This is Kurt Cobain’s most iconic prank, and it still managed to be one of Nirvana’s greatest performances despite the goofing around. At Nirvana’s biggest show to date, headlining Reading Festival ‘92, Kurt responded to naysayers who dismissed their hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as a rip-off of Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” by launching into a hilariously sloppy rendition of the 1976 hit – with bassist Krist Novoselic singing lead despite not knowing the words.
Kurt then charged into an absolutely incendiary cut of “Teen Spirit,” making up the leads on the fly. The look on Krist’s face in response to Kurt’s quirky new lead parts at the one-minute mark says it all. It’s such a classic Nirvana moment – completely out of control yet genius at the same time. The performance is also a great showcase for what a thunderous three-piece the Nirvana trio presented on stage. The Music Man has to say that anyone who was there that night witnessed a legendary and historic show.
The Reading ‘92 cut of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” drew 60 million views across multiple uploads on YouTube. Fans gave a lot of love for the unique performance below the video, adding comments such as “Kurt’s little smile when he looks at Krist before playing ‘More Than a Feeling’ is perfect” and “This is like the most imperfect perfect performance ever.”
Nirvana shared a number of classic performances on their YouTube channel in recent years. Another brilliant cut the band featured is their version of “Heart-Shaped Box” at Live and Loud in Seattle in 1993. This performance showcases Kurt and drummer Dave Grohl’s signature dual vocal approach, as well as the explosive sound of the rhythm section after the addition of second guitarist Pat Smear.
Nirvana’s Reading ‘92 headlining performance showcased the band at the peak of their powers, commercially and culturally. Several of the live cuts from the show have become among their most popular live recordings.
The festival took place on August 30, 1992, eight months after Nirvana’s second album Nevermind topped the Billboard charts. The performance captured a turning point in popular culture that showed alternative rock was a major commercial force, and that traditional hard rock was on its way out.
The Music Man readers may note that Kurt appeared onstage in a hospital gown. He in fact was wheeled onstage in a wheelchair and wearing a wig. This was another one of his gags, as there had been speculation in the media that Kurt was too sick to perform.
Kurt had been hospitalized due to stomach problems earlier in August and also undertook a short detox program that month. While the latter had been kept quiet at the time, discussions about his health had reached the media, and the hospital gown and wheelchair entrance was his way of responding to the scuttlebutt in the press at the time.