Nirvana’s In Utero Tour: Behind the Scenes with Kurt, Krist, Dave, and Pat
The Arena Rock Experience
When Nirvana kicked off their In Utero tour in 1993, they found themselves in a strange position: the underground punk rockers were now playing arenas. This MTV News interview, conducted on October 27, 1993, captures the band reflecting on their first show of the tour.
KURT: “What I was trying to do, and you guys didn’t have enough ESP, I was trying to get up and stand up on top of the P.A. speakers under those columns I was trying to do a solo like an arena rock solo.”
Bassist Krist Novoselic compared the lighter-waving audience to an Aerosmith show, joking that he “felt like Tom Hamilton, the bass player from Aerosmith.” The band found themselves unexpectedly reminiscing about stadium experiences, including their massive 110,000-person show in Brazil where they had what Krist described as a “mental breakdown on the stage” and played covers of “Seasons in the Sun” and Duran Duran’s “Rio.”
Stage Diving Gone Wrong
One of the most revealing moments in the interview came when Kurt discussed his attempt to stage dive during the show. His disappointment with how concert experiences had changed as the band grew larger was palpable.
KURT: “I just wanted to do it, ’cause it used to be so much fun in clubs… reminiscing about the old days. I used to be able to jump out in the audience and they would carry me all the way to the back I used to be able to roll around in the back. And it was really fun. It was like a celebration. Everybody was like jumping and throwing up in the air and everything. Like a beach ball in an arena rock concert. But these kids, some of ’em don’t understand that, they’re not used to that. All they know how to do is tear people apart.”
The physical distance between band and audience in the larger venues created a different dynamic:
KURT: “It does feel 15 feet, but it’s not 15 feet it’s about 6 feet.”
Despite this distance, Kurt acknowledged he could still feel the energy from the crowd, especially during songs like “Lithium” where the house lights would come on during the distortion part:
KURT: “I can see everyone jump up and down and I realize it’s not only just the front part that I can see, it’s the whole audience. And it’s great. There’s nothing better than that much of a capacity of people in tune with the band and giving off that much energy, its just like a little club but one hundred times more.”
The Reality of “Selling Out”
The band addressed the persistent criticism about “selling out” as they played larger venues. Kurt explained that playing bigger venues was less about preference and more about practical considerations:
KURT: “We wanted to [play smaller venues] for sure. We determined about a year and a half ago after getting off of that grueling tour that we had… that we were going to put out a record that would completely ruin our reputation and only a few thousand people from every city would show up. But that wasn’t the case. And then we realized that because of the production costs and because we have to bring our own lights and PA and all that stuff… It costs a lot of money, and if we were just to play venues and clubs and stuff we’d be totally in the hole. We’re not nearly as rich as everyone thinks we are, so you have to try to play the biggest kind of place that you can if you’re using this kind of production.”
Making Peace with Success
Perhaps most interestingly, Kurt revealed his evolution in accepting Nirvana’s success:
KURT: “I was at that point about a year and a half ago. I was completely fed up with the whole thing. I didn’t want to be a rock star at all. It was just freaking me out, you know. But I’ve had two years to recuperate.”
The interview shows how the band’s concerns about attracting the wrong kind of audience had mellowed:
KURT: “We were really concerned with the people who wanted to come and see our shows and have a good time. We were afraid we would have these mean type of people who just went to the shows to cause trouble and we didn’t want that… But since we’ve had the experience and we’ve had to play a couple of shows like this and there hasn’t been any trouble. We’re relieved of that kind of pressure. That’s the only concern that we really had but it obviously translated into we hate our audience, which is bulls—.”
Tour Life Upgrades
The band joked about their transition from van life to tour buses:
KURT: “I remember a few years ago when we were lugging around our own equipment in a van, you know, five people cooped up in a van with our own equipment and we’d see a band with a bus and we’d think man what a bunch of gluttonous bastards, you know?”
KRIST: “I once pissed on one, on their air vent one time. I said look at these rock stars and I pissed on it.”
Unexpected Topics: Vinyl, Dresses, and Pearl Jam
The interview took some interesting turns, with Kurt expressing his love for vinyl records: “I only still buy vinyl. The only CD’s I own are CD’s that have been given to me. I just love vinyl. It is something sacred to me.”
When asked about wearing dresses on stage, Kurt replied matter-of-factly:
KURT: “It’s nothing new. It’s been going on for years and years and years and I don’t understand why it’s an issue still… I personally like to wear dresses and I wear them around the house sometimes. So, whatever.”
Perhaps most surprisingly, Kurt addressed his relationship with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam:
KURT: “We’ve never had a fight ever. I just have always hated their band. I didn’t consider him a person that I really like. We’ve had a few conversations on the phone and he’s a person I really like. You know, I really like him. He’s a really nice person.”
The Human Side of Nirvana
This candid interview captures Nirvana at an interesting crossroads – they had achieved massive success but were still wrestling with what that meant for their identity and relationship with fans. Kurt’s reflections on stage diving demonstrate his nostalgia for the band’s club days, while his comments about arena shows reveal how he was coming to terms with their new reality.
The conversation showcases the band’s humor, honesty, and humanity – qualities that made Nirvana connect with so many fans despite their meteoric rise to fame.