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....

@Thirtyrock39

What about buying a whole album (vinyl) based on a good review in melody maker or nme with no idea of what the band would actually be like? Unless you'd heard them on John peel or at a club? I got lucky with 'it's a shame about ray' by the lemonheads and sugar 'copper blue' but was not so keen on babes in toyland or Afghan wings

I did that a couple of times, with Bikini Kill and a Welsh indie band called Melys. I read a review of their album Kamikaze in Melody Maker and liked the sound of it, and ended up really enjoying it.

Copper Blue is probably my favourite album of all time.

Also, remember buying numbered limited edition cd singles, with two different parts? We have some 90s singles that are worth proper money. Well, I mean maybe £30, not thousands, although we do have one particular vinyl one that Record Collector says is worth about £150, which is nice!

And there was the wedding present who released a single each month of the year I bet they're worth something - couldn't tell you any of the songs or if they were grunge but remember it being in the music press !

Ah, my people. Nirvana at Reading ( hot chocolate with brandy,it was so cold that night), the L7 tampon moment, Phoenix ( yes, there was a riot). At the time I didn’t realise how lucky I was to see these bands, my ex dh was an obsessive John Peel fan and we went to Glastonbury, Reading and Phoenix (short lived) each summer from 1990 to 1997 ish. All that and I’m still the biggest MSP devotee, stole my heart at the Heineken free festival Swansea ❤️

My husband is always teasing me that I'm stuck in the 90s music wise but even though I've discovered great music over the years nothing excites me as much as it did at that age. Furiously reading the reviews in Select and Vox and NME to decide what to buy next...

Most of the stuff I listen to is '90s. It was a great time for music.

Not a story as such and I know that I am old but the early 90's seem recent to me and I am a huge Nivana fan. I was talking to my son's girlfriend about them and assumed everyone in the world knew who they were and liked them as much as I did . She looked at me blankly while I reeled off the more well known songs. I then realised that Kurt Cobain had died 5 years before she was born!!

If anyone gets the chance to see Pearl Jam now they are still amazingly epic live. Almost totally different set lists every night, play for hours, they’ve always gone over curfew when I’ve seen them. Beg borrow or steal a ticket.

Eddie Vedder is still an absolute icon and his voice sounds amazing. Plus he’s a very funny and engaging frontman.

Was supposed to see them at Hyde Park and in Copenhagen this year. 2020 is shit.

And Unplugged era Eddie Vedder is the absolute fucking MAN

@Thirtyrock39 it's interesting you say that about the clothes and attitudes of the grunge era, I feel the exact opposite.

Band tshirt/DMs/tiedye/German army jacket was in financial reach of nearly everybody, there was no culture of pricey brands or labels as there has been in I think most musical cultures since (apart from the arky boots or DMs I suppose). Once you'd forked out for your DMs you could basically wear then daily forever, and I did - I've still got a pair in (very occasional) use which I bought in the Birmingham rag market in about 1997 I think! It may not have been glamorous, but it was comfy, practical for most scenarios, and achievable no matter what your finances.

In terms of attitudes, I remember it as very liberal - overt racism, sexism, homophobia were completely beyond the pale, at least in public - all the good bands did benefit gigs for causes like sexual assault charities or the anti fascist league, and rock the vote in the US. Didn't Kurt Cobain write something along the lines of 'if you hate women or gays don't buy our music or come to our gigs, we don't want you '? Male band members (and fans) were seen in dresses or makeup without it being a thing, women were expected to drink pints and be in the mosh (I'm not saying there wasn't sexual violence in that era, there absolutely was) but I always felt completely safe in a mosh pit or at a pub or club. Maybe I'm looking back in rose tinted specs, but I remember being quite shocked when the Britpop/New Lad stuff came along with its overt casual misogyny and homophobia, it seemed a complete turnaround from the grunge culture. I will always be so grateful I grew up in an era without expectations of fake tan, expensive labels and always looking selfie ready, I think I wouldn't be the woman I am now if I'd grown up in a time where that stuff was the norm, because I could never have felt at home. I was at home being an indie kid, it suited me

@nothingcomestonothing I completely agree. I guess that’s why I wish I could go back in time A while ago I met through work a guy who used to be in a very semi famous rock band in the late 80s (not household name really) and when I asked him if it had been all drugs and groupies and smashing up hotel rooms on the road he said emphatically not. His band had toured with one of the bands mentioned a lot on this thread, and he said that that type of behaviour would have been very frowned upon especially the sexism. It wasn’t that lad scene where women where sex objects. Women were often in the bands, they didn’t all look like clones. The guys had long hair and experimented with makeup and clothes, I even read that one of the guys in mudhoney had been a former ballet dancer and they were always leaping around the stage jsut having fun. You get people like Eddie vedder writing pro choice on his arm on mtv unplugged, Fugazi’s song “suggestion” which someone mentioned upthread, which (I gather) is about consent and misogyny. I’m not saying there weren’t a lot of problems in that scene, definitely issues with class A drugs in a lot of cases, but it seems like if you were a teen then you could feel accepted in the scene and not worry about how you looked and it was ok not to be ok. Etc.
Really loving reading all your experiences! Anyone got a time machine?!?

I was at Reading Festival watching L7 when the famous tampon incident happened! People were throwing pints at the band so Donita threw her tampon at them. Luckily it wasn’t in my direction! Loved L7 - also saw them at the Marquee the same year (1992). Also loved Nirvana and saw them at Kilburn National and Reading in ‘91. Someone mentioned Senseless Things earlier. We used to follow them all over the place. I know they weren’t grunge but they were heavily influenced by and fans of the grunge scene (especially Mark).

@PhilSwagielka yes I have a signed copy of Kristin Hersh’s book from when I met her!

And yes, I was at the Jack Off Jill gig at Heaven in London a few years back 😁

@Pixiemeat oh wow! lucky you! I saw her solo at Latitude in 2010. I'd read interviews with her and thought she sounded interesting, and I was right. I liked her stuff with Throwing Muses.

Re JOJ, are you into Scarling (Jessicka's other band) at all? They're more shoegazey. I had a gig dilemma because they played the same night as Morrissey and I'd bought tickets for both because I'm an idiot, so I sold my Morrissey ticket to a friend and saw Scarling instead. I made the right decision.

When I was 14 I had a ticket for Soundgarden at the Glasgow Barrowlands, I got caught sneaking out in the middle of the night the weekend before, so my Mum said I couldn’t go. The night before I started to cry and then I was allowed to go 😂 it was amazing!

[quote nothingcomestonothing]**@Thirtyrock39 it's interesting you say that about the clothes and attitudes of the grunge era, I feel the exact opposite.

Band tshirt/DMs/tiedye/German army jacket was in financial reach of nearly everybody, there was no culture of pricey brands or labels as there has been in I think most musical cultures since (apart from the arky boots or DMs I suppose). Once you'd forked out for your DMs you could basically wear then daily forever, and I did - I've still got a pair in (very occasional) use which I bought in the Birmingham rag market in about 1997 I think! It may not have been glamorous, but it was comfy, practical for most scenarios, and achievable no matter what your finances.

In terms of attitudes, I remember it as very liberal - overt racism, sexism, homophobia were completely beyond the pale, at least in public - all the good bands did benefit gigs for causes like sexual assault charities or the anti fascist league, and rock the vote in the US. Didn't Kurt Cobain write something along the lines of 'if you hate women or gays don't buy our music or come to our gigs, we don't want you '? Male band members (and fans) were seen in dresses or makeup without it being a thing, women were expected to drink pints and be in the mosh (I'm not saying there wasn't sexual violence in that era, there absolutely was) but I always felt completely safe in a mosh pit or at a pub or club. Maybe I'm looking back in rose tinted specs, but I remember being quite shocked when the Britpop/New Lad stuff came along with its overt casual misogyny and homophobia, it seemed a complete turnaround from the grunge culture. I will always be so grateful I grew up in an era without expectations of fake tan, expensive labels and always looking selfie ready, I think I wouldn't be the woman I am now if I'd grown up in a time where that stuff was the norm, because I could never have felt at home. I was at home being an indie kid, it suited me [/quote]
I totally agree. It was a bit of a moment. I remember Kurt Cobain wearing dresses and makeup and everything being rather androgynous - the boys and the girls had long messy hair and wore each other's clothes. I look back at photos of me and my friends and we wore charity shop dresses, Doc Martens and army boots that lasted for years. Home dyed hair and Rimmel makeup. And we were absolutely beautiful. We certainly didn't have any trouble attracting boys. I feel sorry for young girls now having to find the money for the fake tan, brows, lashes, lip fillers, hair extensions, body depilation and labels they're pressured into; it's just unbridled capitalism and misogyny.

@Yourownpersonaljesus, I would happily follow Mark Keds all over the place (then, not so much now...)

@Hidingtonothing, yeah I had some army boots too - they were indeed heavy but I loved them

I missed Nirvana at Reading in '92 - went to see a country band called The Rockingbirds instead. There were four other people in the tent, including a drunk boy who had lost his shoe. I don't think the friend I dragged with me ever forgave me! I'm still not a massive Nirvana fan, but I do regret missing out on that one.

I liked a lot of alternative stuff and grunge/garage growing up. Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, Janes Addiction, Sparklehorse. I saw a lot of British indie band play live at places like the Garage in London. My first gig was Carter USM at our local civic centre!

The band I really wish I'd seen was The Pixies - they were my absolute favourite as a teenager and I never saw them. I did see The Breeders at The Astoria, which was brilliant.

Loving this thread! Grunge was my life from 1988 onwards til the mid-90s. I saw them all multiple times when they played London and the music festivals. A few that really stand out in my (hazy) memories are Soundgarden and Mudhoney at SOAS in 1989, and the 2-night triple bill of Nirvana/Mudhoney/Tad at the Astoria later that year, they changed the running order each night. I worked for a record distribution company that distributed all the indie labels including Subpop so we got to hear everything when it was released. Still have my tattered Nirvana tour t-shirt in a box in the shed. Also loved other US bands like Fugazi, Rollins Band, L7, Pixies, Sonic Youth etc - way too many to list. Saw them in so many venues that no longer exist. So many great gigs, so many great nights dancing down at the edges of the mosh pit with my dreadlocks flying. Pure elemental joy.

@russetred wow you went to the sg/mudhoney SOAS gig?! Have read about this! Was it totally mad? I think I read all the audience got on the tiny stage or something...! What was Chris Cornell like live?

I love this thread! I was early teens in the grunge era so too young to go to gigs, but just the right age to sit in my bedroom with teenage angst listening to Nirvana, Hole, Alice in Chains etc. While painting my nails with black nail varnish and wearing a rage against machine ‘FUCT’ T-shirt to piss off my parents.

I’ve since seen some grunge-era bands live - Pearl Jam are probably my standout - amazing long sets, completely different setlists every time. Plus, you know, just looking at Eddie Vedder for hours...

My taste in men is basically still long haired grungers. Early 1990s Eddie Vedder or Chris Cornell basically.

It’s so weird that to my primary school age kids 1990s music will be as old and distant as 1960s music was to me when I was growing up!

Yes, I think part of the stage collapsed so they had to halt the gig for a bit while they somehow fixed it - maybe different health and safety rules back in 1989! It was great - the young Chris Cornell was like the Greek god of grunge, he was quite something to behold without a shirt and the band totally rocked. But my fave band were Mudhoney - being part of a sweaty, fragrant crowd jumping up and down screaming FUCK ME I'M SICK was just the best, I'm smiling just remembering it.

I’ve been to soas for a lecture years ago and I can’t imagine how they fit a gig in there. Was it just in the SU in main building, I seem to remember that being tiny?!
Would’ve loved to see pj at ULU as well, Eddie swinging from the curtains! All these bands seem to just play big arenas or festivals now really (if they’re still alive/together..)
I guess I’m curious as to how you all found out about these mainly American bands without the internet? From magazines/record shops or tv? When I was a teen I discovered loads of music online. I read that a lot of the grunge bands were pleasantly surprised to realise people knew who they were when they toured here..

It was word of mouth, indie record stores and the music papers - I was a Melody Maker reader myself but others preferred the NME, there was quite a rivalry.