Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 1st March!
On the 1st March 1994, Nirvana played their last concert. Kurt Cobain and his band performed in Munich at Terminal Eins. And there were some power difficulties during the show – so the Grunge rockers had to restart „Come as you are“ after a two minute break.
The setlist of this historic show:
My Best Friend’s Girl (Cars Cover)
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
Drain You
Breed
Serve The Servants
Come As You Are
Sliver
Dumb
In Bloom
About A Girl
Lithium
Pennyroyal Tea
School
Polly
Very Ape
Lounge Act
Rape Me
Territorial Pissings
The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie Cover)
All Apologies
On A Plain
Blew
Heart-Shaped Box
You can relisten to this show here:
Three days later, Kurt’s wife Courtney Love, found Cobain unconscious in their hotel suite. The singer and guitarist had reacted to a combination of Rohynol and alcohol and so the rest of the tour has to be canceled. On the 8th April 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead. He comitted suicide by shooting himself. The body had been lying there for days – the coroner’s report said, that Kurt’s died on 5th April 1994. He was only 27 years old.
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 20th February!
Happy birthday to Kurt Donald Cobain, who was born on the 20th February 1967 in Aberdeen, Washington (USA)!
Kurt already started playing the piano and singing when he was two years old. At the age of seven, his parents divorced – and this was very defining, as he said in an interview:
„I remember feeling ashamed, for some reason. I was ashamed of my parents. I couldn’t face some of my friends at school anymore, because I desperately wanted to have the classic, you know, typical family. Mother, father. I wanted that security, so I resented my parents for quite a few years because of that.“
On his 14th birthday, Kurt received from his uncle a guitar – and the young boy started to play over and over again. And he also crossed paths with bassist Krist Novoselic and the duo rehearsed together and formed the band Fecal Matter – which became very soon Nirvana.
During his second year at Aberdeen High School, Kurt was dropped out. And as he had no job, he was also kicked out of his mother’s home. In 1986, Cobain worked at „The Polynesian Resort“ and lived in an apartment. He spent his money mainly for travelling to Olympia (Washington) attending several Rock concerts. At the end of 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard. Due to the fact, that Kurt and Krist moved to Olympia, they lost contact to Aaron and so they had to look for a replacement. Finally Chad Channing became the new drummer in the band, which was now called Nirvana. In May 1988, the first concert took place and in November the single debut „Love Buzz“ was released, followed by the debut album „Bleach„, which hit the stores in June 1989. The LP had initial sales of 40,000 copies.
During the recording sessions for the follow-up „Nevermind„, Channing left the band and Dave Grohl completed the new line up. And they also changed the label and left Sub Pop for signing the major record company DGC Records in 1990. And with producer Butch Vig (who was also a member of Garbage), they put twelve songs togehter for the new release. DGC was hoping to sell 250,000 copies, but it was not like that. The single outtake „Smells Like Teen Spirit“ (released two weeks before the album on 10th September 1991) became a huge hit and so in the first week of the release, 400,000 copies of „Nevermind“ were sold in the US. Until today, over 30 million copies have been sold worldwide. The other singles „Come as you are„, „Lithium“ and „In Bloom“ ensured, that „Nevermind“ was still a megaseller in 1992.
In December 1992, the compilation album (with some rarities from the Sub Pop era) „Incesticide“ hit the market. The long anticipated follow up „In Utero“ was finally released in September 1993. Christopher John Farley from „Time Magazine“ wrote in his review:
„Despite the fears of some alternative-music fans, Nirvana hasn’t gone mainstream, though this potent new album may once again force the mainstream to go Nirvana.“ And two months later, on the 18th November 1993, the legendary MTV Unplugged Session happened in New York.
On 1st March 1994, Nirvana played their last concert in Munich. Three days later, Kurt’s wife Courtney Love, found Cobain unconscious in their hotel suite. The singer and guitarist had reacted to a combination of Rohynol and alcohol and so the rest of the tour has to be canceled. And also Cobain’s heroin addiction resurfaced during that period. Kurt started a rehab, but he broke off. He climbed over the wall of the rehabilitation facility and flew to his home in Seattle. One week later, on the 8th April 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead. He comitted suicide by shooting himself. The body had been lying there for days – the coroner’s report said, that Kurt’s died on 5th April 1994. He was only 27 years old.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 18th February!
On the 18th February 1990, singer Freddie Mercury made his final public appearance. With his band Queen, he collected the „Brit Award“ in the category for „Outstanding Contribution to Music“. The ceremony took place at the Dominion Theatre in London (UK). You can watch this historic moment here:
Freddie died only 21 months later – on the 24th November 1991. The most charismatic frontman of all time passed away at the age of 45 years. Just the day before, the Queen singer admitted he was HIV positive.
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 24th November!
Freddie Mercury (5th September 1946 – 24th November 1991)
On the 24th November 1991 the Rock world lost one of the greatest and charismatic frontman of all time: Queen singer Freddie Merucry passed away at the age of only 45. Just the day before, Freddie admitted he was HIV positive. Merucry died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 18th November!
On the 18th November 1993, the legendary recording sessions by Nirvana for the MTV Unplugged show happened. The performance took place at the Sony Studios in New York. The setlist consisted of rare material and cover versions of tracks by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets (during which they were joined by the two members Cris and Curt Kirkwood) and Lead Belly. The TV show was first broadcasted on the 16th December 1993.
The album „MTV Unplugged in New York“ was released seven months after the tragic death of Kurt Cobain and hit the stores on the 1st November 1994. The LP/CD won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996. And thirteen years later, on the 20th November 2007, the DVD featuring the whole performance was finally released.
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 11th October!
Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)
On the 11th October 1990 Drummer Dave Grohl played his first gig with Nirvana. The show took place at the North Shore Surf Club in Olympia, Washington. And the performance was not that easy for the Seattle Grunge rockers and also the fans, because the power went out a few times. So the songs „Molly’s Lips“ (Vaselines cover) and „D-7“ (Wipers cover) could not been finished. Also during „Blew“ the power went out, but Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave played the track to its end, when the power came back.
Welcomt to my Music Diary – today for the 3rd October!
Stevie Ray Vaughan (3rd October 1954 – 27th August 1990)
In 1954 Mr. Stephen „Stevie“ Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas (USA). Also nicknamed as SRV, Vaughan was an American Blues musician. The singer and songwriter is still considered as one of the most influentical guitar players. Or as Allmusic describes him as „a rocking powerhouse of a guitarist who gave blues a burst of momentum in the ’80s, with influence still felt long after his tragic death.“
And Chris Gill of Guitar World commented on Stevie’s unique style: „Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom. However, Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound, mainly to boost the signal, although he occasionally employed a rotating speaker cabinet and wah pedals for added textural flair.“
Stevie started guitar playing at the age of seven. In 1971 he was dropped out from school and one year later he moved from Dallas to Austin and started his career as a musician. At this time he played with people like Marc Benno (The Nightcrawlers) and Denny Freeman (Cobras). In 1977 SRV founded his own band called „Triple Threat Revue“ – shortly after that drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon joined the group and it was renamed in Double Trouble. Five years later at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival (1982) Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble became much more famous. The album debut „Texas Flood“ was released one year later and charted at No. 38 in the US charts. Before the album „In Step“ was recorded, Stevie Ray Vaughan went into rehab in 1986.
On the 27th August 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash. He died at the age of only 35. SRV earned six Grammy Awards and ten Austin Music Awards and he was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014. The music magazin Rolling Stone ranked him as the twelfth greatest guitarist of all time.
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 24th September!
On the 24th September 1991 an album was released in the USA, which became a big milestone in Rock and Grunge history: Nirvana’s „Nevermind„. The chart entering was anything but suprising – after the first week the LP was on position No. 144. But this changed, when the Single „Smells Like Teen Spirit“ was played all over the world. So in January 1992 „Nevermind“ peaked the No. 1 place and until now over 30 millions copies were sold world wide.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 8th September!
Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain live in Hollywood (Club Lingerie – Rock Against Rape Benefit) (8th September 1993)
In 1993, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love played a special set for the „Rock Against Rape Benefit“ at the Club Lingerie in Hollywood. As a duet they performed the two songs „Pennyroyal Tea“ and „Where did you sleep last Night„. Before Kurt came on stage, Cortney introduced him lovely with the words: „My husband, Yoko!“
About the song:
Originally, „Pennyroyal Tea“ is one of the oldest Nirvana songs. The first demo was recorded in Winter 1990 by Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl. After that the recording was forgotten in the archives. During the sessions for „In Utero“ Cobain remembered the tune again and recorded it with his band. It became one of the best known Nirvana songs.
Freddie Merucry was one of the most outstanding and charismatic singers/performers in Rock history. He died on the 24th November 1991 at the age of only 45 years in London.
On the 18th November 1993, the legendary recording sessions by 
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