Anyone here ever see Nirvana live?

Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,882
edited May 2006 in Other Music
Just wondering if some of the "older" people on this board ever had the opportunity to see Nirvana. i'm just curious to know what their shows were like.
2000: Camden 1, 2003: Philly, State College, Camden 1, MSG 2, Hershey, 2004: Reading, 2005: Philly, 2006: Camden 1, 2, East Rutherford 1, 2007: Lollapalooza, 2008: Camden 1, Washington D.C., MSG 1, 2, 2009: Philly 1, 2, 3, 4, 2010: Bristol, MSG 2, 2011: PJ20 1, 2, 2012: Made In America, 2013: Brooklyn 2, Philly 2, 2014: Denver, 2015: Global Citizen Festival, 2016: Philly 2, Fenway 1, 2018: Fenway 1, 2, 2021: Sea. Hear. Now. 2022: Camden, 2024Philly 2

Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Post edited by Unknown User on
«1

Comments

  • molemanmoleman Posts: 8
    Never saw them live but I have heard a shitload of bootlegs.

    Part of the fun (especially true with video) is wondering what will happen next. Something weird always happens. Kurt will either just insanely spear himself into the crowd, get into a fight with a bouncer, play guitar with a pineapple hanging from the neck that just seems to appear from no where, abuse dick heads in the crowd feeling girls up, or just fucking smash his guitar. Krist also makes the show interesting with his weird ramblings and what not. Anybody else seen him with his bass at the VMA's in 92. That just cracks me up.
  • chris01chris01 Posts: 559
    Where he nearly knocked himself out? Yup, that was class. The best part was just after, Kurt didnt know that had just happened and when he saw Krist crawl of stage half dazed he kicked him in the ass, lol.

    I never saw them live but i would have loved to, you just never knew what was going to happen next.
  • jodijodi Posts: 183
    Never saw them.
    Know that when they where here people from my highschool went to their show.
    Wasn't into Nirvana that period.
    There's a light,... when my baby's in my arms...
    And I know she's reached my heart,... in thin air
  • harrymanbackharrymanback Posts: 435
    saw them in stabler arena at Lehigh U in the fall of 93 ...
    I don't want to be hostile. I don't want to be dismal. But I don't want to rot in an apathetic existance either.
  • markymark550markymark550 Posts: 5,154
    Never got to see them live, but I wish I could have. Other than Pearl Jam, they are the band who I most want(ed) to see live.
  • azwyldcatsazwyldcats Posts: 710
    Saw them on New Year's Eve w/ Pearl Jam & RHCP on 12/31/91 @ Cow Palace in SF. Unreal show. See below...

    Performance -- Red Hot Chili Peppers / Pearl Jam / Nirvana
    San Francisco, CA, The Cow Palace, December 31, 1991
    by Gina Arnold

    Every year for the past twenty years on December 31st, San Francisco's famed Haight Street has been overrun by a fluorescence of Deadheads, in town for the annual Grateful Dead show at the Oakland Coliseum. Their inescapable presence on that particular day has long been a frustrating symbol that for much of America, culturally speaking, time has continued to stand stock-still.

    On the afternoon of December 31st, 1991, however, the Deadheads finally met their match. They were greeted on the streets by a healthy host of obsteperous young longhairs clad in cutoffs and combat boots, their thighs all bulging from a lifetime spent on skateboards. This new contingent of rock fans had invaded the city not for the Dead, but for the concert featuring Pearl Jam, Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even the most casual observer would have had no trouble deciding which side of youth culture would be more fun to belong to.

    An atmosphere of jubilation pervaded the Cow Palace as the 16,000 fans who crowded the sold-out arena celebrated a mass victory for a new popular-rock aesthetic. The victory was articulated by all three bands, each of which dissed their cross-Bay rivals in very specific terms, beginning with opening act Pearl Jam, whose singer, Eddie Vedder, greeted the roaring throng with "Want to hear some songs by the Dead?" The audience booed with gleeful derision, as Vedder burst into an a cappella rendition of Fugazi's antirape song "Suggestion." "Don't go partying on other people's pussies unless they want you to," he said (referring to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' anthem "Party on Your Pussy").

    The point was well taken, for despite the rampant Seventies-isms of much of the evening's music -- Nirvana's work is often compared to Blue Oyster Cult's, the Chili Peppers draw heavily on Seventies funksters like George Clinton, and Pearl Jam is equally rooted in other, more staid classic-rock-radio conventions -- there is clearly an entirely different sensibility at work here. One of the most visible differences is a reliance on athleticism to carry each show, and the ingenuity of each band is quite amusing, from Nirvana's impromptu baseball game -- which utilized guitars as bats and amplifiers as balls -- to Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis's long handstand during one of Flea's impressive bass solos. Pearl Jam's opening set was particularly energetic. Singer Vedder climbed up the lighting ladder and, at the set's close, leapt courageously into the audience's maw.

    The crowd was impressed, but the night clearly belonged to the next band up, Nirvana, whose new album, Nevermind, hit number one on the Billboard charts that very week. In fact, the record sold so unexpectedly well in the months since the show was booked that its popularity had well outstripped the headlining Chili Peppers by a factor of four to one.

    Thus, after the briefest of set changes, Nirvana played a taut forty-five minute set that completely wrecked what was left of the audience's composure. Members of the mosh pit, which stretched from the stage to the back of the arena, were being thrown in the air like clods of dirt caught up in a live minefield. By the time Nirvana threw in its hit "Smells like Teen Spirit" in midset, the crowd had risen up, rolling forward in a relentless wave of motion. The atmosphere was so infectious that even members of the band's own entourage, standing in the comparative safety of the stage wings, periodically lost their heads and leapt off the rim into the boiling crowd below.

    Nirvana's set drew largely from its first album, Bleach, but the audience was as familiar with those songs -- "School," "Floyd the Barber," "About a Girl" -- as it was with the selections from Nevermind which included "Lithium," "Breed," and "Drain You." Singer Kurt Cobain, his hair dyed purple for the occasion, vacillated onstage between nearly cataleptic detachment and unnerving inner intensity. The instant the set finished, he and his band mates destroyed their instruments in a cheery display of wanton violence. They didn't just throw them around, either -- they lovingly unscrewed each piece, the better to batter them into little tiny shards, while the audience howled with glee. There was no encore.

    When the lights came up, the exhausted audience attempted to marshal its resources to match the Chili Peppers' legendary live force. But when the Peppers appeared -- bassist Flea upside down, lowered to the stage by ropes tied to his ankles -- they seemed to have trouble finding their much-vaunted groove. Despite the two fire-eaters, numerous naked dancers painted in Day-Glo and huge sonic booms that were set off at midnight, the final twenty minutes of the set -- which included bits of Clinton's "Atomic Dog" and all of Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" -- were by far the best. Once again, the audience roiled. The final stage diver, Eddie Vedder, took the plunge during an encore version of "Yertle the Turtle."

    The Chili Peppers ended up ruling the night out of sheer noisiness and force of character. But it was Nirvana that had already had the last word -- when bassist Chris Novoselic butchered the Youngbloods' "Get Together" as the band ended its set with the song "Territorial Pissings." "Gotta find a way, a better way," goes the manic chorus -- but it was an injunction that had just rendered itself entirely needless. Well before midnight the crowd already had.
    And I'm not living this life without you, I'm selfish and clear
    And you're not leaving here without me, I don't wanna be without
    My best... friend. Wake up, to see you could have it all
  • Never saw them, but get this, had a ticket in my hand to see them at Maple Leaf Gardens, and sold it to a friend cause I was going to see them that summer at Lollapalooza anyways, and then we all know what happened. Man, the dumb things we do.
  • markymark550markymark550 Posts: 5,154
    azwyldcats wrote:
    Saw them on New Year's Eve w/ Pearl Jam & RHCP on 12/31/91 @ Cow Palace in SF. Unreal show. See below...
    You lucky son of a gun....I imagine that is one of the best shows that happened during the 90's. I would have gone, but I was only 8, living in South Carolina, and hadn't been introduced to rock music yet.
  • benhbenh Posts: 11
    I saw Nirvana concert in Slovenia on February 27, 1994.
    That was one of their last shows (they played just one more).
    It was really great and energetic performance, audience was wild, loud and satisfied.
    They did not play "Smells like a teen spirit" and I thought "Come as you are" was a highlight. It was really long time ago, I was very young and happy with the whole experience. Kurt did not speak much, but Chris Novoselic was talking a lot.

    Only concerts that can be comparable with that one were one by U2 and Pearl Jam (maybe Depeche Mode as well).
  • I saw them at Newcastle Mayfair. I wasn't very impressed, to tell you the truth.
  • Clifwith1fClifwith1f Posts: 143
    Never saw them, but get this, had a ticket in my hand to see them at Maple Leaf Gardens, and sold it to a friend cause I was going to see them that summer at Lollapalooza anyways, and then we all know what happened. Man, the dumb things we do.

    Maaaaannn, that sucks! Sorry, dude.
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    I saw 'em in DC. They were ok.
  • CloudDog23CloudDog23 Posts: 147
    Saw them at Reading in 1992

    Waited all weekend in the cold, rain and the mud, and they thought it was hilarious to play their songs deliberately wrong and fcuk them up. They were bored of being on the road and playing the same songs night after night and they chose to show that to the fans who had to endure some hardship to see them. Thanks for that.

    2000/05/29 Wembley Arena, London, UK
    2006/04/20 The Astoria, London, UK
    2006/08/29 Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands
    2007/06/18 Wembley Arena, London, UK
    2009/08/18 O2 Arena, London, UK
    2010/06/25 Hyde Park, London, UK
    2012/06/20 MEN Arena, Manchester, UK
    2012/07/30 Hammersmith Odeon, UK (Eddie Vedder solo show)
    2013/02/10 O2 Academy Islington, UK (Brad)
    2013/09/19 O2 Academy Brixton, UK (Soundgarden)
    2014/07/08 first direct Arena, Leeds, UK
    2014/07/11 MK Bowl, Milton Keynes, UK
    2017/06/06 Hammersmith Odeon, UK (Eddie Vedder solo show)
    2018/07/17 O2 Arena, London, UK
    2022/07/08 Hyde Park, London, UK
    2022/07/09 Hyde Park, London, UK
    2024/06/25 Co-op Live, Manchester, UK
  • danedane Posts: 1,062
    I never saw them, but I came really close. I had tickets for their Copenhagen show during the In Utero tour. I think the Copenhagen gig was supposed to be the one after Rome, where Kurt collapsed/OD'd and we all know what happened then....
    I still regret getting my money back for the tic. Would've been kinda cool to have it now.
    Roskilde 30-06-00
    Berlin 23-09-06
    Copenhagen 26-06-07
    :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
    "This is not wine that I'm drinking tonight. This is Gatorade!" EV-Copenhagen 26-06-07
  • wolfbearwolfbear Posts: 3,965
    We saw them 12/29/93 in San Diego. The set list was:
    Radio Friendly Unit Shifter • Drain You • Breed •
    Serve The Servants • Come As You Are • Smells Like
    Teen Spirit • Sliver • Dumb • In Bloom • About A Girl •
    Lithium • Pennyroyal Tea • School • Polly • Frances
    Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle • Milk It •
    Rape Me • Territorial Pissings • Jesus Wants Me For
    A Sunbeam • The Man Who Sold The World • All Apologies •
    Heart-Shaped Box • Blew • unknown
    It was a good concert, but nowhere near what a PJ concert is. :)
    "I'd rather be with an animal." "Those that can be trusted can change their mind." "The in between is mine." "If I don't lose control, explore and not explode, a preternatural other plane with the power to maintain." "Yeh this is living." "Life is what you make it."
  • rcsrcs Posts: 711
    Saw them December '93. To be honest I expected a lot more. It was a short and sloppy show. Kurt seemed quite out of it. Still a memorable show but I wanted more.
    E agora? Faz xixi na mão e deita fora!
  • holtzholtz Posts: 509
    Saw Nirvana/Shonen Knife/Breeders 12-10-93 Roy Wilkins, Saint Paul, MN

    * Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
    * Drain You
    * Breed
    * Serve The Servants
    * Come As You Are
    * Smells Like Teen Spirit
    * Sliver
    * Dumb
    * In Bloom
    * About A Girl
    * Lithium
    * Pennyroyal Tea
    * School
    * Polly
    * Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
    * Milk It
    * Rape Me
    * Territorial Pissings
    * Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
    * The Man Who Sold the World
    * All Apologies
    * On A Plain
    * Scentless Apprentice
    * Heart-Shaped Box
    * Blew
    * Endless, Nameless
  • pjamdude69pjamdude69 Posts: 174
    azwyldcats wrote:
    Saw them on New Year's Eve w/ Pearl Jam & RHCP on 12/31/91 @ Cow Palace in SF. Unreal show.

    Buddy of mine had a free ticket for me to the 12/27 show in LA on that same tour, but I had to move that night, and could not get out of it. He got me a cool-ass t-shirt (which I wore till the fuckin thing fell apart) but I never got even another sniff at a Nirvana show..
    "On the edge of a know-nothin' town, Feelin' quite superior in Den Haag"

    11.05.93- Indio, CA
    07.13.98- Inglewood, CA
    10.28.00- San Bernardino, CA
    06.02.03- Irvine, CA
    07.23.06- The Gorge
  • InkdaubInkdaub Posts: 235
    CloudDog wrote:
    Saw them at Reading in 1992

    Waited all weekend in the cold, rain and the mud, and they thought it was hilarious to play their songs deliberately wrong and fcuk them up. They were bored of being on the road and playing the same songs night after night and they chose to show that to the fans who had to endure some hardship to see them. Thanks for that.

    I saw them once and was worried something like this would happen. However, they were awesome. The only song they goofed up was Teen Spirit but it was sort of cool. Kurt was wandering around the stage...Krist was the talker, Kurt hardly said anything...and he was tuning his guitar sortof. Every fe second he'd play that Teen Spirit opening riff and the crowd would go nuts. This was the height of their popularity and it was in a stadium so there were a shitload of people there. Anyway finally they started Teen Spirit and the place looked like the ocean with people as waves...then they played the song really fast and it was over in like a minute. Like I say sortof cool but not a big deal as I wasn't really there ot see Teen Spirit anyway. They played everything else just fine and sounded great. Mudhoney opened and they rocked out so it was a cool show overall.
  • YefaYefa Posts: 1,133
    I saw Nirvana/Breeders/Half Japanese on 11/10/93 in Springfield, MA. It was a very good show. I'd been a Nirvana fan since I heard "Sliver" and was excited to finally see them.
    You see me empty, Sir, do not pause and inquire, simply assume and refill.
    - Al Swearengen

    http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com
  • karma defectkarma defect Posts: 5,483
    No, I saw the drummer though.
    « One man's glory is another man's hell.
    You’re on the outside, never bound by such a spell.
    Together in the darkness, alone in the light.
    I took it upon me to be yours, Timmy,
    I’ll lead your angels and demons at play tonight......»
  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave Posts: 42,055
    This is exactly how a Nirvana concert was :lol:

    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 29,525
    Yeah saw them here in NY Roseland ballroom have to look at stub for the date! While it was a good show it didn’t blow me away 
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • GlowGirlGlowGirl Posts: 10,909
    Yeah saw them here in NY Roseland ballroom have to look at stub for the date! While it was a good show it didn’t blow me away 
    I miss Roseland. I saw so many good bands there. 
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 29,525
    GlowGirl said:
    Yeah saw them here in NY Roseland ballroom have to look at stub for the date! While it was a good show it didn’t blow me away 
    I miss Roseland. I saw so many good bands there. 
    Yeah def cool vibe to the place i believe the 1st time I went there was for the RHCP with SP and PJ great night 
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,454
    I wuz there too Jose!  Spent a lot of time seeing great shows at Roseland.
    Scalped a ticket outside pre show. Drove back to nj. Picked up my friend. Showed up late. Didn't care about pj (whoops!). All about rhcp then. Caught SP. 
    Later that tour in Portland I think. My friend caught the same show. She said pj stole the show. 

    Thread integrity, never saw nirvana. 
  • Tjm007Tjm007 Posts: 185
    3 times in the Uk - 2 Reading Festivals and this time in Edinburgh.

    Was excellent- you could tell they were going to be huge. 

    https://www.livenirvana.com/concerts/91/91-11-29.php
  • ZodZod Posts: 10,587
    I saw them play in Vancouver a few months before Kurt died.   They played the PNE Forum which was this little old jr hockey arena beside the full size NHL Arena (Pacific Coliseum back in those days).  I remember the show being good but not much else.  My only stand out memory was I was crowd surfing and somehow got tossed over the security person when I crossed the rail, I pulled myself up onto the stage, only to be like, oh fuck, and dove back into the pit.

    The stupid shit I did when I was 16 :)

    I've been to so many concerts now that I'm lucky if I can pick out a memory from everyone.  Sometimes at this point I'll forgot I even went to a show (Friend of mine recently started talking about a Jerry Cantrell show we went to at the commodore, and I'm like, no that was at Richard's on Richards, and he's like no, this was another one went too.. sure enough he was right, I've got the stub).  The other hard part was this was 30 years ago now.  Crazy stuff.
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 16,921
    Saw them in Fitchburg MA on Nov 12, 93
    This weekend we rock Portland
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,454
    Zod said:
    I saw them play in Vancouver a few months before Kurt died.   They played the PNE Forum which was this little old jr hockey arena beside the full size NHL Arena (Pacific Coliseum back in those days).  I remember the show being good but not much else.  My only stand out memory was I was crowd surfing and somehow got tossed over the security person when I crossed the rail, I pulled myself up onto the stage, only to be like, oh fuck, and dove back into the pit.

    The stupid shit I did when I was 16 :)

    I've been to so many concerts now that I'm lucky if I can pick out a memory from everyone.  Sometimes at this point I'll forgot I even went to a show (Friend of mine recently started talking about a Jerry Cantrell show we went to at the commodore, and I'm like, no that was at Richard's on Richards, and he's like no, this was another one went too.. sure enough he was right, I've got the stub).  The other hard part was this was 30 years ago now.  Crazy stuff.
    Great story. Write a journal. 
Sign In or Register to comment.