Before Nirvana got famous, the members of the band were part of a working community. In a fascinating new book, British author Nick Soulsby probes that period of the band’s early career, interviewing more than 200 musicians.
“I Found My Friends: The Oral History of Nirvana”Nick SoulsbySt. Martin’s Griffin,
When Nirvana’s “Nevermind” topped the Billboard charts in January 1992, like-minded folks.
the trio became the most famous rock group to ever come out of Seattle. But this newfound fame rested uneasily on the band members’ shoulders; in interviews they liked to stress that Nirvana was part of a community of “I Found My Friends” digs deeply into that community, featuring interviews with more than 200 fellow musicians who shared the stage with the band. The book is an extension of British-based author Nick Soulsby’s previous project, the 2014 compilation “No Seattle: Forgotten Sounds of the North-West Grunge Era 1986-97.”
While researching Nirvana, Soulsby became intrigued by the picturesque names of supporting acts at Nirvana’s shows, such as Oily Bloodmen, Gobblehoof and 3 Merry Widows. Soulsby began tracking down the bands, and while the music on “No Seattle” is limited to groups from the Northwest, the interviews in “I Found My Friends” draw from a larger pool.
Previous oral histories such as Mark Yarm’s “Everybody Loves Our Town” and Greg Prato’s “Grunge Is Dead” focused on the members of big acts like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. What makes Soulsby’s book so interesting is that he unearths a hidden history by speaking to the members of lesser-known groups.
You get a clear sense of Nirvana’s early struggles It offers an inside look at Nirvana’s development as recounted by the fellow travelers who were destined to be left behind, once the band achieved superstar status.
“They could've easily, at first blush, been one of those bands you see a couple of times then fades away, never to be seen again,” is how Bruce Purkey of the band Soylent Green, remembered Nirvana’s early days.
It wasn't an unusual perception. Kurt Cobain tried to make an impression by donning satin trousers and platform shoes for a show, but “beyond the clothing there was nothing memorable about the stagecraft,” says Paul Morris, of the Sons of Ishmael.
That soon changed, of course. But along with admiring the band’s musicianship, memories of the pre-fame Nirvana are remarkably consistent: guitarist/lead singer Kurt Cobain, shy and withdrawn; bassist Krist Novoselic, outgoing and a bit goofy; early drummer Chad Channing, friendly and personable.
It was the kind of band that was ready to lend a helping hand. After one show, Gobblehoof’s Tim Aaron said Cobain gave him $100 out of Nirvana’s earnings, when he learned Gobblehoof wasn’t getting paid.
All of which makes the latter part of the book especially sad. Fame isolated Nirvana from former friends and allies. During an Australian tour, the Guttersnipes’ Paul Brockhoff was told by a bouncer to not even talk to Nirvana, “or we’d get thrown out.” Cobain further isolated himself with drugs. It’s a bittersweet look at the life of a working rock band, from those in the best position to observe it.
