{"id":58777,"date":"2025-10-03T20:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T20:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/58777\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T20:30:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T20:30:24","slug":"nirvana-are-trained-professionals-not-role-models-nirvanas-first-fan-newsletter-1991","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/58777\/","title":{"rendered":"‘NIRVANA ARE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, NOT ROLE MODELS’: Nirvana\u2019s first fan newsletter, 1991"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello\u2026 Welcome to the Nirvana form letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Nirvana\u2019s first newsletter, 10 October 1991<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"nirvana<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1991, Nirvana<\/a> band members Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic signed the band\u2019s first fan newsletter in black ballpoint pen, green felt tip marker and red felt tip marker. The newsletter was accompanied with a Nirvana original merchandise form, which included four of the band\u2019s T-shirts<\/a>, and the private addresses of a number of leading celebrities (Kiss, The Fonz, Elton John, the Bay City Rollers and many more\u2026).<\/p>\n

NIRVANA NEWSLETTER TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello\u2026<\/p>\n

Welcome to the Nirvana form letter. Thanks for writing (except for evil Jessica Hopper in Minneapolis who says the new album makes her \u201csad, and what happened to songs like \u2018Love Buzz\u2019 and \u2018School’\u201d\u2026 nah, just kidding Jessica; your letter was great, even if you do like Mudhoney better). Excuse the pap of this computer jive, but it\u2019s all we can muster for now, what with the touring action and record release mayhem and all that (not to mention the limo rides, charity appearances, and parties on soupy sales yacht). Nirvana\u2019s on the road until Halloween, home for a brief while, then off to Europe \u2014 the tour dates are on the back of the order form.<\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t set up a fan club just yet, but we probably will soon and you\u2019ll be the first to know when we do. We just gotta field the mail and get an idea what this fan club stuff will entail so we can do it up right!<\/p>\n

By now you may have heard about the Nevermind record release party, thrown at Rebar in Seattle on Friday the 13th of September, during which a cool $2000 worth of draught beer was consumed by just 200 people in 2 hours. It also goes down in the history books as the only record release party where the band was thrown out (Chris started a food fight that got a little out of hand). The evening wound down about 10 hours later in a giant heap on their DGC rep\u2019s living room floor, Kurdt and Dave in two of her finest smocks, and all busy defacing a beloved Nelson gold record. Oh yeah \u2014 KIDS, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. NIRVANA ARE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, NOT ROLE MODELS.<\/p>\n

To all of you who need lyrics, sorry, but aside from the ones printed in Nevermind, Kurdt isn\u2019t exactly sure himself of most of them, because the vocal tracks are recorded while he is in a religious state of fervor, i.e. the guy is speaking in tongues. His advice is to mumble through them as best you can, and when in doubt, try either \u201cgun\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t care\u201d. Our favourite lyrics screw-up so far is Robin Peringer\u2019s interpretation of \u201cTeen Spirit\u201d\u2018s line, \u201ca mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido,\u201d which he turned into, \u201cI\u2019m Nirvana, I\u2019m Nirvana, you\u2019re a skater, have a beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of you, too, have asked about the spelling of Kurdt\u2019s name, why it is spelled differently at different times in different places. Kurt\u2019s name has an interesting genesis, beginning with the 1906 immigration of Curt\u2019s Scottish great-grandparents, Kadthy and Curdt Sr. MacKobain, to Aberdeen, WA where the MacCobains were put to work at Lukin\u2019s House of Pork as musical entertainers in the copious lounge. To make a long (and incredibly interesting) story short, this musical legacy was passed down to young Curdt, who clipped the \u201cMac\u201d from his surname so as to create the necessary alternative \u201crock\u201d effect that the modern Rock Dude must cultivate. This bastardisation of his heritage was and is a difficult, albeit necessary, decision for Kurt, so all are advised to avoid the subject. Thank you in advance for your consideration.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"nirvana<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

On a lighter note, who\u2019s the baby on the cover of Nevermind, you ask? Well, that little tyke is none other than Sub Pop head honcho Jonathan Poneman! As he scurries for that elusive dollar, one sees how early his motives in life were cemented.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, if anyone was wondering what happened to Chad Channing, Nirvana\u2019s drummer on Bleach, he and his mother, Stockard (of \u201cGrease\u201d fame) have opened Rizzo\u2019s Bar and Grill, a wonderful rib house. He\u2019s also playing drums in Fire Ants, a wild trio featuring Brian Wood on vocals and guitar; he\u2019s the brother of the late Andy Wood, who sang for Mother Love Bone. Andy\u2019s other brother Kevin plays bass, as he did for Malfunkshun, Andy\u2019s band before MLB.<\/p>\n

For all of you who asked (and you who didn\u2019t), here\u2019s a Nirvana discography, as complete as we could do with our lame memories, and not in any particular order. We\u2019ll do a big ol\u2019 formal one down the line in a FAN CLUB NEWSLETTER or something.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove Buzz\u201d \/ \u201cBig Cheese\u201d 7\u2033 (Sub Pop)<\/p>\n

Bleach LP (Sub Pop) 1st 1000 on white vinyl, next 2000 with poster<\/p>\n

\u201cBlew\u201d EP (Tupelo \u2013 import) with Love Buzz and unreleased Been A Son & Stain<\/p>\n

\u201cSliver\u201d \/ \u201cDive\u201d 7\u2033 (Sub Pop in US, Tupelo in UK) ltd. ed. blue vinyl in US, green in UK<\/p>\n

\u201cMolly\u2019s Lips\u201d split 7\u2033 w\/ the Fluid (Sub Pop) ltd. pressing, small % of those on coloured vinyl<\/p>\n

\u201cSpank Thru\u201d on Sub Pop 200 compilation \u201cHere She Comes Now\u201d (Velvet Underground cover) on Heaven & Hell LP and split 7\u2033 w\/ the Melvins, both on Communion. 7\u2033 is on ltd. ed. coloured vinyl \u201cBeeswax\u201d on Kill Rock Stars compilation (Pulp) ltd. ed. 1000<\/p>\n

\u201cDo You Love Me?\u201d on Hard To Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation (C\/Z)<\/p>\n

\u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d EP (DGC) with unreleased \u201cAneurysm\u201d & \u201cEven In His Youth\u201d Nevermind (DGC)<\/p>\n

\u201cYou Make Me Feel Like Dancin’\u201d split 7\u2033 with Dinah Shore Jr. (Ben Dover) (upcoming)<\/p>\n

\u201cIslands In The Stream\u201d Kurdt duets with Mecca Normal\u2019s Jean Smith on soundtrack to Dying Young 2: Electric Boogaloo (MCA)<\/p>\n

Well, that\u2019s it for now. Thanks again for writing. ALL LETTERS ARE READ BY THE BAND. It might take forever, but all letters are read. So keep in touch, and tell your friends to get a hold of us if they\u2019re interested in keeping tabs with the band. Have an awesome Halloween; we\u2019ll be playing with Mudhoney at the Paramount in Seattle\u2026 watch out! Yours truly, Kurt Chris Dave<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"nirvana<\/p>\n

Via: LiveNirvana<\/a><\/p>\n


\n<\/a>
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