LIVE NIRVANA INTERVIEW ARCHIVE October 25, 1990 - Leeds, UK
Personnel
- Interviewer(s)
- Joe
- Interviewee(s)
- Kurt Cobain
- Krist Novoselic
Sources
| Publisher | Title | Transcript |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep #2 | Nirvana | Yes |
Transcript
With SUB-POP now well established it seems that it's bands can only go from strength to strength. But with MUDHONEY's rumoured burn out, the next band to bear the banner for U.S. swamp rock would appear to be NIRVANA, a bunch of lumberjacks' sons from near Seattle. In 1989 they showed us who they were through the sub pop TAD/NIRVANA showcase and their L.P. 'BLEACH'. 1990 saw them return bigger and better, the drummer was taller and singer/guitarist Kurdt was wearing felt tip pen drawn around his eyes!!!
I found out more with Kurdt and Chris Novoselic the bassist after their excellent Leeds Polytechnic gig. So what influenced NIRVANA's sound?
Kurdt: "THE WIPERS… They're the most innovative punk rock band that started the 'Seattle sound' like 15 years too early. We learnt everything from 'THE WIPERS'. They were playing a mixture of punk and hard rock at a time when nobody cared."
The Sub Pop/Seattle scene appears to be a close knit community. Do TAD and Mark Arm (MUDHONEY) go chopping trees together?
Kurdt: "Yeah. It's a small enough city so everyone really knows each other. It's pretty incestuous."
Recently NIRVANA have seemed to be going through drummers at a rate of one a month. With rumours of J. Mascis trying out, gigs with Dale of THE MELVINS and Dan Peters of MUDHONEY - who's the new guy?
Kurdt: "Finally we found the perfect drummer. If he leaves we quit. It's as simple as that. The drummer dilemma is officially over, period."
Now that's sorted, it seems that NIRVANA are going to follow the excellence of 'BLEACH' with a new album hopefully as you read this.
Chris: "We're looking for some kinda cool deal. It's not gonna be on Sub Pop."
Kurdt: "Unless they offer us enough. money!"
It seems NIRVANA are somewhat disillusioned with the U.S. market. Despite constant touring they are still only about as popular there, as they were here last year!
Kurdt: "We haven't been promoted with our 'shit' - there are no papers like over here. We went on two seven week tours and got two interviews, We toured with SONIC YOUTH… it was great the best exposure we've had. We got to play in front of a lot of people. They're fantastic - an all round great band."
Suddenly out of the blue Phil pops the inevitable Manc question. (Yawn! - Editors)
Kurdt: "The Manchester thing? I've been exposed to it enough to know that I don't like it or at least it's not that I don't like it. I just don't care!"
Chris: "The stuff I've heard sounds like easy listening, like 'Air Supply' or 'Barry
Manilow'!"
Kurdt: (Sarcastically) "With the contemporary retro - pop sensibility"
Chris: "There's like really no edge to it. It's all like dreamy, creamy, steamy…" (?!?)
Chris proceeds to sing his interpretation the 'creamy' Manchester sound.
Kurdt: "Y'know actually, the stuff we like could be considered Manilow-esque in a way too. I like 'THE VASELINES', 'BEAT HAPPENING', stuff like that."
Chris: "I'll go home and I'll start washing dishes. I'll put on an 'AEROSMITH' record man! Rock
y'know!"
So what about the American music scene?
Kurdt: "I got a Johnny Cash record collection."
Chris: "American music scene? I'll tell you this, we just live in our city and stuff. We plant carrots; drive around in our microbus… We're gonna open a sponge farm…"
So NIRVANA have definitely adjusted to the roll 'n' roll lifestyle.
Kurdt: "I raise turtles for meat or pets. I've got about 3,000"
We went on to talk about fireworks up bottoms, stagediving and t-shirts. Kurdt admitted to loving 'THE PIXIES' and asked if 'SPACEMEN 3' were still together…
Kurdt: "Everything I like is either old or the bands have broken up or the artists are in mental institutions… I like Daniel Johnston a lot… I dunno, I guess music just sucks in general, man!"