Kurt Cobain is Forty!
This past February 20th was Kurt Cobain's 40th birthday. We
caught up with Kurt on a recent Saturday morning as he watched
daughter Frances Bean's soccer game.
Dad: Kurt, a lot of people never expected you to live to be 40
years old - how does it feel?
KC: I feel great, better than I have in years, really. Sure, I've got a
few gray hairs and have put on a few pounds, but I can still play!
Dad: Well, there's no doubt about that, the new music is stunning -
when did you take up the lute?
KC: Well after I heard Sting's "Songs From the Labyrinth" that collection of 16th century ballads, I thought - "Why let him have all the fun? - I can play a friggin' Lute!" But it is actually harder than it looks, mainly because of the tights and frilly shirts you
have to wear in order to get the authentic feel. Lucky for me, Courtney is an amazing Lute player and she taught me a lot of tricks.
Dad: You are a Renaissance man!
KC: (Laughs) Well, Elizabethan really. (Yells) "Frances - get back
on defense! Run!" Yes, a Renaissance man, a soccer Dad, married 15 years to the same great gal - it's not the same crazy rock and roll lifestyle... but I like it.
Dad: That reminds me – where are the twins today?
KC: Courtney has 'em at Gymboree. We're all going to Chuck E.
Cheese after the game – some 4 year old's Birthday party - I dig
that giant rat they have there.
Dad: Speaking of giant rats, when you played HFS-tival in 1999
and sang that year's HUGE anthem "Y2K WTF?" – well, the
memory of 65,000 people chanting along "Y2K, Y2K, Y2K What
the F***?" will be with me forever.
KC: That was a highlight for me as well, and that episode with
the giant rat in the dressing room – all is forgiven.
Dad: Thanks Kurt. So, at the end of the set that night when Krist
Novaselic threw his bass in the air and it hit him on the head *–
again – was that when you decided to make a change?
KC: Well that was the 5th time Krist had done that – he could
barely speak anymore his brain was so scrambled so yeah, that's
when Jaco Pastorius joined the band and we went all Jazz-Fusion
for a couple years.
Dad: I do miss the old thundering Nirvana sound, rolling around a
stadium…
Kurt: Well, you won't have to miss it much longer. The rumors are
true. Krist is feeling better now – Jaco is working on a spoken
word poetry thing with Jim Morrison and the old band has been
recording together for 3 months. The new album is out on June
19th and then we hit the road. We'll be on tour from July well into
next year. It's the massive world-wide stadium tour I always
thought I would never do. But that was then, now it's a damn
good excuse to get out of the house!
Dad: Wow – that is huge news!
KC: The other surprise is Dave Grohl plays some guitar and sings on
the new CD.
Dad: What??? No way! Dave Sings?
KC: Yeah – Who knew? He's been so shy about it. But turns out he
has, like, 145 songs he recorded at home – he might release them
as solo projects - "Foo Fungus" or something – I forget what he
calls it.
Dad: Amazing. So, are you spending most of your time in the
Seattle area again?
KC: Yup. We sold the houseboat to Johnny Depp and moved back
from France last fall – I have a place on Lake Washington right next
door to Hendrix. We hang out a bit – you know, Bar-B-Q and shit.
He's doing another collaboration with Sun Ra this summer – guy
never slows down – this will be his 100th album!
Dad: It's tough to keep up with Jimi – I do read his blog. Speaking
of writing, that children's book you did – "Whatever" - is my
daughter's favorite!
KC: Aww it always makes me feel great to hear that. Tell her I said
"Nevermind!"
________________
* Watch the video clip from the MTV Video Music Awards 1992 - at
4:09 Novoselic tosses his bass in the air and misses the catch.
