The grunge band Malcolm Young just couldn’t understand: “Bit of a poser”
Nirvana was at the forefront of a rock revolution throughout the 1990s and helped usher in a new era of the genre.
Like most great bands, the Seattle grunge icons caused a visceral reaction to the type of acts who came before them, with frontman Kurt Cobain holding a strong disdain for the heavy rock of the preceding decade.
Although Nirvana were heavy, they had a heart to them and railed against the brand of rock ‘n’ roll that played up to chauvinistic stereotypes. While many of the groups who leaned on this trend did so in a tongue-in-cheek sense and didn’t take themselves seriously, it touched a sour nerve with Cobain, who felt repulsed by the misogynistic tropes demonstrated within their lyricism.
With Nirvana, Cobain made a promise to himself to make his music inclusive to all, a decision which made the group stand out from the rest of the pack upon the start of their journey. The frontman used his lyrics to stand up against injustices such as sexual assault and made sure he was a force for positive change in a dark world.
Cobain’s convictions extended beyond his songwriting. Throughout Nirvana’s rise, he regularly used interviews and live performances to condemn sexism, homophobia and racism, making it clear that anyone who identified with those beliefs was not welcome among the band’s audience. That outspoken stance became as central to Nirvana’s identity as the music itself.
On the other hand, AC/DC’s approach lacks a more profound sense of meaning, but they make up for that with energy and vigour. Nevertheless, Cobain wasn’t a fan of their lyrics despite appreciating the musical aspect of their artistry, which stopped him from becoming a fully-fledged fan of the band. Additionally, he felt similarly about Led Zeppelin.
Despite his reservations about their lyrics, Cobain never denied the musical influence those bands had on rock. He frequently acknowledged the power of simple, heavy guitar riffs and explosive dynamics, elements Nirvana would rework into something that felt emotionally vulnerable rather than traditionally macho.
In 2016, Nirvana’s former manager David Goldberg opened up about Cobain’s taste in music, noting of the aforementioned two bands: “I think he was torn: I think he liked the music. He liked Led Zeppelin’s music—and AC/DC. But the lyrics were not something that he felt comfortable with.”
Malcolm Young from AC/DC felt similarly hostile toward Nirvana. In 1992, the grunge group were the talk of the planet following the success of their breakthrough album Nevermind, and Young was less than cordial during an interview with Metal CD when he was asked for his opinion on Cobain’s band.
After being quizzed about his thoughts on the state of contemporary rock, Young revealed he’d “seen a few of them bands on MTV” before allowing a silence to brew. He then added: “Well, my daughter listens to that band,” before revealing them to be Nirvana. However, he was less than kind to Cobain when asked whether he was a fan, stating: “Naaaaah. Singer’s a blond feller. Bit of a poser.”
While Cobain could be accused of being many things, poser was not one of them. He was authentic to his core and never compromised on his principles to appease the masses. However, Young’s contemptuous comments about Nirvana shouldn’t be surprising as the two bands were on opposite ends of the rock spectrum and lacked common ground.
