams, Bryan

  Adamson, Jennifer

  Addams Family, The (television programme)

  Aero Zeppelin (Nirvana)

  Aerosmith

  Afghan Whigs

  Afrirampo

  Ain’t It A Shame (Nirvana)

  Albini, Steve

  Alice Bag Band

  Alice Cooper

  Alice In Chains

  All Apologies (Nirvana)

  All You Need To Know About The Music

  Business (book) (Donald Passman)

  Allman, Keith

  Almost Famous (film)

  Alone Again Or (Love)

  Altman, Robert

  Ament, Jeff

  American Pie (Don McLean)

  Amos, Tori

  Anderson, Dawn

  Anderson, Julianne

  Andy Griffith Show, The (television programme)

  Aneurysm (Nirvana)

  Angry Samoans, The

  Anthem (Bikini Kill)

  Archies, The

  Arm, Mark

  Arnold, Cheryl

  Asking For It (Hole)

  Atensio, Tom

  Attenborough, David

  Avengers, The

  Avron, Hayley

  Azerrad, Michael

  B.A.L.L.

  B-52’s, The

  Baba O’Riley (Nirvana)

  Baba O’Riley (Who)

  Babes In Toyland

  Back In Black (AC/DC)

  Back To The Future (film)

  Backbeat (film)

  Bad Brains

  Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

  Bad Moon Rising (Sonic Youth)

  Bad Religion

  Bad Seeds, The

  Badfinger

  Bagge, Peter

  Baggy Labour

  Bailey, Brenda

  Bailey, Earnie

  Baker, David

  Baker, Dr

  Bambi Slaughter (Fecal Matter)

  Bangs

  Bangs, Lester

  Barbero, Lori

  Barlow, Lou

  Barrymore, Drew

  Bastro

  Bathtub Is Real, The

  Bay City Rollers, The

  Bayer, Sam

  Beach Boys, The

  Beachcombers, The

  Beastie Boys, The

  Beat Happening

  Beatles, The

  Beautiful Son (Hole)

  Beavis And Butt-head Experience, The ( film)

  Beck

  Bee Gees, The

  Beefeater

  Been A Son (Nirvana)

  Beeswax (Nirvana)

  Beezer, Leighton

  Berends, Ruud

  Bernstein, Steven Jesse

  Bernstein, Nils

  Berry, Chuck

  Beverly Hillbillies, The (television programme)

  Beymer, Barbara

  Biafra, Jello

  Big Black

  Big Cheese (Nirvana)

  Big Long Now (Nirvana)

  Big Star

  Bikini Kill

  Bikini Twilight (Go Team)

  Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (film)

  Billig, Janet

  Billus, Kathleen

  Birthday Party, The

  Bjelland, Kat

  Bjorn Again

  Black Cat Orchestra, The

  Black Flag

  Black Sabbath

  Blade Runner (film)

  Bland, Danny

  Blandest (Nirvana)
>
  Blathers Log Dinstramental (Fecal Matter)

  Bleach (Nirvana)

  Blew (Nirvana)

  Blind Lemon Jefferson

  Blink

  Bliss

  Bloch, Kurt

  Blondie

  Blood Circus

  Blood On The Tracks (Bob Dylan)

  Blue Cheer

  Blue Up, The

  Blur

  Boddy, Jenny

  Bolan, Marc

  Bolsom, Jo

  Bonham, John

  Bono

  Borden, Lizzy

  Boredoms

  Boss Hogg

  Boston

  Bowie, David

  Bradford, Tracey

  Bratmobile

  Brautigan, Richard

  Breaking The Law (Nirvana)

  Breed (Nirvana)

  Breeders, The

  Bridges Of Madison County (film)

  Brookes, Anton

  Brown, James

  Brown, Steve

  Brown, Tina

  Brownstein, Carrie

  Buck, Peter

  Bug (Dinosaur Jr)

  Bullet Lavolta

  Bundle Of Hiss

  Burchill, Julie

  Burckhard, Aaron

  Burdyshaw, James

  Burnette, Johnny

  Burr, David

  Burroughs, William S.

  Bush

  Bush, Kate

  Butthole Surfers

  Buzz Factory (Screaming Trees)

  Buzzcocks

  Byrds, The

  Cafferty, John, And The Beaver Brown Band

  Cafritz, Julie

  Calamity Jane

  Cameron, Keith

  Cameron, Matt

  Campbell, Naomi

  Canary, Kelly

  Candy (The Fluid)

  Cannanes, The

  Captain & Tennille

  Captain America

  Captain Beefheart

  Carey, Mariah

  Carlson, Dylan

  Carlson, Shirley

  Carroll, Linda

  Carroll, Rosemary

  Cars, The

  Cash, Johnny

  Cassidy, Shaun

  Cat Butt

  Catlin, Andy

  Cave, Nick

  Celtic Frost

  Cervenka, Exene

  Change Has Come (Screaming Trees)

  Channing, Chad

  Channing, Wayne

  Chapterhouse

  Charles, Ray

  Chase, Chevy

  Cheap Trick

  Cheech And Chong

  Cheers (television programme)

  Chestnutt, Vic

  Chia Pet

  Childish, Billy

  Chilton, Alex

  Chokebore

  Chum

  Churn

  Circle Jerks

  Clapton, Eric

  Clark, Dave

  Clarke, Victoria

  Clash, The

  Class Of ’86 (Fecal Matter)

  Clerks (film)

  Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

  (film)

  Cobain, Chad (Kurt’s half-brother)

  Cobain, Don (Kurt’s father)

  Cobain, Frances Bean

  Cobain, Gary (Kurt’s uncle)

  Cobain, Iris (Kurt’s paternal

  grandmother)

  Cobain, Jim (Kurt’s uncle)

  Cobain, Kimberley (Kurt’s sister)

  Cobain, Kurt

  alcohol use/abuse

  animals, interest in

  anti-rock star sentiments/fear of selling

  out

  art and painting

  attractive qualities/cuteness

  Aunt Mari, relationship with

  bodily functions, fascination with

  cartoons, interest in

  childhood/early history

  Courtney, positive/negative

  relationship with

  cross-dressing

  daughter, taken into protective

  custody

  death/suicide

  depressive personality

  diet

  dress/hair colour/visual image

  drug use/abuse

  education

  fame, disillusionment with

  feminist sympathies

  feuds

  funeral

  gay ambience

  graffiti/vandalism

  guitar playing

  guns, interest in/use of

  hyperactivity

  indie bands/music interest, affiliations

  with

  intensity

  introversion/withdrawal/sullenness

  journals

  Krist, first meeting

  Krist, relationship with

  last days

  lyrics

  marriage

  Mary Lou Lord, relationship with

  musical interests/influences

  myth-making, love of fabrication

  name change from Kurdt

  narcolepsy/love of sleep

  non-musical employment

  on-stage charisma

  overdoses

  parents/siblings, relationship with

  police, in trouble with

  poor driving skills

  pre-Nirvana bands

  publishing renegotiation

  religious flirtations

  rock star fantasies

  sexual adventures

  shyness/introversion

  sickness/vomiting/stomach problemsailments/illness

  slovenliness

  songwriting

  suicidal fantasies

  Tobi Vail, relationship with

  Tracy Marander, relationship with

  vocal technique

  wheelchair episode at Reading with author

  Cobain, Leland (Kurt’s paternal

  grandfather)

  Cobain, Wendy (see Wendy

  O’Connor)

  COC

  Coffin Break

  Cohen, Leonard

  Cold Turkey (John Lennon/Plastic Ono

  Band)

  Coldplay

  Collins, Britt

  Collins, Phil

  Coltrane, John

  Come As You Are (Nirvana)

  Come

  Come On Down (Green River)

  Concretes, The

  Confusion Is Sex (Sonic Youth)

  Cool Rays, The

  Cope, Julian

  Corbijn, Anton

  Corgan, Billy

  Cornell, Chris

  Corporate Death Burger (MDC)

  Corrosion Of Conformity

  Cosloy, Gerard

  Cosmic Psychos

  Costello, Elvis

  Count Five, The

  County, Jayne

  Courtney Love (band)

  Covey, Dwight

  Cows

  Cox, Alex

  Coxon, Graham

  Crackerbash

  Cramps, The

  Crash, Darby

  Creager, Melora

  Cream

  Creation, The

  Creedence Clearwater Revival

  Cross, The

  Crover, Dale

  Crowe, Cameron

  Crumb, Robert

  Crunt

  Crypt Kicker Five

  Cunningham, Ritchie

  Curmudgeon (Nirvana)

  Cypress Hill

  D-7 (Nirvana)

  D-7 (Wipers)

  da Vinci, Leonardo

  DainBramage

  Damaged (Black Flag)

  Damaged II (Black Flag)

  Damned, The

  Dando, Evan, xi

  Danger Mouse

  Danielson, Kurt

  Danson, Ted

  Darcy, Dame

  Darkside

  Das Damen

  Daydream Nation (Sonic Youth)

  de Silva, Ana

  De Witt, Michael ’Cali’

  Dead Boys, The

  Dead Kennedys, The

  Deal, Kelley

  Deal, Kimr />
  Dean, James

  Deanna (Nick Cave)

  Death Valley 69 (Sonic Youth/Lydia

  Lunch)

  Decline Of Western Civilization (film

  documentary)

  Deep Purple

  Deep Six (compilation)

  Dees, Mikey

  Def Leppard

  Delia, Tiny

  Delisse, Nathalie

  Dent, Gary

  Derelicts, The

  Destruction

  Devo

  Dexys Midnight Runners

  Diamond Dave (Kurt Cobain)

  Diamond, Neil

  Dick, Philip K.

  Dickless

  Dicknail (Hole)

  Dickson, Ian

  Die Kreuzen

  Dillard, Bonnie

  Dillard, Mike

  Dilly, Shelli (see ShelliNovoselic)

  Dinosaur (Dinosaur Jr)

  Dinosaur Jr

  Dirty (Sonic Youth)

  Dischord

  Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy

  Dive (Nirvana)

  Dixon, Don

  Do Nuts (Inkspots)

  Do Nuts (The Legend!)

  Do You Love Me? (Nirvana)

  Do, Re, Mi (Nirvana)

  DOA

  Dokken

  Doll Parts (Hole)

  Doll Squad

  Donna Parker Pop (Go Team)

  Doors, The

  Doris

  Down On The Street (Nirvana)

  Down On The Street (Stooges)

  Downer (Fecal Matter)

  Downer (Nirvana)

  Doyle, Tad

  Drain You (Nirvana)

  Dream On (Aerosmith)

  Dream On (Nirvana)

  Dresch, Donna

  DRI

  Dry (P.J. Harvey)

  Dry As A Bone (EP) (Green River)

  Dumb (Nirvana)

  Dumbhead

  Duncan, Big John

  Duran Duran

  Dwarves

  Dylan, Bob

  Earl, Mari (Kurt’s aunt)

  Earth

  Easy Rider (film)

  Echo & The Bunnymen

  Eckman, Grant

  Eddie And The Hot Rods

  Eight Miles High (Byrds)

  Eight Miles High (HüskerDü)

  Eight Songs For Greg Sage And The Wipers

  (tribute album)

  Eight Way Santa (Tad)

  Eighties (Killing Joke)

  Elastica

  Elden, Spencer

  Eleven: Eleven (Come)

  Eleventh Dream Day

  Ellinghaus, Christof

  Embarrassment, The

  Embrace

  Emery, Jill

  Eminem

  Endino, Jack

  Endless, Nameless (Nirvana)

  Eno, Brian

  Erlandson, Eric

  Estefan, Gloria

  Even Flow (Pearl Jam)

  Even In His Youth (Nirvana)

  Everman, Jason

  Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

  (Mudhoney)

  Evol (Sonic Youth)

  Evolution ( Journey)

  Exploited, The

  Extra-Capsular Extraction (EP) (Earth)

  Extreme

  Eye, Yamatsuka

  Fair, Jad

  Fair Timony, Simon

  Faith No More

  Fall, The

  Faludi, Susan