Kurt Cobain on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball: The Iconic Yellow Dress Interview

Kurt wears a yellow ball gown for Headbangers Ball on MTV

Kurt Cobain made television history on October 25, 1991 when he appeared on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball wearing a canary-yellow ball gown. This interview, conducted just as Nirvana was breaking into the mainstream, captured a pivotal moment in rock history and showcased Kurt’s irreverent attitude toward music industry conventions.

Key Moments from the Interview

On Kurt’s Fashion Choice

When host Riki Rachtman complimented Kurt’s outfit with “first of all, love the suit,” Kurt responded with what would become one of his most famous quips:

“Thanks a lot… On planes, yeah. Well, it’s a ball, it’s Headbanger’s Ball so I thought I’d wear a gown.”

Kurt continued the joke by gesturing at bassist Krist Novoselic:

“He wouldn’t wear his tux. He didn’t give me a corsage either.”

To which Krist quickly replied:

“At least I asked you out!”

On the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Video

When discussing their breakthrough video, Kurt acknowledged the commitment of their fans who appeared as extras:

“Yeah. They had a lot of patience. It was like a 12 hours of listening to the song over, and over, and over again.”

Krist elaborated on the video shoot:

“No, that was a video shoot, and we had a bunch of fans come down and, uh, they just went crazy. And I think they made the video, really. I mean they were just so into it, and everybody was so cool, and it was a lot of fun to do.”

On Their Sudden Rise to Fame

When Rachtman asked about Nirvana’s unexpectedly quick rise to fame, Krist offered a colorful metaphor:

“Because we have our big bandwagon, and we have a bunch of Clydesdale horses, multi-colored horses pulling it and people are just jumpin’ on, and it’s kinda like a Ken Kesey acid trip-type thing. We’re passing Kool-Aid around, we’re like the Merry Pranksters.”

On the Seattle Scene

When asked about being from Washington state but not specifically from Seattle, Krist clarified:

“No, we live on the I-5 corridor. Kurt lives in Olympia and I live in Tacoma.”

Discussing other bands they played with early on, Krist mentioned:

“No, we were playing clubs with, like, Mudhoney, Tad… Yeah, The Fluid… we played a show with Soundgarden in Olympia, like, out in this park, during the day… it was really neat.”

About the Album

When asked how long “Nevermind” had been out at the time of the interview, Krist simply stated:

“It’s been out for about a month now.”

Behind the Scenes Context

The seemingly detached nature of Kurt during this interview makes more sense with the context later provided by Rachtman, who revealed that when he went to meet Kurt before the show:

“He is just sprawled out on the floor, passed out. I mean, kick him, not moving.”

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For more archival Nirvana content, explore our video collection or read other interviews from throughout Kurt’s career.