Nirvana unplugged full#
Nirvana unplugged series#

Rather than provide morbid theories and think of death, one should embrace the beauty and power of a generation-defining set. Kurt Cobain died on 5th April, 1994, and many look back to that Nirvana gig the year before to look for clues to see whether there were hints at what was to happen. Perhaps Come as You Are is their best-known song from the set: there was no Smells Like Teen Spirit or Breed, for instance.

Nirvana unplugged series#

They performed the set in a single take – moist acts on the series didn’t – and didn’t really play many hits. I think Nirvana’s 1993 gig will inspire artists for decades to come. Although Nirvana were playing for MTV Unplugged, Cobain put his acoustic through an amp to give it more kick and electricity. With guitarist Pat Smear and cellist Lori Goldston alongside Kurt Cobain and band members Dave Grohl (in a reduced percussive role) and Krist Novoselic on bass, Nirvana delivered a masterpiece. Instead, there is this romance and calming vibe that, in my view, helped ease Cobain’s nerves. I think any speculation that this was intended to be a farewell seems rash. The funeral tone of the stage, to some, is a forebearer to Cobain’s suicide in 1994. Again, here was this huge Grunge band going against expectation and doing things their own way. Nirvana decked out their stage with lilies, black candles and chandeliers. If there was this ordinary set that was quite drab…maybe the performance would not hit the senses quite as hard. The fact the cardigan Cobain wore during the set sold for a whopping sum at auction proves how iconic that performance was. It is a testament to his focus and talent that Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged remains one of the most sensational and fascinating live performances ever. I can imagine how anxious Cobain would have been before Nirvana stepped on the stage before the gig – if he suffered stage fright or got a song wrong, that would have been recorded and would live forever. With cameras on him and the volume turned down, this was a very different prospect. Nirvana’s usual gigs would have a lot of energy and, in that mode, Cobain could be buried in sound he was lost in the sheer rush and headiness of the gig. One can only imagine whether Nirvana’s performance would have been as memorable if they had neglected David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World and Lead Belly’s Where Did You Sleep Last Night? Kurt Cobain was nervous about playing an acoustic show because it would put him more to the fore. Instead, Nirvana wanted to mix things up and give a performance that had some covers in. For a Grunge band like Nirvana, perhaps you would have expected them to play a lot of Nevermind songs and a few from In Utero – maybe one or two from their debut, Bleach. The band did not want to repeat what most people did for an MTV Unplugged show: give us the hits and the big numbers, only replacing electronic guitars for acoustic. Quite a while before the day of recording, the band had been negotiating with MTV. Filmed at the Sony Music Studios in New York City, this Beth McCarthy-directed performance did not have the smoothest of starts. I am revisiting this landmark gig, because the album of the performance is twenty-five today (1st November). Nirvana released their final studio album, In Utero, in September 1993, so it was an unusual step to transition from their heaviest and rawest album to perform for MTV the way they did. I guess Nirvana had performed some acoustic sets before – though I cannot verify that -, but few bands like them were playing MTV Unplugged. For a band who built their name with these raw anthems…to captivate in such a way back in 1993 was hugely impressive.

Nirvana unplugged full#

Whilst some prefer their live sets to be bombastic, energised and full of spectacle, the sheer beauty and emotion of Nirvana’s stripped-back set will survive the test of time.

Nirvana took to the MTV stage and delivered what is, I think, one of the best live performances ever.