To ask for your 90s grunge music stories!?

[Chloedancer]

Please indulge me if you're of an age to have seen the 90s grunge bands back in the day! I'm early 30s and deep into a nostalgia-fest about this time I have no memory of (because I was still in nappies...) Have been watching YouTube bootlegs of some insane looking shows including Eddie Vedder jumping all over the place, Layne Staley's insane vocals, Chris Cornell's habitual shirtlessness... it was such a great time for rock music and now they're all in their 50s and I'm sad.
Pearl jam, Soundgarden, mudhoney, nirvana, Alice in chains, sonic youth (I know it's not really grunge), hole, smashing pumpkins, etc... anyone see any of these bands in their 1991-1993 ish heyday? How was it, any gig memories, did you meet them, etc etc....

I had tickets to go an see Nirvana in the NEC, it was my first concert and it had took a lot of parental wrangling. I was a very moody 15 year old and when my mum woke me up to say he had killed himself I went into my mourning period as my mum refers to it Gutted never saw them live and I was unreasonably annoyed after that everyone in school seemed to love Nirvana after that when I had loads of grief for liking them previously!

Saw Nirvana many times when they were on the up. Their performance at Reading 91 (half way through the lineup) was utterly memorable, and way better than when they headlined the following year and Cobain was so clearly off his face, they weren't anywhere near as good. In fact the Reading lineup that day in 91 was incredible, with Iggy Pop headlining, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Junior, Babes in Toyland... I was in heaven (and army boots, of course).

Sonic Youth is another band I saw many, many times. Always regretted not having ear plugs though, as their mega feedback moments were legendarily ear splitting. My Bloody Valentine too - saw them in France and could barely hear anything for days after!

Then of course there was the time the Pixies played Glasgow Barrowlands, managed about three songs and then the gig was called off as the stage was collapsing! Disappointed was an understatement...

Positive pixie
Ahh, Manchester Ritz on a Wed night! Happy times! 🤩🤩🤩

Massive grunge fan here.... I always say that kids these days will never know the joy of rock clubs, music press, sleeping on platforms for the first train home. Glorious, fearless and skint days. Wouldn’t change a thing.

It’s funny. I read this book on the Manics and it sent more into a nostalgia spiral for the 90s grunge over lockdown. My own hiraeth.

www.amazon.co.uk/Manic-Street-Preachers-Holy-Bible/dp/1501331701?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I saw Pearl Jam in the pouring rain at the Isle of Wight, but much later, 2011 or so. It was very atmospheric, very west coast. Also I’ve been to the bench that has flowers, candles and a shrine to Kurt Cobain, quite disjarring because it is in the middle of the suburbs filled with pretty houses and landscapes front gardens.

sadonfriday
Sleeping on platforms for the first train home. Glorious, fearless and skint days.

So so true! What amazing times we had!

Everything falls below the bar set by grunge! I was 15 when the scene took off and it just defined my teen years - I have such an emotional attachment to the whole thing.Still obsessed with AiC and seen the Duvall incarnation live twice, most recently last year. They are still amazing although I would have loved to have seen Layne Staley sing live. I remember going to the cinema to see Singles, which may be my favourite movie of all time. Just encapsulates the whole thing so well. Now I live a couple of hours from Seattle, and love just soaking up that city. Saw Hole at Reading in 1994 and (couple of years later probably) a fledgeling Foo Fighters packing out the Melody Maker tent. Also been lucky enough to see Pearl Jam more recently. I had a ticket to go see Temple Of The Dog in Seattle a few years back, didn’t end up going and bloody kicking myself now after Chris Cornell died.

@Gastropod, I was living just down the road in Maidenhead and just turned 16 when I saw the lineup for Reading but computer (parents) said no.😭

@zigzagbetty my poor friend at university had the worst luck. He’d bought tickets to see Nirvana and gig cancelled because Kurt ‘accidentally’ overdosed in Italy, I think. Bought tickets for the rescheduled show and needless to say that didn’t happen either.

@Councilworker, was the Nirvana exhibit about Taking Punk To The Masses at EMP? I went along to that and it was awesome. Letters from Kurt at school and stuff.

Proudest mom moment when my 13 year old daughter said “Can I borrow your Nirvana t-shirt?”!

Really grinds my gears to see outfits in Urban Outfitters in the past year or so with baby doll dresses paired with tights and DMs - gee, if only we had thought of that 😂Have officially turned into my own mum, lecturing that fashion goes in cycles, blah blah

Omg how did I forget about buffalo Tom!

Very much my era. Saw Pearl Jam for the first time at Sloane Castle in 1993. Met most of the band the day before in Dublin (along with Johnny Depp). Seen them many times since. Saw Nirvana live in 1992.
Have seen AIC, RHCP, Soundgarden, pearl Jam with Neil Young, Screaming Trees... You name them u probably saw them live and met a lot of them hanging around in Dublin.

[quote everythingbackbutyou]@zigzagbetty my poor friend at university had the worst luck. He’d bought tickets to see Nirvana and gig cancelled because Kurt ‘accidentally’ overdosed in Italy, I think. Bought tickets for the rescheduled show and needless to say that didn’t happen either.[/quote]
Feel his pain. Someone offered me 50 quid for my ticket after he died, only to find my mum had chucked it out. It was a dark period

@tttigress

I went to Uni in 1994, so lived all that stuff.

In 6th form/Uni the trends were Grunge then Britpop. All I can say is Grunge has held up a lot better than Britpop.

I think the definive grunge film was "Singles", you may want to watch that, but it my be a bit cringy now, all those angst ridden GenXers!!

Omg I've found my people, I still listen to all this now. Going to see Singles as a fairly innocent 12 year old changed my life!! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I still listen to all these bands, all the time and only the other day was in an argument with a wide age range of family where I said that I'm so happy I grew up in the 90s, it was the best music ever. My sister who also grew up then said that no good music came out of the 90s at all

@Subeccoo, have you seen This Is 40, the scene where Paul Rudd is trying to play Rooster to his kids? Brilliant.

@Subeccoo, it’s interesting. My sister is only 2 years younger than me, but she has little interest in grunge and instead is a massive (misguided!!) fan of Suede and Pulp. We will never see eye to eye on that one.

Like Gastropod I saw Nirvana at Reading in '91, I went to Glastonbury in '92. I also saw Mudhoney a couple of times, I still have my "Mudhoney ankle" from falling down the stairs at Nottingham Rock City in 1992. I saw Sonic Youth a few times and MBV. Nine inch nails, Cop Shoot Cop, Therapy, Tad, Jesus Lizard from late 1989 to 1995 I must have been to hundreds of gigs. It is probably why I wear hearing aids now, at the ripe age of 46! The best live band experience for me is probably Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. But for me it is all about the energy of the band, how they connect with the audience. Nirvana did not give me that connected feeling they were good but not amazing - for me. The Fall I saw a few times they were sometimes angry and often chaotic (if MES was unhappy with his bandmates) but in a very theatrical way.

I didn't meet famous musicians, I hung out with the fanzine sellers and was too shy to speak to anyone. I let out my inhibitions in the mosh pit. I made fimo badges, and so many mix tapes, spending too much time cutting up magazines to make amusing covers. It was a time, my time, I look back fondly. I have a handful of photos and diaries and mix tapes to remind me.

I missed the real hey day of grunge and was more mid to late 90s. Went to Redsing a lot and London for gigs. Saw Pearl Jam later and they were so good I was gutted I hadnt seen them before. Thing is gigs were so much cheaper and more accessible back then . Loads more independent venues so we used to watch gigs a lot. Loads of decent rock clubs too.

Getting jealous reading all your replies! That Reading lineup in 1992!! and those who saw nirvana, such bragging rights. I watched “Singles” the other night and loved it! Yes a bit cheesy but it was sort of like “friends” with added grunge, amazing. Pearl jam’s cameo as matt Dillon’s band was hilarious (also now have a crush on at least 2 of them, oh the long hair)
it just seems to have been a more original time for lyrics and music, no smartphones being waged around at gigs, everyone not looking alike. I did see red hot chilli peppers and foo fighters when I was about 14 but all the 90s rock was still way gone by at that point. I’m considering going to see mudhoney in U.K. next year, Mark Arm is weirdly ageless...
Keep ‘em coming grunge fans

My first festival was reading 95. Awesome line up. Beck, soundgarden, Neil young, smashing pumpkins, tricky
Was a real high point in my life and heavily influenced my music taste

[quote everythingbackbutyou]@Subeccoo, have you seen This Is 40, the scene where Paul Rudd is trying to play Rooster to his kids? Brilliant.[/quote]
I'm sure I've seen it but I'm terrible at remembering films, I love Paul Rudd and am having a super lazy day today so I think I'll chuck it on now 😅

[quote everythingbackbutyou]@Subeccoo, it’s interesting. My sister is only 2 years younger than me, but she has little interest in grunge and instead is a massive (misguided!!) fan of Suede and Pulp. We will never see eye to eye on that one.[/quote]
I'm sure she did like music back then but her tastes are proper shit now, always Kiss radio crap 😕

Ah- loving reading these!!
Faith no more we're fabulous live.
Saw Carter USM a few times.
Saw Chilli peppers with their flaming head gear- which was wonderful.

Anyone remember a festival called "Phoenix"? I think it morphed into "V"?