Kurt Cobain Page 4

Frances Bean Cobain has paid a touching tribute to her late father Kurt, on what would have been his 50th birthday.

The Nirvana frontman died in April 1994, with his death later being ruled as suicide from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head, he was 27-years-old. Frances was just 20-months-old when her father died and is his only child with wife Courtney Love. 

Frances Bean Cobain is remembering her father on what would have been his 50th birthday

Continue reading: Frances Bean Cobain Pays Tribute To Father Kurt On His 50th Birthday

Marc Jacobs has unveiled his latest fashion muse, 24-year-old Frances Bean Cobain.

Frances is the daughter of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, who has also worked with the designer, starring in an advert for his Fall 2016 collection.

Continue reading: Meet Marc Jacobs' New Muse: Frances Bean Cobain

The naked swimming baby from the cover of Nirvana’s classic Nevermind album has recreated the cover’s iconic image, all grown-up. Spencer Elden was just a few months old when he shot the photo for the album’s cover and now he’s celebrating 25 years since its release.

The baby featured on Nirvana's "Nevermind" album cover recreated the iconic shot 25 years later https://t.co/B51fPwbCfU pic.twitter.com/y9vL6QEhJx

— New York Post (@nypost) September 25, 2016

Continue reading: 'Nevermind' Baby Recreates Iconic Nirvana Cover 25 Years Later

GWAR frontman Dave Brockie died of a heroin overdose Other celebs who have passed away from the drug It was recently announced that frontman of theatrical horror-rock band GWAR has died of a heroin overdose, just another victim of a substance that each year lays waste to thousands upon thousands of tortured souls across the world. In the celebrity sphere, and music world especially, heroin is an all-too common cause of death that has taken the lives of many of the world’s iconic figures.

GWAR frontman Dave Brockie died of a heroin overdose earlier this year

It is also synonymous with certain movements and genres. It’s usage in the grunge era was ubiquitous much the same as it was amongst the likes of Led Zeppelin and the monsters of rock that flourished in yesteryear. To some, heroin is viewed with romanticism that has inspired countless songs, from The La’s “There She Goes” to Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” As such, it’s often viewed as a glamorous addition to one’s lifestyle, especially those with a fondness for the ‘gonzo’ literary works of Hunter S. Thompson and William Burroughs. But first and foremost, despite its allusions as a pathway towards creative bliss, it is a killer that ensnares the victim in a routine of cop and fix that can so easily lead to degradation and eventual death.

Continue reading: GWAR's Dave Brockie And Entertainment's Dangerous Relationship With Heroin

You’d think that twenty years on, the surprises and shocking twists around Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love’s relationships would be all but over. Not so, however. Last week, CBS reported on a note, found in Cobain’s pocket after his death, which seemed to reference his relationship with Love. The note apperared to be written by Cobain about his turbulent relationship with Love, but now, a biographer of the Nirvana frontman has said that the note was, in fact, written by Love herself.

Apparently the note found in Cobain's pocket was not written by him.

The note, initially said to be written by Cobain reads: "'Do you Kurt Cobain take Courtney Michelle Love to be your lawful shredded wife. Even when she’s a bitch with zits and siphoning all your money for doping and whoring.'"

Continue reading: Kurt Cobain's Angsty Note About Courtney Love Reportedly Written By Love Herself

A note, discovered in Kurt Cobain’s wallet after his death, mocks the wedding vows he shared with Courtney Love. According to CBS, which has recently obtained the note, taken from Cobain's wallet when police arrived at his home on April 8, 1994, after Cobain fatally shot himself, the message has never been made public before. The network has not published the note in full as of yet, but reports that it was written as a mock wedding vow.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Cobain's suicide.

It is undated and written on stationary from the Phoenix hotel in San Francisco. Apparently it refers to Love as Cobain’s “lawful shredded wife” vwho would be "siphoning" his money for drugs.At one point he also reportedly calls her “a ***** with zits".

Continue reading: 20 Years On, Kurt Cobain Still Has Something To Say About Courtney Love

Today's the day! A new year's worth of rock royalty will tonight be ushered into the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Nirvana, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, Hall And Oates, the E Street Band, Andrew Loog Oldham and Brian Epstein are hours away from becoming the newest members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Former Nirvana Rockers Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic Will Be Performing At Tonight's Ceremony.

Stevens, now called Yusuf Islam, is going to perform alongside the E Street Band, who are being inducted b Bruce Springsteen, as well as Gabriel. Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Nicks and Bonnie Raitt will reportedly be singing a tribute to Ronstadt. SPIN is reporting that Joan Jett will sing the Nirvana tunes, which has ignited rock fan's imagination more than any other rumour.

Continue reading: 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame' Tonight: Joan Jett To Step In For Kurt Cobain?

Journalist Richard Lee, a Kurt Cobain death conspiracy theorist, has opened a lawsuit against the Seattle police. Lee alleges recently published photographs taken at the scene of Cobain's death should have been made public before now.

The anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death has prompted a investigation into the case.

Lee believes Cobain was murdered although the general belief is that he committed suicide. There were numerous incidents throughout 1994 which suggested he was suicidal and he was hospitalised on more than one occasion. Lee's foundation for his belief in Cobain's murder rests on the Nirvana frontman's use of a shotgun and the three days between his death and the discovery of the body. 

Continue reading: Kurt Cobain Death Conspiracy Theorist, Richard Lee, Files Lawsuit Against Seattle Police

The police department of Seattle is facing a lawsuit after releasing previously unseen photos from the scene of Kurt Cobain's suicide. The 18 photos largely show the late Nirvana rocker's belongings that surrounded him as he was found dead but more recent images have shown parts of Cobain's actual body. Self-styles investigative journalist Richard Lee is suing the police for not having released the previously undeveloped photos sooner.

A Man, Who Believes Kurt Cobain Was Murdered, Is Suing The Seattle Police Department.

Lee, who has run for Seattle mayor several times, has resolutely stood by his belief that Cobain's death was not a suicide and once hosted a public access television show called Kurt Cobain Was Murdered. Lee will be representing himself in the suit and is suing Seattle police for not releasing the Cobain death scene photos shortly after the Nirvana frontman's actual death, on April 5, 1994, according to the Seattle Pi.

Continue reading: Kurt Cobain Murder Conspiracist Sues Seattle Police Over Suicide Scene Photos

There could be a Kurt Cobain musical in the works. Well, that's if you believe what the late Nirvana frontman's widow Courtney Love is currently suggesting. Having dismissed the prospect of such a project for years, the Hole singer has now said that it is "very likely" that Nirvana's songs will be heard on Broadway.

Courtney Love Has Said That A Kurt Cobain Musical Is "Very Likely" To Happen.

In a recent interview with NME, Love said that she and daughter Frances Bean Cobaindecided to move ahead with a stage musical so long as they can "reach up to the highest shelf and select a team of the greatest and most respected writers, producers and directors." They apparently changed their mind after "tons of Nirvana fanmail" and persuasive support for the idea on social media.

Continue reading: Kurt Cobain Musical In The Works? Courtney Love And Frances Bean Cobain Have Broadway Plans

Dramatic unseen photos from the scene of Kurt Cobain's death have been released, depicting not only the late Nirvana frontman's suicide note but also his drugs paraphernalia. Photos from the scene began to be released last by Seattle police and feature of the scene of Cobain's death on April 5, 1994, featuring what appears to be drug paraphernalia, as well as pair of sunglasses, a pack of cigarettes, a towel and a wallet, via MTV News.

2014 Is A Momentous Year For Remembering Seattle Rockers, Nirvana.

On Friday (March 28), several more images have surfaced, including photos of Cobain's suicide note, which was found in a planter in the greenhouse impaled by a pen. The photos' release comes as the 20th anniversary of Cobain's death nears as well as 25 years since the release of the grunge rockers' debut album, Bleach. To mark a quarter of a century since the record's release, the band will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.

Continue reading: New Kurt Cobain Suicide Note And Death Scene Images Released As Hall Of Fame Induction Approaches

The morbid fascination with celebrity deaths seems never ending. This week it’s Kurt Cobain’s turn under the spotlight – one more time – as rumors that Seattle police are reopening the Nirvana frontman’s murder case started circulating online on Thursday. They’re not, for all you conspiracy theorists out there. They most definitely aren’t, as the Washington Post reports, but read on to find out how the whole thing started.

Two decades later, Cobain's death still holds a morbid fascination for some people.

It was a report from a local news channel in Seattle, KIRO 7 that first sparked the rumors. The news channel aired a report claiming that Seattle police were “reexamining the case.”

Continue reading: Two Decades Later, Seattle Police Are (Not) Re-Opening The Kurt Cobain Case

Three weeks ago journalist Jamie Dunkie launched a campaign to raise money for the purchase of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s childhood home, in order to turn it into a museum. So far, however, the campaign has only managed to raise around $130 dollars. This comes during a wave of new tributes to the singer in the 20th year after his death. Aberdeen mayor Bill Simpson has recently said he hopes that Cobain’s hometown will be ‘just as big as Graceland eventually.’ But is a Cobain museum really likely and above all, necessary?

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died 20 years ago

It’s been 20 years since Kurt Cobain, the frontman of grunge icons Nirvana passed away and unsurprisingly this year has marked a wave of new tributes to the prolific singer. On February 20th, Aberdeen, Washington, where Cobain was born, held its first ‘Kurt Cobain Day’, where a statue of the singer was unveiled. The rather underwhelming event along with the statue, which features Cobain depicted shedding a single tear ,was part of a campaign spearheaded by the city’s mayor to make up for lost time in honouring the grunge pioneer. It also prompted the city of Hoquiam, also in Washington, where Cobain briefly lived, to announce their own ‘Kurt Cobain’ day which is scheduled for April 10th, five days after the 20th anniversary of his death. On that day, April 10th, Cobain is set to receive an greater honour when Nirvana finally get inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’.

Continue reading: Could The Kurt Cobain Museum Really Happen?

A group of Nirvana supporters led by the journalist Jaime Dunkle have launched a campaign to turn frontman Kurt Cobain's childhood home in Washington into a museum. The fans hope to raise $700,000 to purchase and convert the bungalow, which was recently listed for sale. However, after almost three weeks the crowd-funding campaign has attracted only $135 in donations. 

Kurt Cobain with Nirvana

"[I'm] confident it's only a matter of time before people start donating," Dunkle told the Palm Beach New Times, explaining that donators will be eligible for prizes including museum memberships, t-shirts and "a pair of tickets to the sold-out Die Antwoord show in Portland".

Continue reading: Campaign To Turn Kurt Cobain's House Into Museum Raises $135

News that Kurt Cobain’s former roommate is flogging the deceased Nirvana frontman’s belongings on the internet has temporarily brought Kurt’s name back from the dead. Cobain committed suicide in 1994, but enthusiasm for the singer’s music has never waned, while Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Kurt was just 27 when he commited suicide

Kurt was the quintessential grunge rocker, sadly he struggled with depression and heroin addiction and was found dead at his Lake Washington home on April 8, 1994, with an apparent gun shot wound to the head. Cobain left a suicide note in which he famously claimed ‘It’s better to burn out that to fade away’, lyrics taken from Neil Young’s 1979 song Hey Hey, My My. Cobain was just 27 when he died, joining the infamous ’27 Club’, a group of musicians who have all died at the age of 27. Other members of this sad group include Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and Jim Morrison.

Continue reading: As Roommate Sells His Possessions, We Remember Kurt Cobain, Nirvana Frontman

The first annual Kurt Cobain Day has been celebrated by residents of the Washington town, Aberdeen, where the late Nirvana frontman was born and lived for much of his life. It has been nearly 20 years since the singer and guitarist took his own life due to heroin addiction and depression but residents of the town now feel that the time is right to mark Cobain's birthday every year.

Kurt Cobain Day Will Become An Annual Event To Mark The Birthday Of The Nirvana Frontman.

"Aberdeen residents may justifiably take pride in the role our community played in the life of Kurt Cobain," said mayor Bill Simpson recently, as he officially confirmed the celebration, adding, "the international recognition our community has gained from its connections with Kurt Cobain and his artistic achievements," via The Independent.

Continue reading: Kurt Cobain Day Celebrated By Aberdeen, WA To Honor Nirvana Frontman's Birthday

Love was facing a $8million charge in the case

It's been almost four years, but Courtney Love has finally seen the end of what has been dubbed the 'twibel' court case. The rock chick was found not guilty in the first ever Twitter libel case, after San Diego attorney Rhonda Holmes filed a $8 million lawsuit against the Hole singer after she claimed Holmes was “bought off” in a tweet from June 2010.

Love had appeared in court to give her defence on Wednesday, 22 January, when she claimed to be a “computer retard” at the time of the tweet, stating that she was unsure of how to send direct messages through Twitter, which resulted in her hitting out against her former lawyer in plain view of her many Twitter followers. At the end of an 8-day trial, the Hole singer was not present on Friday's (24 Jan.) verdict reading, but judging by her elated tweets she was more than happy with how the case went.

Continue reading: Courtney Love Emerges Victorious Following 'Twibel' Court Case

The jury has sided with Courtney Love in the defamation case brought up against her by a former lawyer. The lawsuit centered around a tweet by Love implying that the lawyer had been “bought off” for not pursuing a lawsuit over her late husband's estate. The whole trial spanned eight days and after three hours of deliberation on Friday, according to USA Today. The specific tweet that the case was centered around was posted by Love in 2010 and suggested that San Diego attorney Rhonda Holmes had been "bought off" and that was why she wasn't representing the singer anymore.

Love was accused of defamation against her former lawyer in the Cobain lawsuit.

Holmes originally represented the Hole vocalist in a lawsuit against the estate of her late husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. During the trial that ended on Friday, Holmes claimed that she had been fired by Love and that the tweets issued by her former client had caused significant damage to her reputation. Love's tweet stated, "I was (expletive) devastated when Rhonda J Holmes Esq of san diego was bought off" in response to a question from user of the popular social media site.

Continue reading: First High-Profile "Twibel" Case Of Defamation Ends In Favor Of Courtney Love

Courtney Love has won a landmark case involving her Twitter use. Love's trial is the first 'Twibel' case in the US to reach trial.

The Hole singer was in court over allegations by her former lawyer of using Twitter to libel. The singer allegedly used Twitter to discredit her lawyer. She was then sued for libel in an act which has since been dubbed 'Twibel'.

Tweeting in 2010, Love allegedly implied her then lawyer Rhonda Holmes had taken a bribe so she and her representative would back out of a legal battle with Kurt Cobain's managers. The legal battle concerned Love's late husband, Nirvana frontman Cobain's estate, which his managers and Love were disputing. Love was married to Cobain from 1992 until his death two years later and she is the mother of his only child Frances Bean Cobain. According to reports in the New York Daily News, Love had hired Holmes in 2008 in order to see which parts of Cobain's estate were being milked by various individuals in charge of it. Following prolonged legal action, a large proportion of Cobain's estate is controlled by Frances. 

Continue reading: Courtney Love Wins Landmark 'Twibel' Court Case

The town Hoquiam in North-West America's Washington State is planning on celebrating its modest link to grunge rockers Nirvana by instating a 'Nirvana Day.' Though the small town (pop. 10,000) is four miles away from Aberdeen where Cobain spent much of his childhood and teens, the late former frontman apparently lived in Hoquiam briefly.

Nirvana Will Be Honored By A Town Kurt Cobain Lived In Once.

It is not known whether Hoquiam's Nirvana Day will be an annual celebration but a date has been set for the 10th April 2014 to coincide with the band's ascension into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and honor its most famous former resident's achievements.

Continue reading: Why Is Hoquiam, WA Planning 'Nirvana Day' Celebrations?

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its annual list of nominees on Wednesday (October 16, 2013),with grunge legends Nirvana the most notable of the 16 potential candidates. Almost 20 years after frontman Kurt Cobain's death, the Seattle rockers will almost certainly take their place alongside Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley in the hallowed halls of the famous museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Kurt Cobain with Nirvana 

Others considered for entry this year include Peter Gabriel - surely deserving of the honor - Hall and Oates, Yes, The Zombies and the iconic rockers The Replacements. Those who face the ignominious title of being rejected by the Hall of Fame on more than one occasion include Kiss, LL Cool J, NWA, Deep Purple, The Meters, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic and poor old Cat Stevens. 

Continue reading: #VoteNirvana: Getting Kurt Cobain's Men Into 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame'

In the same month that fans of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana are marking the 20th anniversary of the band's final album In Utero, the rock star's mother, Wendy O'Connor, is putting his childhood home up for sale.

Krist Novoselic [L], Kurt Cobain [Center] and Dave Grohl [R], i.e, Nirvana

For $500,000, you could be the lucky owner of a tired looking 1.5 storey bungalow two hours southwest of Seattle. It does come equipped with Cobain's original mattress. 

Continue reading: Got $500,000? Want To Buy Kurt Cobain's Dingy Childhood Home?

Nirvana fans across the globe have banded together in celebration this month to celebrate two decades of the grunge rock group's final album, In Utero, which was released on the 13rd September 1993. To commemorate the occasion, the surviving band members have released In Utero: 20th Anniversary Edition, a reissue of their highly influential 1993 release.

Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic Remained Close After Nirvana.

The LP reissue comprises of a three-CD album, a 89-track set that includes a DVD, a 56-page book and a poster. The DVD consists of long-awaited live footage from Nirvana's 13th December 1993 Seattle "Live and Loud" show and will be available to purchase on its own.

Continue reading: Free Tattoos & New Song To Celebrate Nirvana’s 'In Utero' 20th Anniversary [Listen]

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of 1993 album, In Utero, Nirvana will release their original album remastered featuring more than 70 remixed, rare, live and unreleased recorded tracks, reports Spin. The so-called "Super-Deluxe Edition" will be available on a number of different formats, including digital download, single remastered CD, triple-vinyl LP set, and a four disc version that comprises of three CDs and one DVD.

Former Nirvana Bandmates Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic.

The DVD will show live footage form Nirvana's 13th December 1993 Seattle "Live and Loud" show and will be available to purchase on its own from 24th September. Although track listings for each format have yet to be confirmed, but Nirvana fans will be excited to finally see long-awaited footage of the band's pivotal show.

Continue reading: Nirvana To Release Complete Live Show With 'In Utero' Album 20th Anniversary Reissue

Jay-Z announced last weekend that he is going to release his new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, as part of a special service with smartphone manufacturers Samsung. He has so far been relatively quiet in revealing examples of what we can hear on the album, but one person who hasn't been so quiet is Courtney Love, who told the Huffington Post this week that the rapper will be using some lyrics written by her late husband on the release.

Love said that the rapper is intending on using some of Kurt Cobain's lyrics from Nirvana's most famous song, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' on an unspecified track. She told the Huff. Post, "I'm letting Jay-Z use lyrics-- [daughter] Frances would freak [if she knew this]. Jay-Z's huge and we're friends. I mean we're not besties or anything.... They [used the lyrics] without asking, which is kind of nervy but the business side has been taken care of so it's fine."

Magna Carta Holy Grail will be released on July 4 via an app available exclusively on Samsung Galaxy phones. Samsung purchased one million advance copies of the album for its customers to give away with the app, a move which could have secured Jay with the number one spot on album immediately. Unfortunately for Jay however, it has since confirmed that those 'sales' will not count towards the Billboard 200 chart, as is the case in the UK and other charts across the globe.

Continue reading: Jay-Z Is Using 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Lyrics On New Album, Says Courtney Love

Paris Jackson's shock suicide attempt yesterday (5th June) left her in hospital last night.

She reportedly sliced her arm with a cleaver knife and took an overdose of painkillers after a relative forbade her from attending Marilyn Manson's rock concert in Los Angeles.

The 15 year-old daughter of Michael Jackson also rang a suicide hotline after she left a note to her family and was later found unconscious.

Continue reading: Paris Jackson Attempted Suicide After Being Forbidden From Marilyn Manson Gig?

Will Courtney Love be taking a front row seat at New York’s fashion week? If a recent Reuters report is anything to go by, it looks as though the Queen of Grunge may well have been responsible for many of the looks that we’re about to see on the catwalk. Where the music scene treads, the fashion designers are sure to follow and by al accounts, New York Fashion Week’s top designers have taken their cue from the recent grunge revival that’s taken over the radio airwaves over the last 12 months.

Courtney Love may be a fan of high-end couture fashion these days, but it’s the dishevelled baby-doll look of her grunge days (Courtney Love fronts the band Hole and was married to the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana) that looks set to inspire at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Manhattan’s Lincoln Centre. Ken Downing, the fashion director of the luxury department store Neiman Marcus insists that designers have gone for a more feminine version of grunge: “When I say grunge, people always kind of grimace, but it's not an absolute interpretation from the past. There’s a real girliness to it.”

Girliness, you say? We guess that rules out the chances of the catwalk models having the words “Slut” and “Whore” scrawled on their arms, á la Courtney Love. Or, heaven forbid, that they may fling a used tampon into the audience, á la Donita Sparks (the L7 band member did just that at Reading Festival). Designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Dries van Noten are said to have taken inspiration fro the grunge revival but we reckon they’ll be tidying things up a little, after taking a glimpse inside Courtney’s old wardrobe. 

Continue reading: Will Courtney Love Attend New York Fashion Week? 2013 Runway Collections Inspired By The Grunge Look

Courtney Love, Kurt Kobain's widow and mother of his only child, has expressed her distaste at the appointment of Paul McCartney to be the front man of a Nirvana reunion at the 12-12-12 charity gig in New York, on Wednesday. 

The show was all for charity, to support the victims of Hurricane Sandy, for Courtney Love, it's just not cool that McCartney has taken Kurt's place, reports TMZ. "Look, if John were alive it would be cool." She said. She also objects to the reference to the gig as a 'Nirvana reunion' because she says, without Kurt, it's not Nirvana. We can certainly see where she's coming from, but for a band as well loved as Nirvana, a 'reunion' regardless of its authenticity never stops being a tribute to Kurt and will always provide an arena for fans to remember him and the band.

McCartney, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic have been 'jamming' together for a while in secret and have even written some songs together. Speaking to the audience at the 12-12-12 concert McCartney said: "Recently, some guys asked me to go jam with them... So I showed up, like you do, ready to jam. And in the middle of it, these guys kept going, 'We haven't played together for years.' So the penny finally dropped, I finally understood I was in the middle of a Nirvana reunion." Reports the LA Times.

Continue reading: Courtney Love Is Against Paul McCartney Fronting Nirvana In Place Of Kurt Cobain

Yesterday’s Concert For Sandy Relief (December 12, 2012) turned into a year’s worth of rock and pop headlines, all rolled into one. Not only were some of the coolest kids on the block performing (Alicia Keys, we’re looking at you), but they were doing it in tabloid-seeking style (Kanye West in a skirt, anyone?). However, it was the older statesmen of rock and roll that really grabbed the nations’ attention last night.

First up, Sir Paul McCartney, formerly of The Beatles and now, apparently… of Nirvana? Well, maybe not quite. But Sir Paul did perform with the surviving members of Nirvana – Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, playing a new song that they had composed together, entitled ‘Cut Me Some Slack.’ It was part of a wider set performed by McCartney and allayed the fears of devout Nirvana fans, concerned that they would be performing a set of Nirvana covers, with McCartney taking the place of the late Kurt Cobain.

The Rolling Stones made an impressive, if brief, performance, playing ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ before leaving the Madison Square Garden gathered crowd wanting more. Mick Jagger’s seemingly unending reserves of energy put many of the other performers to shame, even if he didn’t have to exert quite the same degree of stamina that he has had to at the band’s recent 2 hour 50th anniversary shows. “Homestate hero” Bruce Springsteen was described by New York Times as “the master of the socially conscious message that’s also a full-tilt rock concert” and last night, he didn’t disappoint. The evening ended on a rousing note, with Alicia Keys joined by a stage full of firefighters to sing ‘Empire State Of Mind Part II,’ with its appropriate chorus of “This is New York… concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” 

Continue reading: Sandy Benefit Concert Highlights: Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney And Nirvana Hit The Mark

Nirvana reunification for Wednesday night's special Hurricane Sandy relief concert at Madison Square Garden will see Paul McCartney fill the boots of the late Kurt Cobain. 

Nirvana's Dave Grohl asked McCartney to join him and Krist Novoselic on stage for the special 12-12-12 event. The Rolling Stones, The Who, Alicia Keys, Eric Clapton, Kanye West, Roger Waters, Jon Bon Jovi and Billy Joel are also expected to perform during the star-studded event. And producers believe viewing figures for the program could reach 2 billion. "I didn't really know who they were," the 70-year-old Beatles legend told The Sun. "They are saying how good it is to be back together. I said, 'Whoa? You guys haven't played together for all that time? And somebody whispered to me, 'That's Nirvana. You're Kurt.' I couldn't believe it." Cobain remains on of music's most talked about and glorified artists after Nirvana pioneered grunge in the early 90's before his suicide in 1994.

The four year period between 1990-94, bookended by Dave Grohl joining the band and Cobain's untimely death saw the Seattle band's most fruitful period, as they produced the evergreen hit Smells Like Teen Spirit. Since then Grohl started The Foo Fighters, and has enjoyed tremendous success, but playing the hits at tonight's Sandy benefit will surely provide a hit of nostalgia and a tinge of sadness to go with it. 

Continue reading: Nirvana Set To Return With Paul McCartney Filling Kurt Cobain's Absence

Is Sir Paul McCartney really going to replace Kurt Cobain in a newly-reformed Nirvana?

Well, if you cast a glace over the online chatter today, you would certainly think that. It’s not strictly true, of course (is that a storm brewing, or the sound of the entire world breathing a massive sigh of relief?) but Paul McCartney will be joining the surviving members of Nirvana for a charity concert tonight (December 12, 2012) in aid of the victims of Hurricane Sandy. We just hope that someone has sat Courtney Love down to explain the situation properly, before she gets angry, or confused, or both of those things.

According to The Sun, Sir Paul McCartney rang up Dave Grohl (who used to be Nirvana’s drummer before he promoted himself to the front of the stage with new band Foo Fighters), who asked if the former Beatle would like to “jam with some mates,” without really explaining who those mates might be. Sir Paul McCartney got together with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Nirvana’s occasional fourth member Pat Smear and suggested that they just make something up. McCartney admits to not really knowing who the other guys were and when they started saying how good it was to be back together, he says “somebody whispered to me ‘That’s Nirvana. You’re Kurt.’ I couldn’t believe it.” Somehow, we’re struggling with the image of Macca singing ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,’ so we’re going to keep our fingers crossed they’ll be doing Beatles covers instead.

Continue reading: Has The World Gone Mad? Is Sir Paul McCartney Really Replacing Kurt Cobain In Nirvana?

Jimi Hendrix, in action, in his heyday

Happy Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Today, Jimi Hendrix would have been celebrating his 70th birthday, had a tragic turn of events not resulted in his death on September 18, 1970.

Continue reading: Happy 70th Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Is It Too Late To Become A Hendrix Fan?

Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis has revealed that Kurt Cobain asked him to join Nirvana, on more than one occasion. In an article with Spin magazine, Mascis reveals that the first time he was asked to join the legendary grunge band back in 1989. “Nirvana was playing Maxwell's and after the show I was talking to Kurt and [Sonic Youth's] Thurston Moore… Kurt said, 'you should join my band.'” He added that he thought Kurt was sick of the guitarist at the time, Jason Everman, though he recalls that he “didn’t think much about it.”

The second time that he was asked to join the band, was around the time of the release of ‘Sliver,’ when there was talk of him playing drums for the 1990 single, though he thinks that Mudhoney’s Dan Peters did the honors instead. It wasn’t just Nirvana that tried to poach J Mascis, either. Built To Spill’s Doug Martsch reportedly wanted the formidable guitarist in his own ensemble as well. He told Spin “When we signed to Warner Brothers [in 1995], I didn't have a band," Martsch says. "One idea I had was to play all the instruments myself and just get a drummer. I ended up doing that and scrapping it, but another idea was to have J play drums on the record. He was willing to do it, but then I kinda decided it wouldn't be a good idea.”

It seems as though Mascis’ evident confidence and experience may have been a little too much for Martsch to work with, as he explains “I felt like I needed to work with someone who I could really work with a little more, you know? I didn't know how we could work together, I had no idea and I didn't want to get started on something like that. I didn't want to be telling J Mascis what to play on drums. I wanted to find someone I felt comfortable really expressing myself with. But there was a moment where he was almost the drummer on that record.”

Danny Goldberg, former manager of Nirvana, has said Courtney Love was a toxic presence among the band.

Love married Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain in 1992, with the couple having a daughter, Frances Bean, before Cobain's suicide in 1994.

And according to Goldberg, Love had an instrumental role in Cobain's struggles with heroin and acted as the frontman's "mouthpiece".

"Courtney's very presence was a metaphor for the end of one era in the band's life and the beginning of another," he writes in his upcoming book Bumping Into Geniuses: My Life Inside the Rock And Roll Business.

Goldberg discusses an incident in which he delivered money to the couple, believing they were about to spend it on heroin.

"The weekend in January 1992 that Nirvana did Saturday Night Live for the first time was a turning point that put into focus the heroin problem that was to haunt Kurt for the rest of his life.

"Courtney called me at home the morning the show aired," Goldberg continues in an excerpt, reproduced at Spinner.com, "and asked me to get Kurt $5,000 (£2,800) in cash so they could do some 'shopping'.

"I felt pretty uncomfortable as I delivered the package of $100 (£56) bills to her [Love] at the hotel," he explains.

"Abruptly, the dark cloud of drug excess had entered the band's life. I was confronted by the baroque facade of lies and the awful glassy-eyed deadness that regular heroin use provides."

Bumping Into Geniuses: My Life Inside the Rock and Roll Business is released in the US on Thursday September 18th.

Continue reading: Nirvana Manager: Courtney Love Led To Band's Downfall