SMALL SCREEN GEMS (4, 5 & 6): Nirvana – Channel 4 and BBC TV (1991)

Returning again to a clip from The Word, the late-night ‘magazine style’ show that was broadcast on Channel 4 between 1990 and 1995.

Friday 8 November 1991.

Seemingly the first ever time Nirvana appeared live on any TV programme anywhere in the world.  Just prior to starting the song, Kurt Cobain boldly said ‘I’d like all you people in this room to know that Courtney Love, the lead singer in the sensational pop group Hole, is the best fuck in the world’

mp3: Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (single version)

Two weeks later, Smells Like Teen Spirit entered the singles chart at #9 which led to a slot on the edition of Top of the Pops being broadcast on Thursday 28 November, with the actual recording taking place the day before.

Like many before them, and indeed later, the band weren’t enamoured by the fact they had to mime rather than play live, albeit the rules of the show at the time did allow for a vocal to be delivered live over a pre-recorded backing track.  Kurt, Kris and Dave decided to have a bit of fun:-

The single rose to #7 the following week.

Straight after the TOTP recording, the band headed to Birmingham for the second night of the second half of their UK tour – nine shows in all – which culminated on Thursday 5 December at the Kilburn National Ballroom in London.   The following day, they were booked to appear live on an early evening chat show (6.30-7pm) on Channel 4.  I recall tuning in, totally expecting the unexpected with my finger poised over the record button on the VHS machine. I wasn’t disappointed.

Brilliant bit of ad-libbing from Jonathan Ross at the end of the performance. The band was supposed to play Lithium, as they had done during an earlier rehearsal.

mp3: Nirvana – Territorial Pissings
mp3: Nirvana – Lithium

Quick reminder that if you want to enter the competition to win a copy of the new Broken Chanter album, the closing date is tomorrow.

 

JC