So, the feud between Guns N Roses and Nirvana was quite famous in the 1990s. These 2 were among my favorite bands growing up and I realized a long time later that things were actually pretty rough between these two bands.
So, it started off sometime in 1991. Axl was initially a fan of Nirvana and he can be seen wearing a Nirvana hat in the Don’t Cry Video. This was before the Nevermind album was released. So, Axl once asked Kurt to play the for his 30th birthday bash and well, Kurt declined the offer. I guess Axl had his feelings hurt.
So, Kurt was later asked in an interview with Second’s magazine in 1991 as to why he didnt accept the offer and Kurt replied,”We’re not your typical Guns N’ Roses type of band that has absolutely nothing to say”. In another press conference, Kurt further criticized Axl suggesting that Axl treated his fans poorly.
When you are a popular figure, you owe a certain responsibility to your fans. I think Guns N Roses are promoting the wrong values like s*xism and the way they do dr*gs. I mean what are they rebelling against? I don’t think this is rebellion. Rebellion is standing up to people like Guns N Roses.
Kurt Cobbain
Anyway, despite being rejected before Axl asked Kurt to join them in a tour which featured Guns N Roses and Metallica. Axl told Kurt that they could play for the opening slot and Kurt declined the offer again. Well, this certainly did p*ss off Axl to the point that he started talking trash about Nirvana.
Nirvana would rather stay at home and shoot heroin with their bit*h wives than tour with us.
Axl Rose
The only thing that means to me is someone like Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, who is basically just a f*ckin’ junkie with a junkie wife. And if the baby’s born deformed, I think they both oughta go to prison — that’s my feeling.
Axl Rose on alternative music
Fast forward to 1992 MTV Music Video Awards, Guns N Roses and Nirvana were together for the first time and things got heated up between the bands. So, Axl was walking and Kurt and his wife were sitting in the tent. And Courtney teased Axl saying ‘ Hey Axl, want to be the godfather to our child’ and Axl told Kurt ‘ You shut your b*tch up or I am taking you down to the pavement’.So, Kurt told Courtney “Shut up, b*tch”.
Meanwhile, Duff McKagan came to know about this altercation and started off a fight with Krist Novoselic. He pushed him and I guess they were about to fight but their fight was stopped. This was just before Nirvana went on stage to perform. After the band sang Lithium, Dave Grohl went on to call Axl saying “Hi Axl, Hi Axl, Where’s Axl”.
After that, the members of Guns N Roses were fueled up to take things further. They went off to the Nirvana caravan and attempted to trip it. At this time, Nirvana band members were not in the trailer because Novoselic had hurt his head after the guitar landed on him when he threw it in the air.
Kurt wanted to piss off Axl too, so he spit on his piano which he later realized belonged to Sir Elton John and not Axl. Sir Elton John and Axl Rose were supposed to play November Rain together.
Anyway, about 2 years later in 1994, Kurt and Dave McCagan were sharing the same flight from Los Angeles to Seattle. At that time the rivalry between the 2 bands had died down and they had a peaceful time together. This was on 2nd April 1994. So, according to the source there was a manhunt for Kurt because he was found missing and had jumped the wall of the Exodus Recovery Center the day before. Well, Duff thought about inviting Kurt to his house since he felt lonely, he didn’t call him. About 3 days later, Cobbain was dead. According to sources, the members of both the bands decide to make peace with each other. This was after Kurt had died.
Slash claims he didn’t have time to deal with the b*llsh*t between GnR and Nirvana and never took any part in the fight.
