Four iconic bands Nirvana refused to perform with
Nirvana was a band defined by its principles. Frontman Kurt Cobain was a vocal supporter of feminism and a harsh critic of homophobia, xenophobia, and racism. Despite the apparent nihilism of their music, Nirvana demonstrated themselves to be of the most politically engaged bands of the 1980s and ’90s, constantly railing against the pacifying impulse of the popular media to bring sincerity back to the world of rock music.
As a band with such strong opinions, it’s unsurprising that there were some groups Nirvana simply wanted nothing to do with. These are some of the huge artists Cobain and company refused to perform alongside.
First up, Ozzy Osbourne. Speaking about Nirvana’s decision to turn down the offer of supporting the Black Sabbath frontman, Cobain told Gilbert Blecken “He also asked us to go on tour with him, but we turned it down. It would have been fun and kind of exciting to be part of his last shows, but we don’t really wanna play in huge arenas supporting someone.”
Years, later, Ozzy Osbourne was asked about the incident. Clearly, it didn’t have much of an impact, because he didn’t remember the snub until he was reminded about it by Dave Grohl. During an interview with Launch Radio Networks in 2007, Osbourne said: “Apparently, I met (late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain), ’cause I was talking to Dave Grohl and he said, ‘You probably don’t remember this, but when you were in Devonshire Studios in the (San Fernando) Valley, me and Kurt were in the room where they had a pool table. When you walked in we were like, ‘F***ing hell.’”
During Cobain’s 1991 interview with Blecken, Cobain also revealed that Nirvana had turned down an offer to play alongside Rush. In 1991, shortly after the release of Nevermind, the prog-rockers were promoting their 14th studio album Roll The Bones, which soared to Number Three on the US album chart. Rush wanted Nirvana to support them during their North American and European tour between October 1991 and July 1992. Nirvana must have had better things to do because they turned the offer down.
This was surely a little disappointing for Dave Grohl, who was a huge fan of Rush drummer Neil Peart. Speaking about the drummer shortly after his death, Grohl labelled him “an inspiration to millions with an unmistakable sound who spawned generations of musicians (like myself) to pick up two sticks and chase a dream. A kind, thoughtful, brilliant man who ruled our radios and turntables not only with his drumming but also with his beautiful words.”
By 1991, Guns N’ Roses were also at the top of their game. Unsurprisingly, Cobain wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the prospect of playing with a band he regarded as the very antithesis of Nirvana. Axl Rose had declared himself a fan of the Seattle grunge outfit following the release of Nevermind, expecting expected Cobain to be equally generous in his praise.
In reality, Cobain did little to hide his disdain for the rockers, deliberately using Guns ‘N’ Roses as an example of the genre’s fading glory. “We’re not your typical Guns ‘N’ Roses type of band that has absolutely nothing to say,” he once said. This riled Rose, who vented his frustration to Faith No More, saying: “I only like you guys, Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, and two other bands, and all of you hate me. Why do you hate me? It’s like I went away and came back home to find you guys fucked my wife.”
Another hair metal band would also be turned down by the group. In 1991, Skid Row released Slave To The Grind, which became the first heavy metal record to reach Number One on the Billboard 200, selling 134,000 copies in its first week alone. The band opened for Guns N’ Roses during the North American leg of their Use You Illusion Tour in 1991. Nirvana, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with them.
Interestingly, Skid Row was one of Cobain and co’s previous band names before they settled on Nirvana According to a tweet by Dave Grohl, the name just wasn’t “appealing enough.”
