Beginnings (1987-1989) 

Nirvana was founded in 1987 by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic. The two met in 1984 in school and knew each other mainly  because they both had a connection with the band The Melvins.  In winter 1985 Cobain formed along with Dale Crover on bass, the band Fecal Matter. After the group had recorded two demos in Cobain's Aunt Mary's house and some concerts, including an opening act by The Melvins they broke up but again. The Fecal-Matter demos of December 1985 convinced Novoselic, to get together with Cobain as band.  In December 1985 the two, Cobain  as a singer and Novoselic on bass, with drummer Steve Newman, the Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover band The Sellouts. The same month, Cobain and Novoselic had another band with drummer Bob McFadden, both bands broke up. In March 1986, Krist Novoselic moved with his girlfriend Shelli to Phoenix in Arizona. Novoselic moved after the fall of 1986  back to Aberdeen, he began immediately with Cobain  a search for a new drummer. In January 1987, they eventually formed a band with Aaron Burckhardt under the name Ted Ed Fred "and" The Stiff Woodies.  They encountered quickly a lot of differences- mainly because Burckhardt was very  Metal oriented, Novoselic and Cobain were Gang of Four, Scratch Acid and Butthole Surfers inspired. In addition, Burckhardt showed significantly less commitment  than the other two.  Kurt Cobain said later that Novoselic and his eagerness to work initially overwhelmed:

    "I wanted to make a record or make a few appearances and prevent the project to fail like all the other try's  in the past six years."

In March, the band finally played their first gig at a private party in Raymond. At that time, Ted Ed Fred already played mostly original songs. In the same month the band played their first real concert at the Olympia Hall in GESCCO in front of about 10 people. On  April 17 1987 they had an appearance for the campus FM station Kaos The Evergreen State College.  In the fall of 1987 Cobain moved to Olympia, Burckhardt was the only band member in Aberdeen. Burckhardt's lack of commitment and being so distance meant that the band was inactive until Cobain and Novoselic started in December 1987 with Dale Crover  as a new drummer to rehearse. On  January 23 1988 The band recorded with producer Jack Endino a demo with ten pieces. The session in the famous recording studio, Reciprocal Recordings in Seattle cost the band $ 152.44, which Cobain paid.  In the spring led Cobain initial talks with Jonathan Poneman of Seattle's underground label Sub Pop, in which publication of a single was planned. Crover, who moved to San Francisco was substituted by  Dave Foster on drums. On  March 19 the band played for the first time under the name "Nirvana". Previously, the group has called "Ted Ed Fred", "Bliss", "Throat Oyster", "Pen Cap Chew," "Windowpane". To select the name of Kurt Cobain later said: "I wanted a name that was kind of nice, nice and pretty, not as a disgusting punk rock name like Angry Samoans," while he was in retrospect a little happy: "He is esoteric and serious.  As early as on  May 29 1988  Foster replaced by Chad Channing, because he came too rarely to the rehearsals .  
Following the publication of Love Buzz / Big Cheese Sub struggled to pop the end of 1988 with some financial problems, so that Nirvana could  hold up any hope of an album release.  Nevertheless, the band went in December 1988 and January 1989 with Endino again in the studio. The 30 hours in three days would cost the band $ 606.17.  The amount paid Jason Everman, a friend and fan of the band a short time later in the summer of 1989 he joined the band as a  second guitarist, because Kurt had not had enough practice, to sing while playing guitar and remember the lyrics. But before Nirvana played in February 1989, they first had a two-week tour on the west coast.  Since Nirvana was at that time still unknown, they often played in front of only ten visitors. Overall, the band had over 100 performances in 1989.  On June 9 1989 they finally had the debut album Bleach.  The band started their first U.S. tour by playing in small clubs and bars on  July 18 the tour  ended a little earlier than planned in New York with the leaving of Everman. In August, Nirvana recorded five tracks with Steve Fisk at Music Source Studio, which appeared on an EP. In September, the canceled performances from the July tour were rescheduled , in which up to 200 fans attended.  On October 23 1989  a 42-day European tour in Newcastle upon Tyne in England, with the Sub Pop band Tad was started. Since the two bands who included  nine people had to go through with equipment in the latter of Sub Pop Fiat van with ten seats almost every night to the next gig, the atmosphere during the tour, got very frosty. 

 Never Mind (1990-1992) 

Sub Pop in early 1990 was again on the brink of financial collapse, the publication of a second album, appeared unlikely. The band played  further concerts in the United States. On  April 2 1990 the recording with Butch Vig at Smart Studios began. The seven tracks recorded during one week were indeed sent to Sub Pop, but really put the demo for the negotiations with major labels. In July 1990 , the only publication of the band, The 7 Single Sliver. Chad Channing was kicked out of the band during the first demo recordings. In the diaries of Kurt Cobain he called  the drumming of Channing as "botched."
On  September 24 1991  the album Nevermind was released and went three weeks later, on  October 12 in the U.S. charts. The presale expectations of Geffen turned out with a production of 50,000 copies quickly as a miscalculation. On  November 4 1991 they released the single Smells Like Teen Spirit, which  already four weeks later earned the award of the platinum record by the American Association RIAA records for one million sold copies of Nevermind. The band played from  November 4 till December 7 again a short European tour. On  December 7  Smells Like Teen Spirit went at number 7 in the UK single charts. In the broadcast on BBC Two Rapido (TV) has been reported in detail about Nirvana. The rest of the tour had to be cancelled because of a  viral infection Cobain caught in France. The year finished  on  December 31 1991 with a New Year's Concert in the Cow Place in San Francisco, California.

On  January 11 1992 Never Mind  rose to the top of the U.S. album charts, relegating Michael Jackson's album Dangerous. Smells Like Teen Spirit was already risen to # 6 on the U.S. singles chart and received on  April 1 1992 platinum. Nirvana was  guest  on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

They toured in Australia (January), Japan and New Zealand (February), and  also published the EP Hormoaning. During the tour Never Mind also rose in the UK charts to number 7 (February 1, 1992), while the album in the U.S. had already sold three million copies. Also re-released debut album Bleach (1989) rose for the first time on February 22  1992 to 89th in the U.S. charts. Bleach debuted in March 7 1992 in the UK charts at 33rd On  March 14 1992 they released the single Come As You Are in Great Britain. The band began in October with Bleach producer Jack Endino initial work on a new album.

According to these lightning-like successes honored the music industry, the artistic achievement of the band. For Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana was on the 9th MTV Video Music Awards on  September 9 1992 in Los Angeles for "Best Alternative Music Video and Best New Artist Video" award. They played live lithium and destroyed their equipment after. Krist Novoselic was hit by a bass on the head when he threw it under the ceiling light. Cobain spat upon leaving the stage on the piano from Axl Rose, as the music world reacted in horror.

By Melanie Bradley

• About a Girl
• All Apologies
• Come as you are
• Heart Shaped Box
• In Bloom
• Rape Me
• Smells Like Teen Spirit
• You Know Your Right

  Free Nirvana Guitar Tab

The Man Who Sold the World

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