Nirvana!!! Many people think Nirvana is Kurt Cobain. Nirvana must be Kurt Cobain. That’s a big mistake! Nirvana is not just him. What about Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl? We all know, especially the Grunge community. It was precisely that fame that hurt Kurt Cobain. He created his own fame, but his soul was actually tormented.
Actually, I feel a bit sorry for Kurt Cobain, with all his struggles that led him to become famous and popular. His death is also sad. But by the way, once again, if it weren’t for Krist Novoselic’s role, Nirvana wouldn’t mean anything. Krist is the bassist of Nirvana and also a co-founder of Nirvana. Even though Kurt Cobain is the most famous one. But still, without Krist, Nirvana might never have existed.
Before Dave Grohl joined Nirvana, the band’s first drummer was Aaron Burckhard. He was invited by Krist and Kurt to be Nirvana’s drummer. But Aaron didn’t stay long, and eventually Krist and Kurt met Chad Channing. Together with Chad, they made the album Bleach in 1989.
But that’s how it was. Even on the Bleach album, Kurt still felt that Chad’s drumming wasn’t quite right. Even though we know Chad was also good on the Bleach album. Then they met Dave Grohl. As we also know, at that time Dave also had a punk/hardcore band, Scream and Dain Bramage.
Alright, Dave Grohl joined Nirvana. When the album Nevermind came out, boom, maybe even the three of them didn’t expect it to be so popular. Even now, the royalty issues are still unresolved since Kurt’s death. Why do I think that even the three members of Nirvana never expected Nevermind to be so popular?
As I said at the beginning, Nirvana wasn’t just Kurt Cobain. There was also Butch Vig, Nirvana’s producer, who played a huge role in the success of the Nevermind album. Because Butch Vig recorded the sound in layers. That’s why when we listen to the Nevermind album, it’s so perfect. The mixing, the mastering, it’s not just like what we hear from a typical demo album. No.
Butch Vig is arguably the master of grunge sound. Just like in nu metal, the godfather who could be considered the producer is Ross Robinson. And coincidentally, Butch Vig also has a band called Garbage. So they are all actually part of the same gang. Nirvana was the commodity that led to success. Even though Kurt Cobain’s guitar playing was ordinary and his playing was mediocre, behind the simplicity of his playing, Kurt broke records, set fashion trends, and was a trendsetter. He also brought down the popularity of trash metal. But music genres can always be recycled.
What made Nirvana’s Nevermind album legendary was Butch Vig, the record label was also good, Geffen Records, and MTV played an equally important role. Do you still remember MTV playing Smells Like Teen Spirit almost every day back then? Of course, the video clip was very interesting to watch, especially seeing Dave Grohl’s energetic and iconic performance. The drum beats like that, combined with the fuzzy sound of Krist Novoselic’s bass, that’s what gives it its character.
So the problem isn’t, “Ah, this isn’t a technical death metal band, it’s not rocking enough, the guitar shredding isn’t cool. It’s very flat. This isn’t John Petrucci at all!“ That’s not it! But how one note, whether it’s C, D, E, or maybe Z, immediately makes people go ”wow” when they hear it. That’s the challenge, bro. Seriously. That’s one of the strengths of the Grunge era. That’s why Nirvana was so successful.
Many elements there were processed by producer Butch Vig. Butch saw the shortcomings of the Nirvana members. He processed them. That’s why Nirvana’s album became so cool. Especially if we watch Nirvana’s documentary film. They put their stuff in a van, did their own shows, did everything themselves. Their struggle was crazy.
What I mean is, American bands have to fight for it. It’s not like in Indonesia, where everything is provided by the organizers. The event organizer has provided a full set of musical instruments on stage. In America, it’s not like that, bro. For example, if you want to play at Cafe X, you bring your own musical instruments. You negotiate with the cafe owner yourself. That’s why I personally salute American bands, such as Nirvana. Why were they able to enter the MTV Awards and win a Grammy for Best Rock? Because they are disciplined.
Because Kurt wanted to play serious music, but how could he, when being famous has its pros and cons. Kurt felt, “I feel uncomfortable everywhere.” And the fans who approached Kurt weren’t because of Nirvana’s music, but because they wanted to see Kurt himself. The figure of Kurt Cobain. They weren’t focused on their music. According to Kurt Cobain, that’s what disappointed him. Kurt wanted people to respect his musicality, not his lifestyle. Not his personality. His popularity.
But from the label’s perspective, of course, they wanted to make a profit. That’s how Kurt Cobain started to feel stressed. He became depressed at that time. And that’s when the dark side of Kurt Cobain’s life began. Kurt was struggling to improve his life without being a celebrity. This was a mental struggle. Kurt, well, maybe you in the grunge community know better than I do, about Kurt’s personal life before Nirvana. Sleeping under bridges. His life was often nomadic. He was full of struggles. And that wasn’t easy for him. The label obviously wanted to make as much profit as possible. That’s what brought Kurt to his lowest point. This is where Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl came in to lift Kurt’s spirits. But Kurt was a skeptical person.
Surely you’ve wondered why Nirvana couldn’t last like Foo Fighters. Is it because Dave Grohl is smarter? More knowledgeable about the music industry? Better at taking advantage of the situation? But Nirvana is irreplaceable. As Dave Grohl said, “Nirvana is Kurt Cobain.” So when Kurt Cobain died, that was it. All that was left was his legacy. Until the controversy with Courtney Love.
When Nirvana broke up, Dave Grohl formed Foo Fighters. What if Nirvana’s vocalist had been replaced? Other than Kurt Cobain? But in my opinion, Kurt Cobain is irreplaceable. And Nirvana’s breakup after Kurt’s death was the right decision. That’s why Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl decided to break up Nirvana. It’s just history. That’s why Nirvana couldn’t last as long as Foo Fighters.
As for Dave Grohl, he’s smart at seizing the moment. Once again, it comes back to anti-establishment. Because basically, people need money to live. It’s not just about seeking popularity. Dave Grohl continues the legacy of grunge by any means necessary. To this day, the Foo Fighters are the ones who have lasted the longest. It’s not just because he’s the former drummer of Nirvana. His works are also really cool.
So if we look deeper, once again, Nirvana is not just about Kurt Cobain. Don’t just look at Kurt. You have to look at Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, Chad Channing, Butch Vig, the people who contributed greatly to Nirvana’s fame. Or if we delve deeper into grunge, from its deepest roots, the fog-filled city, and the serial killings. It’s terrifying.
To how its lifestyle still clings to young people today. Wearing worn-out flannel pants, holey Converse shoes. Why has the grunge style become a fashion statement? I used to think grunge was just Nirvana. Long hair, a nasal, off-key but cool voice. There are many things that the media never reports on. Including the tragic deaths that actually had a greater impact on grunge than the headlines about Kurt Cobain alone.
Grunge was not born from the mainstream media. Not from music magazines or the Hollywood industry. But from the dark garages of Seattle, USA. The real underground version. A city that at the time was not known for its music industry, but for its crime and the boredom of the people who lived there. Imagine living in a city where even event organizers were reluctant to hold concerts there.
Due to the lack of entertainment, no big bands came, and grunge was born from all of this. So it’s not as simple as people imagine, like Nirvana. But precisely because of that, the people of Seattle developed strong bonds between their communities. They formed bands, played together, supported each other, and didn’t badmouth each other like in Indonesia. When one rose, the others try to bring them down.
Guitarist A plays for band B and helps out in band C. So it’s all intertwined. What is underground? It’s what shapes the do-it-yourself mentality. In the Grunge scene, bands like The Melvins, Green River, The Gits, 7 Year Bitch, and Alice in Chains were part of the early days of Grunge. They weren’t superstars, but they were the foundation. In 1986, the compilation album Deep Six marked the beginning of the rise of grunge.
The word “grunge” itself literally means trash, filth, grime, and dirt. This appearance was considered expressive by grungy people. Looking natural, unkempt, and however they wanted was considered a representation of young people who did not want to be bound by anything, who wanted to be free. Basically, no rules. Freedom without any specific rules.
That’s why it’s not uncommon for people to judge someone as grungy based solely on their style of dress. This is because many grunge musicians look like bums. They appear unkempt, wearing dark, dull clothes. Literally, you will find rough, fuzzy guitar sound distortion, powerful drum beats, and vocalists who don’t have to be melodious, melancholic, but honest.
That’s grunge! It’s not about amazing guitar techniques. It’s about expression. The lyrics can be super melancholic. They can even be depressive. But they still give you space to feel that you are not alone. This genre is like a combination of rebellious punk, heavy metal, and noisy but honest noise rock. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, they all have their own style. But there is one common thread: none of them are fake.
The grunge style was born out of necessity. Cheap clothes from thrift stores. Thrifting is all the rage in Indonesia right now, right? Ripped jeans, worn flannel. But that’s where an identity was born, bro. So it wasn’t about wanting to look cool. No. It was because that was their life. Back then, young people who lived with the grunge culture were truly very disorganized. And their appearance was also very messy and shabby.
Unlike today, where, you know, grunge has become a fashion trend. Eventually, grunge styles in Europe and America became fashion shows. Even though grunge was characterized by dark gothic clothing, it was already considered grunge. So it wasn’t just clothing. Various forms of grunge makeup were also created by content creators. And ironically, after grunge exploded and became a boom, the music industry began to sell the grunge look as a fashion statement.
From the catwalk to perfume ads. And today, the remnants of grunge are still felt. You can see it in the style of today’s indie kids. Low-fi music and the DIY mentality are everywhere on YouTube and in the local scene. But sometimes we forget where it all started! Where did it come from?
Grunge is about community. It’s not just about Kurt Cobain. No. And ironically, when the media focused solely on Nirvana, they lost sight of the true essence of grunge itself. Kurt’s death did become a symbol. But there were two other events that hit the grunge community even harder. Do you know who died? The true pioneers of grunge. The death of Andy Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone. And the murder of Mia Zapata, lead singer of The Gits.
They weren’t headlines. But they were the lifeblood of the scene. And when the scene began to lose its roots, all that was left was the packaging. Labels, clothes, and nostalgia. But the essence of grunge, which is about honesty, connection, and disgust for all the falseness in this world, is what we should cherish.
So grunge isn’t just about music. Grunge is a form of resistance against the system, against the hypocrisy of the world, even against ourselves. And even though we live in a different era, the spirit of grunge is still very relevant. So you don’t have to wear flannel pants to look like a real grunge kid, but you can choose to be honest, choose to create art from your garage, for example, or in your cramped room. Or in your dorm room and in front of your laptop, write grunge songs. But you choose not to follow the crowd just because everyone says, “It’s cool!” But I want you to be honest.
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