Because the Nirvana refused to go on tour with Ozzy Osbourne

At the exit of “Nevermind”, published on September 24, 1991, the Nirvana were just the success that in a short time He would project them in the world spotlight. Already in the previous weeks, the single forerunner “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had made it guess that something was changing: not only for the Kurt Cobain band, but for the entire mainstream rock panorama. Invested by a sensational and unexpected fame, the group therefore found itself catapulted to global attention, also finding itself in front of proposals that for many would have been indispensable. At that time, the requests flocked and everyone, from the Guns n ‘Roses to the Rush, they wanted Nirvana as an opening act. At the frontman of the Nirvana, grown up listening – among others – the Black Sabbath, even came proposed to open the concerts of Ozzy Osbourne On a tour destined to recall crazy oceanic. Nevertheless, Cobain and his band refused.

The idea of performing as “support bands” was not reconciled with the phase that Kurt, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl were experiencing. The Nirvana had just become the new voice of their generation, and they had no intention of getting perceived as supporting actors, even if the possibility was a legend as Osbourne. Cobain and members they preferred to wait for the moment when those same arenas would have trodden as absolute protagonistswanting to get to the public with the strength of his identity, without depending on the popularity of others.

The story was told by Kurt Cobain himself to the journalist Gilbert Blecken, who asked him: “I recently read that even Ozzy Osbourne is a fan of ‘Nevermind’ hour. What do you think you have it as an admirer?”. Cobain replied:

“I can understand that Ozzy we like, because we have at least some similarity with his old band. Of course, I respect that man, I have always loved his music, except in the last five albums or so. I have not paid much attention to most of his solo things, apart from ‘Bark at the Moon’ – When he came out, I don’t remember. Ozzy was also in the same mixing study in which we were our late Sometimes in the corridors we have not talked about, but on a couple of occasions we found ourselves to come towards each other and I had to move against the wall and wait for him to pass me in front of me, because he was really bad.

At the question if it was towards the Nirvana, they had also refused an offer of the Guns N ‘Roses, Kurt said: “Yes. And even Rush, Skid Row and a lot of others asked us to open for them”. Explaining what effect to be “surrounded by many people who called them the” Next Big Thing “, the frontman of the” Nevermind “band said:”I think it’s embarrassing to have many expectations about us. ‘Next Big Thing’ is a truly superficial label to stick to a band, it would be a huge disappointment if it really doesn’t really become it. And it is not even our goal, first of all. It is the people who give us that definition, without that we really want to take that role. “He continued:” We are not ready for this, because we will not become it. We are prepared to destroy our career as it happens “.

Years later, Even at Ozzy Osbourne it happened to talk about the meeting with Kurt Cobainunderlining that had no memory of the incident, and that It was Dave Grohl who made it any At the Black Sabbath frontman, who did not seem to be memory. In an interview for Lauch Radio Networks in 2007, Osbourne listed some of his favorite bands and the purpose of the Nirvana said: “Apparently once I met Kurt Cobain. I was talking to Dave Grohl and he said to me: ‘You probably don’t remember him, but when you were at Devonhire Studios in San Fernando Valley, Kurt and I were in the room with the billiards. When you entered we thought: ‘C *** O’ “. While not remembering that epiodio, Ozzy still claimed to be really proud to know that Cobain estimated him. In his autobiography” I Am Ozzy “of 2009, the musician who died last July 22, wrote:” ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ had a huge impact on me – and I was very proud when I knew that Kurt Cobain was a fan of mine. I found it fantastic “.