The '90s were unpretentious.
Dodgy hair combined with baggy jeans, Island Styles and a checked shirt was simply accepted as the norm. At least one good thing came out of the no-style-whatsoever decade.
Nirvana was the epitome of '90s music; loud, raw and packed with grunge guitars, rapid drum beats and distortion. On August 30, 1992, fans at the Reading Festival were treated to one of Nirvana's greatest performances. As they watched the late Kurt Cobain brought out on stage in a wheelchair, complete with a long blonde wig and hospital nightgown, they must have known they were in for the show of their lives.
For this Seattle-based band, everything was a blase performance; they didn't care about popularity. If anyone was offended or angered by their manic behaviour, they wouldn't have blinked an eye; they simply didn't care about the trimmings that come with commercial success.
After passing out in true Nirvana fashion for 30 seconds on stage, Cobain begins the 25-song set with Nevermind's 'Breed', along with their "dancer", Tony, who head bangs on stage throughout the 90-minute set.
Minus their later hits, such as 'Heart-Shaped Box' and 'Rape Me', expect to hear all of the classics on Nirvana 'Live at Reading'. 'Come As You Are', 'On a Plain', 'Polly', 'Territorial Pissings', 'Lithium', 'Been a Son', 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'; they're all there.
This DVD allows you to see the band as they were supposed to be heard; raw, and downright dirty. Cobain's relentless, and sometimes purposeful, mistakes, on top of his typically strange behaviour, will only make you appreciate the footage that much more.
The three legendary rockers truly take you on a journey back to the rock-out year of 1992. If you loved the '90s, had long, greasy hair, and thought the members of Nirvana were rock gods, this priceless recording has been made, just for you.


