It was a centre-piece of the iconic 1993 gig in New York, which was later released as an album the following year. The release won Nirvana their only ever Grammy and gained cult-like status as it was recorded just five months before Cobain’s death.

The legendary concert will now be immortalised at The Royal College of Music Museum. Rock journalist Alan di Perna and curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni will run the exhibition in London, which will be available to attend between June 3 and November 18 2025.

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Speaking to The Guardian on the uniqueness of the guitar, di Perna said: “It’s a very rare instrument and an unsuccessful model. The whole world was going crazy for electric guitars in 1959 and this was Martin’s attempt at making an acoustic guitar electric, and it didn’t really work.

“It’s one of a kind: the guitar was modified for Cobian’s left-hand playing technique… In a way it’s kind of an outcast like Kurt himself. It’s a suitable guitar for him in a lot of ways.”

‘Nirvana Unplugged’ will be familiar to many people who lived throughout the 1990s as it was a mainstay on MTV following Cobain’s untimely death. The performance will forever be adored by fans as it showcased the true spirit of the iconic grunge band and the ‘90s as a whole. Despite pressure from the broadcaster to play their big hits, Cobain and co decided to fill the setlist with several covers including three songs by the relatively unknown band The Meat Puppets.

“I put it up there with The Beatles on the roof of Apple Records in London. Just imagine if John Lennon died five months after that performance? How powerful would that be? That’s what we have with Nirvana Unplugged!” di Perna said.

The Royal College of Music has been loaned the Martin D-18E guitar by it’s owner, Peter Freedman, after he bought it for $6 million (£4.8m) in 2020, which made it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.

Freedman stated how he intended to use the guitar as a warning to upcoming artists: “I paid for it but I’m going to use it to highlight the plight of artists worldwide by touring it around and then I’m going to sell it and use the dough for that as well, later” he said after making the purchase.
It will not only be the guitar being immortalised at the exhibition, with the olive-green cardigan Cobain wore for the performance also being on show, along with original gig posters, collectable vinyl records, and pieces from Cobain’s personal musical equipment collection.

A series of events, performances and workshops inspired by the legendary Seattle-based band will coincide with the exhibition in London, making it a must see for any Nirvana fan.

Tickets will go on sale from April 30 for £5, available here.

Guitarist Conor Curley shed light on why they chose to tackle Bring Me The Horizon’s track, which originally appeared on the Sempiternal album. “It was Grian’s idea from the start,” Curley explained, referring to frontman Grian Chatten. “The electronic elements and overall mood of the song felt aligned with what we explored on our last album, ‘Romance‘, so it made sense as a starting point. Plus, it’s a moody, beautiful song.”

As for incorporating ‘Heart-Shaped Box’, Curley revealed that Nirvana’s 1993 classic holds a personal significance for him. “It was probably one of the first songs I learned on guitar in drop D [tuning],” he shared. Interestingly, the band briefly considered swapping the Bring Me The Horizon track entirely for ‘Heart-Shaped Box’, before ultimately deciding to fuse the two. “Grian just started playing it during soundcheck, and we thought, ‘Do we switch to that instead?’” Curley recalled.

Unfortunately, Fontaines D.C. had to cancel their planned South American tour, which was set to follow their Australia and New Zealand dates. Frontman Grian Chatten suffered a herniated disc, forcing the band to pull out of shows across Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.

Expressing his disappointment, Chatten shared a statement at the time: “I’ve been looking forward to playing in these incredible countries for years, and it’s heartbreaking to be here in Mexico City and not be able to take the stage. But today, I was advised that I need urgent medical attention. We deeply appreciate your support, and from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry I can’t perform for you.”

Despite the setback, the band’s Like A Version session stands as a powerful testament to their ability to reimagine music in their own distinctive style.

The band’s latest album ‘Romance‘ recently peaked at number two on UK charts. Their previous release ‘Skinty Fia‘, was published in 2022 and peaked at number one.

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Courtney Love is an American singer, songwriter, and actress best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Hole, which gained fame in the 1990s with albums like ‘Live Through This‘ (1994) and ‘Celebrity Skin‘ (1998). She was also famously married to Kurt Cobain, the late frontman of Nirvana. Love has been a controversial yet influential figure in rock music, known for her raw lyrics, distinctive voice, and outspoken personality. The singer has spent considerable time in the UK over the years and previously spoken about her affinity for British music, literature, and history.

A highlight of the evening was Love’s impromptu performance of Dylan’s classic ‘Like A Rolling Stone‘, accompanied by an acoustic guitarist. This performance occurred nearly six decades after Dylan’s own iconic rendition at the nearby Royal Albert Hall, adding a layer of historical resonance to the night.During the event, Love also addressed circulating rumors about a potential reunion of Hole. She firmly dismissed these speculations, stating that there are no plans for the band to reunite at this time. This clarification comes after previous hints in early 2024 about a possible reunion. However, the singer confirmed she’s been working on a new album since 2009 and will tour solo when it’s finished.

The London event underscored the timeless influence of Bob Dylan’s artistry and highlighted the unique perspectives of Love and Almond. Their reflections offered attendees a nuanced understanding of how Dylan’s work continues to resonate across different artistic mediums and generations. As Love prepares to finalise her British citizenship, fans can look forward to seeing how this new chapter unfolds for the legendary musician.

Throughout much of his career, Albini was hell-bent on being described as an engineer not a producer. Talking to Headliner Magazine last year, he described the uncomfortable feeling of being tethered to this label; ‘A producer has responsibility for all the artistic decisions on a record…I don’t do that,”. He stated that was happy to leave those choices to whichever band he was working with, preferring not to be pigeonholed in this way. He told the magazine ‘It’s not that I prefer not to be called a producer, it’s that it’s incorrect and misleading’. You can read the interview in which he talks producing, the future of music and Kurt Cobain here.

His punishing sound defined the late 20th century and has reverberated through the music industry since then, having recorded thousands of albums including landmark releases such the Pixies Surfa Rosa of 1988 and PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me of 1993 as well as most notably Nirvana’s third and final studio album In Utero, which turned 30 in September of last year. Kurt Cobain, feeling the band needed a sound revival after the release of Nirvana’s penultimate album Nevermind, found this salvation in Albini.

Albini revealed that originally he didn’t find the band all that revolutionary, however agreed to work with them out of pity, believing they were shackled to a label who refused to let them explore a more caustic and corrosive sound. At the time the label, Geffen, were callous towards the album requesting many of the songs be remixed. Though this was very little concern to Albini who had a track record of being unapologetically unsympathetic towards labels and charged a flat fee for working with him; contesting with the notion of perpetually profiting from an artist’s work. Still, the album ended up selling 5 million copies just in the US and after its release and according to Far Out magazine, Albini noted that he even found himself “listening to it of [his] own free will, occasionally”. You can read Albini’s thoughts on the industry here in his perspicacious essay ‘The Problem with Music’.

Primarily, Albini was a musician despite his engineering efforts morphing into a central part of his career. He was the front man for bands such as Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac who he continued touring with up until his death. The band are due to release their first full album since 2014 titled To All Trains on the 17th of May and have recently announced a UK tour which will take place in June. Albini’s plethora of legacy solidifying, palpable, albums and sound will continue to shape the future of music indefinitely and his refreshing but bloodless critiques of the industry, will be missed. You can preorder To All Trains here.

A series of gigs have been announced next month to mark its long-awaited reopening, with its first performances taking place on Friday April 19, except it will feature tribute acts as opposed to famous bands. Nirvana UK will pay homage to the 90s grunge band, with a tongue-and-cheek The Smyths following suit. On the following Friday, April 26, two more tribute acts will take to the stage, including Definitely Might Be, inspired by Oasis, and UK Foo Fighters. Tickets for both shows will go on sale this Friday (March 8) at 9am GMT. You can purchase them here.

English quintet Editors will be the first major band to headline the venue, and are set to perform on May 2, with special guests yet to be confirmed. The band took to social media today (March 4) to showcase the gig after wrapping up their UK tour yesterday, commenting: “We’re extremely excited to return to @o2academybrix in London on May 2nd!”

We’re extremely excited to return to @O2AcademyBrix in London on May 2nd!

Tickets on sale this Friday, March 8th, at 10am -> https://t.co/9cvHB75upU pic.twitter.com/6DRZ1U8QK6

— EDITORS (@editorsofficial) March 4, 2024

In an unexpected announcement, US rock band The Black Keys have also revealed they will be playing the South London venue in a two-night residency on Tuesday 7 May and Wednesday 8 May. Tickets for both Editors and The Black Keys will also go on sale on the same date as the tribute shows, Friday March 8, but at 10am GMT. You can find them here.

Pre-order our new album Ohio Players from our UK store before March 5th, 5pm GMT to access the exclusive fan pre-sale on March 6th, 10am GMT. Fans who have already pre-ordered will also get access.

Tickets go on sale Friday 8th March, 10am local time. https://t.co/0inZOM7ceQ pic.twitter.com/mG3Avcfm4i

— The Black Keys (@theblackkeys) March 4, 2024

The future of the legendary music venue remained uncertain for the best part of a year and a half after Lambeth Council suspended its license, with the Metropolitan Police reportedly advocating for the beloved music spot to close its doors permanently. An online petition was launched after the venue confirmed its closure, with the hope that the decision would be overturned. A plethora of artists and industry professionals also spoke out, condemning the possibility that it could be closed for good.

In December 2023, it was declared that the venue would be allowed to retain its license and reopen, providing the building and its organisers can meet more than 77 “robust” safety rules and conditions. Brixton Academy has allegedly spent £1.2 million on maintenance and improvements last year, including stronger doors, a more efficient queuing system and a more secure ticketing process, according to Brixton Academy’s owners, Academy Music Group (AMG).

Interior. CREDIT: AMG.

“We continue to be devastated by the events of last December,” AMG’s statement said. “Our heartfelt condolences remain with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson. What happened was and is a tragedy and we are committed to ensuring that it can never be repeated.”

“Over the past nine months, the venue’s importance to the local community and the live music scene in the UK has been made clear. Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15 2022. As the Licensing Sub Committee knows, the venue must implement all the new conditions and will reopen at first with test events. The commitment we give to work in close partnership with all the responsible authorities as we reopen is a serious and sincere one.”

The building first opened in 1929 as a cinema and boasted sleek Art Deco interior and a theatrical-style stage framed by its famous arch, which was modelled on the Rialto Bridge in Venice. In July 1972 it reopened as a disco, rebranded again throughout the 80s and 90s, and has held enormous cultural significance ever since, attracting some of the world’s greatest and most renowned acts, including Amy Winehouse, The Clash, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

With a string of exciting new headline shows set to take place over the coming months, this hopefully marks a new chapter and era for a venue that has been clouded by such a devastating event.

The project aims to preserve the musical heritage of the city by amassing a collection of visual memories in the form of concert tickets, thereby allowing both us in the present and those in future generations to resonate with and relive live music performances by some of the world’s greatest artists.

One of these is Bruce Springsteen, whose performance with The E Street Band in July 2013 inaugurated the First Direct Arena. Such a massive moment in the musical history of Leeds is now documented, visually in the form of an actual physical ticket, in the archive for others to enjoy and celebrate. A show by the iconic Irish rock band U2 is another among the remarkable performances recorded on the platform. They played Elland Road on July 1st 1987, where tickets were £14 and Special Guests were promised.

The archive also remembers Sir Elton John’s 1984 gig at The Queens Hall during his European Express Tour. The ticket reminded a commenter on the archive post about their experience at the gig as they stated, “I was at this gig! Elton played at the now demolished Queens Hall (tram shed) and it was truly one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to!“.

Louise Birch, the senior librarian at Leeds Libraries, recounts how the project came to be, saying, “The project came about as I was going through some of my own ticket stubs that I’d collected over the years, and I realised that many venues don’t actually issue physical tickets anymore.

“Leeds has hosted some of the biggest names in music over the years along with a thriving local gig scene and some incredible venues that have become a huge part of the city’s story.

“Every single one of these tickets also represents a unique memory for the person who went to that gig and what we really want is for people to share those memories and experiences and help us build a living, constantly evolving archive of live music in Leeds.”

The librarians who run the archive are actively trying to increase the collection and are on the lookout for particular gigs, including Jimi Hendrix at The Odeon in 1967, The Sex Pistols at Leeds Polytechnic in 1976, Nirvana at The Duchess in 1989 and Oasis at The Duchess in 1994.

The Leodis archive can be accessed here: https://www.leodis.net/.

Paying tribute to Nirvana’s third and final album, the album artwork has been recreated on a pink background. Fans are being encouraged to visit the mural and to leave their messages for the band, honouring the 1993 album.

A mural has been unveiled in Camden to celebrate 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s third and final album, In Utero https://t.co/4JX5whFC8N pic.twitter.com/xQV9QpzHSO

— THE LINE of BEST FIT (@bestfitmusic) November 1, 2023

In Utero was an instant critical and commercial success, debuting at No.1 on the UK Albums Chart and No.1 on the US Billboard 200. The album included iconic tracks such as “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Dumb” and “Rape Me.” To celebrate its 30th anniversary, a special edition reissue of the album was released last week.  

The 30th Anniversary Edition of In Utero is out now! https://t.co/OOTiUVYqsR The Super Deluxe box sets contains 53 unreleased tracks, including two never before released complete concerts from the In Utero tour. Find your preferred format here: https://t.co/OOTiUVYqsR… pic.twitter.com/GtCAIwagvF — Nirvana (@Nirvana) October 27, 2023

Speaking on the album’s impact, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said, “When you listen to it, it goes somewhere. It’s dark, it’s beautiful, it’s all points in between. It’s bittersweet. We recorded it in about a week and a few of the songs were the first take. We were well-rehearsed and loved playing together. That was our glue as a band. We played live and it was live to tape.”

Novoselic continued, “It’s amazing what can happen when three people with instruments get together. You could make so much sound in a way that captures the imagination. That’s the beauty of music: you invite people in. The record can be pretty, but it can also be dark. Going back to this record, I was just reminded of our humanity as a group. There were a lot of different statements on there and that’s what you get: the post-’Nevermind’ Nirvana, after becoming a world-famous band.”

The 30th anniversary reissue of In Utero has been released in several formats, including a limited-edition eight LP super deluxe box set, a five CD super deluxe box set and a digital super deluxe edition, amongst others.

Novoselic shared his thoughts on the reissue, saying, “This one’s got a lot of cool things like backstage passes and little things you can hold, like The Who’s ‘Live At Leeds’ record.”

He continued, “I’m excited about the live shows on there, because they used AI. We took the digital audio tapes from the soundboard in Rome, Seattle and Los Angeles, then the AI can separate all the instruments and we got a really good mix out of it.”

The In Utero 30th anniversary reissue is available to purchase in various formats here.

Stream In Utero (30th Anniversary Super Deluxe) below.

Recent studies have brought about a paradigm shift in our understanding of homophily and forming connections. With the speed up of neuro tech and advanced neuroimaging techniques in the recent years, scientists have been able to achieve major breakthroughs and measure brain activity from two or more individuals simultaneously. One of the neurobiological underpinnings they have discovered is that people with similar personality traits are more likely to have the same taste in music.

This new study was conducted by Cambridge academic Dr David Greenberg. Greenberg is a psychologist, behavioural scientist, and musician. He is the founder of the Musical Universe project, which is a scientific platform that uses masses of data to advance knowledge and improve lives across cultures. Greenberg has developed multiple scientific tests on musical engagement and his research has examined music at the intersection of social science, neuroscience, genetics, and clinical treatment. Greenberg’s recent study investigated the relationship between musical preferences and our personality. The study involved more than 350,000 participants from over 50 countries and 6 continents, discovering that the link between musical preferences and personality are universal.

Greenberg does not seek to pigeonhole music-lovers, and has said: “If people who score high for neuroticism, for example, are being fed more intense music and they’re already feeling stressed and frustrated, is that helping with their anxiety or is it just reinforcing and perpetuating? These are the questions we now need to answer. Musical preferences do shift and change, they are not set in stone. And we are not suggesting that someone is just extroverted or just open.We all have combinations of personality traits and combinations of musical preferences of varying strengths. Our findings are based on averages and we have to start somewhere to begin to see and understand connections.”

Why wait? Let’s change the world now through music! I’m honored that @DiscoverMag wrote a featured article showing the social power of music and the unique role of personality. #musicscience #musictherapy #psychology @BarIlanU @Cambridge_Uni https://t.co/WeFLMFDBtn

— Dr. David Greenberg (@greenbergmusic) April 27, 2022

Some of the eye-opening findings include: “Ed Sheeran’s song ‘Shivers’ is as likely to appeal to extraverts living the UK as those living Argentina or India. Those with neurotic traits in the US are as likely to be into Nirvana’s ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ as people with a similar personality living in Denmark or South Africa. Agreeable people all over the world will tend to like Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, or Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s ‘Shallow’. National borders cannot stop open people from replaying David Bowie’s Space Oddity or Nina Simone. It does not matter where a conscientious person lives, they are unlikely to enjoy Rage Against the Machine.”

Greenberg hopes for future research to test the links between music and personality in real-world settings as a way of seeing how music can be a bridge between people from different cultures around the globe.

Read more about the findings from the study here.

Listen to a podcast featuring Greenberg discussing what are music taste says about us here.

‘The Storyteller – Tales Of Life and Music’ “is a collection of a life lived loud. From his formative years on the DC punk rock scene through the decades of music that followed, Dave will share the experiences that have defined him — plus some special surprises“. Ahead of the book release that is out on the 5th of October, the musician will appear in four cities: London, New York, Washington and Los Angeles. 

The London show will take place in Savoy Theatre on Monday, the 27th of September. Tickets are available to purchase here, make sure you get one until they are all gone. Tickets are limited to two per transaction and include a copy of the book. As per press, the evening with Grohl will “see (and hear) him bring his eagerly anticipated first ever book to life”. Doors to the event will be open at 6:30 pm and the musician will appear on stage at 8 pm.

The trailer for the book has been shared last week, where we can watch Grohl explaining the story behind the release: “I’ve never really been one to collect stuff, but I do collect moments. My life flashes before my eyes every single day and in writing this book I’ve tried to capture those moments as best I can”. You can watch the video below.

In a meantime, Dave Grohl shared that he is still coming to terms with Kurt Cobain’s death. “I’m still processing Kurt’s death because I have to explain it to my kids, who love Nirvana. Because for the longest time, I would try to process it, and talk about it with friends and family and things like that, and they would help me, but now I feel like I have to help my kids go through it. It’s a lifetime of healing” he admits in the new BBC documentary ‘When Nirvana Came To Britain‘. The BBC documentary marks the 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind and it is available on BBC iPlayer now.

You can purchase the book here.

Date for US evenings book shows with Grohl are:

05/10/21 – Town Hall – New York City
07/10 – Lincoln Theatre – Washington DC
12,13/10 – The Ford – Los Angeles

According to a TMZ report and the legal documents uploaded by Pitchfork, Elden has sued all Nirvana band members as well as Nevermind album artwork photographer Kirk Weddle and designer Robert Fisher; the labels responsible for the album’s release, including Universal Music and Geffen Records; and Nirvana’s drummer from 1988 to 1990, Chad Channing.

The lawsuit was filed on August 24 claiming that the defendants have “violated” federal child pornography statutes and that Elden sustained “injuries” and “lifelong damages” due to the defendants’ “commercial child sexual exploitation of him from while he was a minor to the present day”. Neither Grohl, Novoselic, or the estate of Cobain has responded publicly to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that the band “failed to take reasonable steps to protect Spencer and prevent his widespread sexual exploitation and image trafficking. Cobain agreed to redact Spencer’s image with a sticker bearing the text If you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile” which was in fact detailed by the 1993 Nirvana biography Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, however, the album was ultimately released without a said sticker.

The lawsuit further claims “Neither Spencer nor his legal guardians ever signed a release authorizing the use of any images of Spencer or of his likeness and certainly not of commercial child pornography depicting him.” It also alleges that Elden never received any compensation following the commercial success of Nevermind.

Elden is seeking actual damages, or liquidated damages amounting to $150,000 per defendant, attorney’s fees, and a trial by jury. Elden now aged 30, was only a few months old when he was photographed for the cover of Nevermind. In a 2016 TIME interview on the 25th anniversary of the album’s release, he revealed that he had had not come fully to terms with appearing on the cover and that he had previously looked into legal action against the label Geffen Records.

“It’s hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved, [When] I go to a baseball game and think about it: ‘Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,’ I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked.” Elden also told TIME that he tried reaching out to the band, but was unsuccessful.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, many legal experts say the lawsuit is likely to be dismissed. Bryan Sullivan, an entertainment litigation partner at Early Sullivan, stated that the suit was “ridiculous,” and that even if there wasn’t a written agreement, Elden’s claims are weak. “I think it is highly unlikely that a record company would use a photograph for an album cover without verifying the existence of a release signed by the parents, but, if is there is no release, it does not mean he has a claim for child pornography. As to the right of privacy, you can waive it by your actions or by his parents’ actions in allowing him to be photographed.”

Entertainment lawyer Andrew Brettler agreed that publicity will be a key issue: “What I think really damns their case is the fact that this kid sat for all these interviews and re-created the album art.”

Elden’s lawyer, Mabbie told CNN the cover is an “overly sexualised” image and said that it was “child exploitation in the way that they created it and the way they distribute the image today.” She also states that Elden is expecting another invasion of his privacy as the album approaches its 30th anniversary, which takes place next month.