LIVE NIRVANA INTERVIEW ARCHIVE November 22, 1989 - Vienna, AT

Personnel

Interviewer(s)

Christian Schachinger

Peter Rehberg

Fritz Plöckinger

Interviewee(s)

Kurt Cobain

Krist Novoselic

Chad Channing

Sources

Medium	Publisher	Date of Issue	Title	Transcript
Print	Der Gürtel	??/??/????	NIRVANA: Fuck Alpha Rays! Fuck Beta Rays! Get Those Gamma Fuckin' Rays!	Yes

Transcript

NIRVANA (Kurdt Kobain - vocals/guitar, Chris Novoselic - bass and Chad Channing - drums) are possibly one of the most interesting bands on SubPop, with the LP Bleach and the 12" Blew being sublime slabs of sonic guitar goo. A mere seconds after they blasted the masses into oblivion (if TAD hadn't already done so) the GUERTEL mob (Rehberg, Schachinger and Ploeckinger) did some kind of questioning…

The name Nirvana has been used before…

Kurdt: It's been used by one hippy band, two glam rock heavy metal bands and…

Chris: A disco band.

So why did you use it?

Kurdt: We didn't realise they used it. It was just an appropriate name. It doesn't matter. We believe in the philosophy, not as far as the Buddhism thing, but as far as the freedom and getting away from pain and suffering.

Chris: It's created from distraction. Do not be distracted. Go on brother, live the life.

It has nothing to do with the Dan Martin cartoon then?

Chris: Yeah, we love Dan Martin.

He did a cartoon where there's a head with a printing machine inside and this guy drills a hole and reaches the printing machine saying "I've reached Nirvana!"….

Chris: Sure… If you wanna drill a hole in your head, more power to you.

Everyone says the LP s not as good as the live stuff…

Chad: That's the way it's supposed to be.

Kurdt: If you like the record and then go to the show at least you won't be disappointed. It's hard to reproduce a live sound on record. We don't look forward to going into the studio. It's really hard to get up some energy. We could record a live record in front of a lame audience, and it'll probably sound just like the studio record.

Chris: If you don't like the record FUCK YOU! Next question.

Your former guitarist left to join Soundgarden as a bass player…

Chris: Yeah, good luck to him, we're happy. Great. Next question.

Why is the LP called Bleach?

Chris: If you want to get that r'n'r look you can pour bleach all over your jeans, next question.

Why do you play barefoot?

Chris: Because my feet sweat. I have a terrible foot fetish. Next question.

Fucking girls……

Chris: Love is great. Sex is great. What are you gonna do? …Fuck a guy? That's all you have to say. Next question.

You're acting like Sting now….

Chris: Yeah, last week I saw him in a movie and he came on wearing a plastic jock strap… But we're talking about fucking again.

Kurdt: What does Sting fuck?

Chad: Bees.

Chris: Next question.

Two days ago, in Linz the show was bad, what happened?

Chris: You didn't like it? Who asked you?

Chad: That was a great show.

Chris: Everyone has an asshole, everyone has an opinion. Next question.

How do you write your songs?

Chris: When we write songs we like to play straightforward r'n'r, but it's not straightforward, it's not like these monster riffs or anything. Each song has a different feel to it. There's lots of bands that are just driving, driving, driving and that's cool. But we like to put some style into each song. Each song has its own identity, that's what makes a record good. Next question.

What bands are you into now?

Chris: I don't go out and buy all the underground records, I don't go to shows, I don't read magazines.

What do you do now then?

Chris: Well… I watch TV, smoke weed, bang the dents out of my Volkswagen. I walk down to the Yakma Tavern and buy single cigarettes.

Kurdt: I stick light bulbs up my ass.

Chris: Next question.

What do you think of Jack Endino?

Chris: He knows how to dial knobs.

Chad: You can shake his hand really well.

Chris: I really like Skin Yard. Their record Hallowed Ground is great. The first one was too heavy, like King Crimson, but Hallowed Ground is more rocky. Next question.

What are your influences?

Chad: Divorce. All our parents are divorced….

No musical influences……

Chad: Musical? Nah.

Chris: Any kind of good music. Black Sabbath are good. Beatles are good. It doesn't have to be way out rock. We try not to limit ourselves. When I go to a record store it's really diverse. It could be folk, it could be rockabilly. Hank Williams is good. Johnny Cash is good. Scratch Acid is good.

Chad: Sometimes it's fun to take some chances.

Chris: Next question.

Tell us about SubPop then…….

Chris: Well we record, we send them the tape, they send it off and get it pressed and then they distribute it. Next question.

Can you give us an insight?

Chris: We could all have oblique DNA patterns in our minds. It's all a far out illusion and radiation therapy. If you live near to a nuclear reactor or a missile site you really pick up on the righteous vibes. I try to keep a Geiger counter handy, when that counter is freaking out, I find the zero radiation ground and I soak it all up man. Then when I turn off the lights, I'm fucking glowing like a light bulb, man. It's awesome.

You seem a little obsessed with radiation…

Chris: Radiation is good. Fuck alpha rays, fuck beta rays, you gotta get those gamma fucking rays just charging through you. When your teeth and hair fall out, you're part of evolution.

Chad: That's the best way.

Chris: You gotta speed it up. We're gonna be morlocks, if you've ever seen a time traveller. Next question.

Do you think all this radiation is the reason for SubPop being so big?

All: Yeah.

Chris: You know what it is? …Car radiators. Because we don't have much alcohol where we live, so we drink anti-freeze. Especially if you've got five or six thousand miles on your car, it gets really ripe. You drink that and you go…. WAAAOOOOOH!!!! and up into the stratosphere and you circle the planet like a sputnik satellite, brother. Next question.

That's it…

Chris: What?! Have you guys ever heard of David Frost? He interviewed Richard Nixon in a bubble car. If you ever get that far I'll buy you a bottle of wine and a cigar. Ask a serious question.

Give us a serious answer….

Chris: What do you think I've been doing?

It was a serious question when we asked you why you play barefoot, you had your chance….

Chris: Huh? … Whaddya want? One time I was at the doctors being psychoanalysed about my childhood. About my penis being burned. I had evil babysitters that did shit love on me. Then this barefoot question came along. I was uptight from this sexual molestation when I was 4 years old. The doctor said "Chris, all you gotta do is take your shoes off and wiggle your toes, walk down the street." Hey, brother I'm barefoot, you're wearing shoes. Nirvana man take your shoes off. You're free. You don't have to wear Converse High Tops or boots. We are all brothers. We were brought into this world barefoot. It was sooooo heavy. All my troubles, ha….

Do you know how big our magazine is? We have a limited amount of space…..

Chris: Fuck it! Let's smoke some hash.

© Christian Schachinger, 1989