Behind The Scenes Of Nirvana's Timeless 'MTV Unplugged' Performance
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2022
- Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York was never meant to be a big deal. It was a lark, an afterthought, something recorded in roughly an hour that the band didn’t plan to release. It was ultimately Nirvana’s final album, giving fans one of the most unbelievable Kurt Cobain performances, as well as a strange foreshadowing of Cobain’s passing. In hindsight, the show mirrors Cobain’s life, one that was complicated by mental health issues and substance dependency.
The performance, recorded on November 18, 1993, has been called “personal" and “raw,” but it’s just Nirvana doing what they do best.
#Nirvana #MTV #WeirdHistory - Zábava
Nirvana's Unplugged was literally perfect, one of the best concerts ever
No one’s gonna argue with that! 👍
The Where did you sleep last night Cover is one of my all time favourite song!
He didn’t play the hits.. he made them
It think it being sparse stripped down suited Kurt it showcases his voice
@@marcreno893
Silver spoons and cooking tunes.
Now he lies beneath where the flower blooms.
In 100 years, some kids will still go through a Nirvana phase while in middle/high school.
I just remeber seeing the album with the naked little baby on the cover and thinking there weird
Yeah, like right now kids are all eating up all that swing music.
I remember my big Bach phase in middle school. Oh man that Fugue in G minor was fire........Nirvana is barely known to kids today and the only reason he's big with middle aged folks now is because he died before the band fell apart. It's hard to judge anything based on so few songs.
My nirvana phase never went away I put my kids to sleep with this record
I’m 13 and I’ve always been a fan of nirvana and other bands, some people make fun of me n shit but idc, I’ll always be a fan of nirvana
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" always the striking power on this gig
Kurt's rendition of "Man Who Sold the World" still gives me chills.
it was my favourite
Channeling Mark Lanagen on that one.
Nah, his voice sounds way too tired on that song. He sounds better in Lake of fire and Man who sold the world.
@@TheStepmonkey the way Kurt made "Man Who Sold the World" his own, it is almost as if David Bowie wrote that song with the intention of having Kurt sing it. Midge Ure did an amazing cover of the song as well, but Kurt sang that song like it meant something to him.
Finding out that Kurt personally requested to keep the shot of him smiling makes me love that shot even more. Kurt hardly ever smiled in public, and as a die-hard fan of his, seeing him smile there was special. Kurt was the reason I got into guitar in the first place, and the news of his death shook me to my core. It took a long time before I could watch the Unplugged set without crying.
But I really feel bad for Dave Grohl. Kurt's death was a huge blow to him, and he just lost another dear friend with Taylor Hawkins' tragic passing. He lost two brothers, and somehow manages to still be an amazing person. We need to do everything we can to protect him and Eddie Vedder. They're the last two Grunge gods left.
I think he was genuinely happy that day. It was absolutely magic.
People forget that Pat Smear joined Nirvana right before Kurt passed. He tried to help Kurt with his demons as well. Losing Kurt and now Taylor to the same disease of addiction must hit them both so hard. I feel terrible for the friends and families of these guys.
Don't forget the singer from the Melvin's,most of smashing pumpkins dinosaur JR and underrated band seaweed who are still around 🥰
I’d trade Vedder for Cornell, or anybody really. I could do without seeing his bullshit, I’m in a trance on purpose, dumb fucking face and autistic singing voice
Let's not forget Pat. He lost Darby, then Kurt then Taylor.
How powerful is music. When he came out in the 90s, that generation got to enjoy it. I was a teenager in the 2000s, & I fell in love with his music. And teens also like it now too. It just makes me smile.
It stimulates the vagus nerve so yea music is very powerful.
I never liked nirvana though ; van halen for me
hate them because of kurts nosy ass voice it pisses me off
*Late 80s
@@jh2325 Blasphemy
I was in college at the time, and while I liked Nirvana, I could not imagine that they'd work well on 'Unplugged'. I was not alone. Between the style of Nirvana's music and Cobain's well-publicized struggles with heroin addiction, many people tuned in expecting to see a trainwreck, and while they did 'cheat' a little on the 'acoustic-only' guidelines, they put on a great performance. The sound techs on that show were also amazing. The 'Nirvana is just noise, banging and screaming' critics got a LOT quieter after that show aired.
I was just a kid when this happened, but I remember everything.
This brought tears to my eyes.
my dad remember nirvana's MTV unplugged and he really loved I liked it cause it shocked me that they were amazing on austoic guitars
I was a senior in high school when Kurt passed away.
One of my all time favorites to listen to is this performance. I saw Nirvana perform December of 1993/St Paul Mn and 30 years later is still one of the best concerts I’ve gone to.
So jealous glad you got to experience them live 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
@@dtcarpediem best part was back in the day of concert tickets when you had to go wait in line lol - “mosh pit “ sold out with person behind me in line. We were literally up front entire time 20 feet from Kurt. I still get chillls thinking about it. Also got chills the way Pat Smear was looking at us during the concert. If only 18 year old me had game of 40 something me 😂 could have gotten back stage to meet him I’d played cards right 😂😂 I still have my concert T’s. One of the few items my daughter isn’t allowed to touch lol
Cool! Where did you see them? I saw Nirvana in concert New Year’s eve in San Jose California 1994. It was amazing! It was like I was in a dream as I was up there in front staring at him. His beautiful scream. He’s such a great singer and songwriter.
@@Oliviux78 Dec 1993 in St Paul MN
@@janelmpls612 wow that's super cool that you got to see nirvana live which is really cause I am a young fan your lucky to have see them
Along with AiC's/Pearl Jam's unplugged performances, this is the greatest acoustic set I've ever heard. 🤘🏼
Absolutely!
All 3 have such different energies but are amazing! It's kinda sad watching Layne though. Pearl jam's set is my favorite.
Fuck yea 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
Outside of the Seattle bands I only enjoyed one other Unplugged. It was the Oasis Unplugged where the singer sat in the audience because his voice was too jacked to perform (While smoking and drinking hard liquor) and the brother sang and played guitar and was awesome.
Pearl Jam's was (and still is) awesome!
His version of"the man who sold the world" is unforgettable it had so much heartache and soul
This was one of my favorite albums to listen to from start to finish. The show was perfect.
One of the best albums ever made
I still listen to the album beginning to end 2 to 3 times a year
Nirvana's strategem was to be as loud and vehemently fierce as possible, which makes it all the more mind-boggling that they were able to display complete mastery of the opposite of that. Then again, their Unplugged performance was its own kind of fierce. One of the uncontested all-time great live performances by a rock band.
Not really though right? Hope you don't believe that
I remember watching this when it first aired.
I was never a fan of Nirvana until I watched this performance. After that, I felt they were one of the greatest bands of all time.
You and I were doing the exact same thing at the exact same moment because I too watched it live how amazing is that
“Where did you sleep last night?” Always touches my heart and soul with that all too familiar heartache. The kind of pain that you wouldn’t trade for anything because it made you who you are. Those who can speak the language of abuse can see this in one another, and it’s like a warm hug in the middle of a dark and endless void.
When I was 13, I listened to this on cd for the first time and immediately tried learning guitar. It changed my life forever, and 16 years later still obsessed 😂
Jesus Dont Want Me For a Sunbeam was the first song I ever learned. Never looked back :)
@@Pauly421 awesome! Mine was Something in the Way. You're a phenomenal guitarist, love your work!
@@SeedyL Nice! Love that song. And thank you man! :D
Nirvana Unplugged was just it's own level of amazing. Happened before I was born so I never get to speak on that but the impact it has afterwards is crazy. Love that performance with all my heart.
That performance still gives me goosebumps.
I love love love this performance.. truly deep and reflective on what the band was going through
man i wish Kurt was still alive, i was born in 99 and love nirvana i know every song and everything about them and seen every documentary lol. Shows how timeless the band was, but you gotta feel for dave man. First Kurt and he even said he couldn't even listen to music let alone play music and now Taylor who he knew much longer than he knew Kurt and it's just sad man. RIP to both legends
I first saw this when I was 6 in 1996 and my cousin who was older than me had it on VHS and loved Nirvana. Even at 6 I thought this was awesome, I was shocked as I got older to know that this mild mannered man singing was the guy blasting out the speakers on Nevermind.
I was at SNL when Nirvana played. My friend Dave who played Officer Doofy in Scary Movie was an intern and got us in. I was in the Green Room and hung out with the band. I’d met them a couple times before and they were always very nice. I remember leaving going up the escalator and looking over to the left and Kurt was sitting on a foldout chair in a small side room. He was surrounded by a bunch of “Press” people and he had his head down looking bummed out
SNL 1992 or 1993?
Wow what a lie
@@shoob7979 I guess I shouldn’t tell you about when Kurt asked us if they could stay the night at our house in Philly. 1332 Rodman St. Nirvana Slumber Party! I wouldn’t rely on your bullshit detector if I were you. It doesn’t work
That's why he "killed himself", he was too rich and famous...
My forever crush. He was so handsome. I wish I could go back to those days.
I got to see the live! It was at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in 93!! I'll never forget that day! I have a HUGE poster of Kurt from this performance at the foot of bed.
Ya herion is attractive
@@Professionalasshole No way!!!! Awww.. you're so lucky! Lucky! I'm not in the U.S. so obviously I never saw him but oh... that must of been the experience of a lifetime! Did you take pictures? Were you allowed cameras? He was ONE of a kind. 😍
Time to move on, woman. It's like 30 yrs ago.
@@Professionalasshole I was there, I was 13 or 14. I lived in wyandotte just south of Detroit. Now I live in Detroit on fort and Clark Street
This channel is honestly too good to be free
Anyone know who yelled “WOO!” from the audience during “The man who sold the world?” His or her woo has become immortalized forever in this album.
It makes most sense that it would have been one of the meat puppets brothers. As they were close to him, they might have been familiar with his rendition. Not many people, and especially not young rock music fans at the time, we’re familiar with that song.
It was Rip Torn...
Sirs. This is what you call a NEO-CLASSIC. Tne band deserved it. And still do. One of the most iconic videos in music history. ❤️
Kurt wanting to keep the smile makes me want to cry 😭. I wish I could have given him a hug.
I listen to songs from this album daily still. I watched it as it aired, so epic for a grunge teen at the time ☺️
Me too
Wow this is great. Please do more iconic music performances! I'm a massive Nirvana fan, and this was a lot of info I didn't know before, nice one bro! :D
That is my all time favorite set they ever did. I bought the video and CD back in the day. Legendary!
Repent and follow Jesus! Repent doesn't mean confess your sins buy to stop doing them altogether. Belief alone is messiah doesn't give you salvation you have to follow and obey His commands too - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36. The last 3000+ years have been a testimony to God's word. contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) God is real and can tell the future/ make it happen or B) The world leaders/nations/governments have been conspiring together for the last several millenia. Bible prophecy is still being fulfilled too with the rebirth of Israel in 1948 and the incoming RFID microchips that Sweden is testing out right now.
Pray for God to intervene in your life and look for the motion of His hand. If you have any questions about scripture feel free to ask me
Whenever I hear Where Did You Sleep Last Night, I get the chills, especially when he looks up, that always gets me.
THIS was my favorite MTV performance.
A once in a generation album. Was a key inspiration on me to pick up my dad's old acoustic guitar and begin trying to teach myself to play. And I'm sure that's the case for many many others. I'd never picked up on the Funeral design until watching this, but it certainly adds to the whole performance, and is also quite eerie considering the events that ensued not long after the show was recorded.
A true masterpiece
Man, this concert is very iconic, not only it shows group talent to take on acoustic instrument, rearranging their songs, covering some unfamiliar songs, and also broadening fans musical preferences 😁👍
Weird History Rocks!
Frickin love this channel.
I love this, thank you guys so much for covering this.
One weird thing most people miss: That Martin is right handed and, as a lefty, he has it flipped upside down. You can tell by the pick guard being on top.
It appears to be re-strung in the left-handed configuration, which is crazy because you'd have to flip the nut to do that. He must have just really loved that guitar.
I remember when they played this on mtv, it was truly groundbreaking and awesome to witness.
Bullshnikes
This was an iconic performance. Best unplugged out there. Kurt's passion, his emotions That Voice! Knowing the "problems" he suffered going on stage for a live audience and allowing himself to be completely vulnerable is what I respected the most. Solo on Penny Royal Tea, excellent! And my favorite, Where Did You Sleep Last Night.. That right there was truly Nirvana... The highs, lows, change ups.. When Kurt sang solo, no band..then started strumming - he trusted himself and his band so when he belted out the My Girl next time.. The band was right there, perfectly in tune and timed right with the lyrics. It was so tight amazing.
I've got the DVD and the CD for this and it never ceases to amaze me of the talent of that once in a lifetime band. Rest in Peace Kurt ~ the world will never forget you
✌💙💫
I think the fact they weren't prepared added to the raw and powerful nature of the Unplugged performance. It came straight from the heart and I'm so happy they did it before Kurt died.
That was a great performance, probably the best of the unplugged things they did
Probably my #1 favourite concert. Several songs from this performance are my absolute favourites.
I’ve always loved this unplugged performance. But there was always a certain quality to it that made me want to learn more about it. Thanks for the info, it was another good video.
This was a absolute great episode. Thank you.
Thank you weird history!!!! I’ve always been curious about the bts of this performance 🎭
RIP Kurt🕊🕊🕊 you left too soon. I hope you are at peace, what you couldn't find in your life.
This shows despite his addiction and pain he was such a brilliant artists that brought us an unforgettable iconic performance.
More videos like this! Really enjoyed it and learned alot!
Thanks for this! 🎶
Anyone who is in a band knows that strictly acoustic shows don't exist. I mean, maybe if you are sitting around someone's house, but not in a situation like this; with an audience. No band that was ever on Unplugged played without amps and/or mics that are ran through a P.A.
Agreed. But their where amps and mics at this performance
I saw the special on MTV when it first aired. What I actually was impressed about is at the end of the special Kurt was signing autographs for fans. It kind of shows that he still cared about the people who loved his music and had no problems signing autographs for fans
Kudos for making a fun, light video about Nirvana. Very enjoyable.
Two of my favorite topics in one video, thank you! 😊😊
A+ video!
Fascinating video and really cool seeing what was behind this classic!
I love this entire album💙
I want to hear more about Nine Inch Nails performance at Woodstock 1994
I saw it live (on pay per view)
I feel it's one of the greatest performances EVER
the mud people and the band caked in mud added a lot to it
my mom went to woodstock 94 and she remember 9 inch nails performances
This performance absolutely blew me away. I'd only known Nirvana for 'Teen Spirit' and 'Lithium' (I believe) but I'm a huge fan of acoustic music so the MTV Unplugged series was an absolute 'must watch' for me. I think I watched the Nirvana episode 3 or 4 times, start to finish, within 24 hours of my initial viewing. You could feel Cobain's pain through his voice. Songs always hit me a little harder when you can tell how much the singer 'feels' the lyrics.
Thank you for another great episode or Weird History!
I hope you’ve had time to check out Nirvana’s catalog of music. Truly masterpieces
I would like to see a video of Alice In Chains unplugged. The raw one of a kind voice of Layne always gets to me.
It’s on CZcams.
Wow thank you for this!
One of my favorites so far. Well done all.
Thank you Weird History for doing a dive into this one! One of the best from the Unplugged era!
I used to have that unplugged album, it was great!
I am not sure what my favorite unplugged performance is, but I really liked that the clips I have seen of that one and also Alice in Chains.
Awesome video, thank you so much for making it.
An utterly unbelievable performance.
It completely shattered almost everyone's perception of what Nirvana was capable of.
This is such a great channel
Now I gotta go listen to this on repeat again for the next few days. This album is definitely in my top 5 albums of all time.
Have you ever heard actual music
I remember watching this when it aired on MTV. All the subtle imperfections and quirky nuances made it perfect. Absolutely perfect.
I love seeing that smile, and yeah, it was a rarity, but it was nice when it appeared.
Wow I just watched that mtv unplugged for the first time a few days ago! Great timing for this video
His cover of Where Did You Sleep Lastnight (Lead Belly) was mint.
Fantastic to see this. Cobain is a unique inspiration. Much love. Excellent work. ❤️
The request to keep in his smile. Man that got me.
Thanks for sharing. I remember watching that episode around the time it originally aired and was impressed. Great set and my favorite "MTV Unplugged Episode." Shawn R., Mo-Mutt Music/Sacred & Secular (and longtime Nirvana fan)
All three front men for the AIC, SG and Nirvana are gone and that breaks my heart. 💙
I remember seeing this video a while ago...
I used to have this album and used to practice the song "The Man Who Sold The World" on my acoustic guitar.
This album was very popular at Doane University towards the end of my four school years.
Him going thru withdrawals and then finally getting a fix would have had him feeling extra spicy. Giving us a legendary set.
I remember listen to this album as a teenager and I loved it so much. At that time, I couldn't even understand english but his voice touched my soul.
When you actually had one then you soled it out when you typed this
I have a ticket from unplugged someone I worked with was there and he knew I was a massive Nirvana fan and he gave it to me for my birthday I’ll never forget how I felt when I got that concert ticket.
Really interesting, thanks!
Great job very different topic I loved it
I still listen to songs from this performance to this day!!
It's so sad that Kurt only had 5 more months to live after that performance 😔❤
R.I.P Kurt 🙏🏻🎸🥀❤🕊
I have the DVD. It shows the pre show rehearsal. It was horrendous. Then when they recorded the show it was magic.
I have unplugged in New York album on my iPod, love it.👍👍
I worked at MTV Europe and was a camera assistant for Oasis first TV appearance.
So glad that I lived through those days. Good times.
Great vid
I wouldn't change any single song from this unplugged. This was the first CD I bought along with my portable Sony CD player. When he said: "This is from our first record, most people don't own it." I said, well...I do.
Great insight!
That was hilarious! You turned something that is normally depressing into something very funny 😆 keep up the great work! 👍
The Unplugged show is one of my favorite shows. Where did you sleep last night will always be a favorite song of mine. Kurt sings it so well, and it sounds haunting. but really, every song they did was incredible. the songs were moving, and really resonate with people, today as much as they did back then. there's a slightly melancholy atmosphere to the Unplugged performances Nirvana did. the way the set is designed, the calmness in the room as Kurt is singing. this show was perfect, and I enjoy watching it.
I'd like to see you do the Guns and Rosea gig at Calder Park Melbourne Australia. What a clusterfuck of an event.
As a Nirvana fan i knew almost all of these facts but watching this brought back so many good memories from the 90s.
The best 'unplugged' song I've ever seen is undoubtedly, 'The Man Who Sold the World', a David Bowie piece. I love the atmosphere, the arrangement, Kurt's guitar solo, etc, everything about it. (No, I wasn't there, but seen it on CZcams.)
I remember watching this and I was praying that they would release this as a album
One of my favorites
Since its debut it has continuously lived on my top three albums of all times list along with Pearl Jam Ten and Guns n Roses lies
Worthless addendum here I also specifically have Stargazer lilies in my wedding bouquet
Favorite Unplugged, Prince.
A video about pizza and Nirvana in the same week… you guys are genius 👍
I still have the CD of this Unplugged.
Awesome performance
Not gonna lie, when they mentioned the amp disguised as a monitor, I spent the rest of the video trying to look for it; haven't found it so far, but I ain't ready to give up!
3:00 Black shape bottom right corner