This past week, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Butch Vig, Hole, Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson and a whole swirl of Nirvana characters past ahve banded together in a milky way of news.
First, Dave Grohl is reportedly in the studio with former Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic and “Nevermind” producer Butch Vig. Or so says Vig.
“The last 24 hours have been surreal! Had a great gig at the El Rey last night, and spent today recording with Dave, Krist and special guest!” Vig Tweeted late last week.
No more has been said about the “special guest,” but here’s some context: Grohl’s forthcoming documentary “Sound City” is still filming, and promises some unique collaborations. Thus, replied the Sound City Twitter account to the legendary producer, “always a pleasure @butchvig.” It appears the recording session will go in the film, which still awaits a release date.
The reunion of Grohl, Novoselic and Vig isn’t totally new: the three came together for the Foo Fighters’ last “Wasting Light” album last year, with the bassist guesting on the set. The Foos have said that they are planning to record a new album starting later this year.
On a related note, it seems that late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain had planned a solo album. Or so says Eric Erlandson.
The guitarist performed with Cobain’s wife Courtney Love in Hole and was a longtime friend of the Nirvana singer. Erlander is currently promoting his newly released book “Letters to Kurt” and told Fuse that Cobain was writing new material for what could have been his solo debut.
“[Cobain] was headed in a direction that was really cool. It would have been his ‘White Album,'” Erlandson said. “That”s really what he was going towards, a solo album but working with different people. I was really excited about some of the stuff he was working on. I got to see him play it in front of me. That”s why I was really sad [when he died]. I was like, ‘Oh man, not only are you cutting off a life, but a message to the world, a musical path is just left with … Bush and all this other stuff. He was cut short. Who knows where the music would have gone.”
Erlandson said that a box set or album of those demos could still be released.
The man had a busy weekend, frankly, as he also showed up to Brooklyn over the weekend for what turned out to be an impromptu Hole reunion.
Patty Schemel’s Hole documentary “Hit So Hard” screened at Brooklyn small venue Public Assembly on Friday night; Hole’s original drummer, Schemel performed with the band during much of the ’90s along with Erlandson and bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, who were also on hand. What was a question mark was if Courtney Love would show up too… which she did.
“Is there a lady still in the house that wants to join us for a song?” Auf der Maur asked when the three took to the stage. “You never know — we never know.”
Love jumped up and the band played their hit “Miss World,” plus a cover of the Wipers’ “Over the Edge.” No word if more reunions are in the works.
This, all after a week of Courtney Love’s infamous asinine Twitter bungles. This particular bout of rumor-monger had to do with Grohl and Love’s 19-year-old daughter Francis Bean Cobain. Let’s just say it was dumb and it sucked for everybody involved and it ended with Love Tweeting on her private account “Bean, sorry I believed the gossip…Mommy loves you” on Sunday.
Maybe she sent Grohl a card?
Thus, Nirvana’s history and legacy continues to expand and contract, much like the universe. Think about it.