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Nirvana stages surprise reunion for first time in 7 years

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 5, 2025

By Geoff Herbert syracuse.com

FireAid photos Nirvana’s surviving members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear reunited at the FireAid Benefit Concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on Thursday, Jan. 30. Completely unannounced, Nirvana took to the stage at 10.30 p.m. in the penultimate slot of the night and tore through a four-song set with four female guest vocalists. St. Vincent took on vocal and guitar duties on Nevermind track Breed, before Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon fronted the band for early Nirvana classic School. Rock icon Joan Jett then joined Nirvana to tear through the gloriously heavy Territorial Pissings. The show ended with his daughter Violet Grohl singing on an Unplugged version of All Apologies.
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FireAid photos

Nirvana’s surviving members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear reunited at the FireAid Benefit Concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on Thursday, Jan. 30. Completely unannounced, Nirvana took to the stage at 10.30 p.m. in the penultimate slot of the night and tore through a four-song set with four female guest vocalists. St. Vincent took on vocal and guitar duties on Nevermind track Breed, before Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon fronted the band for early Nirvana classic School. Rock icon Joan Jett then joined Nirvana to tear through the gloriously heavy Territorial Pissings. The show ended with his daughter Violet Grohl singing on an Unplugged version of All Apologies.

FireAid photos Nirvana’s surviving members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear reunited at the FireAid Benefit Concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on Thursday, Jan. 30. Completely unannounced, Nirvana took to the stage at 10.30 p.m. in the penultimate slot of the night and tore through a four-song set with four female guest vocalists. St. Vincent took on vocal and guitar duties on Nevermind track Breed, before Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon fronted the band for early Nirvana classic School. Rock icon Joan Jett then joined Nirvana to tear through the gloriously heavy Territorial Pissings. The show ended with his daughter Violet Grohl singing on an Unplugged version of All Apologies.
Dave Grohl
Krist Novoselic

A legendary rock band reunited for the first time in nearly a decade to perform at FireAid.

The surviving members of Nirvana took the stage near the end of the benefit concert for L.A. wildfire relief, according to Rolling Stone. The surprise performance featured drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic, and guitarist Pat Smear with guest singers St. Vincent (on Breed), Kim Gordon (School), Joan Jett (Territorial Pissings) and Grohl’s 18-year-old daughter, Violet Grohl (All Apologies).

Nirvana split after Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994, but reunited in 2012 for the Sound City documentary song Cut Me Some Slack with Paul McCartney. Grohl, Novoselic and Smear also performed with St. Vincent, Gordon, Jett and Lorde at Nirvana’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2014. The band last played together at San Bernardino’s Cal Jam in 2018.

Grohl told Rolling Stone in 2014 that he only wanted to do Nirvana songs with female singers to avoid sounding like a “eulogy. It was more about the future.”

“The first time we played together, it was like seeing a ghost,” Grohl said at the time. “The second time, it was a little more reserved. And the last time we played it was like that f—-ing Demi Moore/Patrick Swayze pottery wheel scene from Ghost. We usually got the song by the third take. It started to sound like Nirvana. Our road crew and some friends were in the room when we launched into Scentless Apprentice for the first time. There were jaws on the floor.”

The FireAid benefit concert took place at the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome to raise money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts. Other performers included Green Day, Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart, Dr. Dre, Joni Mitchell, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lady Gaga.

The FireAid benefit concert raised close to $100 million for relief efforts in the wake of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. The total includes matching donations from the venues’ owner, Steve Ballmer, and his family, along with donations from music industry heavyweights the Azoff family, rockers U2 and the Eagles and others.

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