"These images were taken at the end of Nirvana’s tour of Europe in late
1989, when they were primarily playing small clubs. My Sub Pop business
partner Jon Poneman and I decided to join up with Nirvana (and the TAD
band) in Rome as we heard that Kurt was suffering from exhaustion. We
had set up a showcase in London at the end of the tour (that also
included Mudhoney) and we were concerned that the band might not be able
to make it. The first image in particular shows Kurt Cobain expressing relief and gratitude as we first enter the club.
He was the first person we saw, and he was happy to see some supportive
friends. hows a despondent Kurt, the following day, with his head in his hands.
At the previous night’s show, he suffered a breakdown on stage, and
threatened to jump from the PA stack. It was a very intense night, and
he wanted to break up the band immediately after the show. The last image shows Kurt relaxing as a tourist the day after his breakdown. The rest
of the musicians had headed north to Switzerland in the van. We felt it
was important that Kurt have some time to decompress. Later that night,
Jon, Kurt and I took a train to meet up with the rest of the crew. I felt this Nirvana/Tad tour was historically significant. These photos documented a very special moment in rock history – early images of Kurt Cobain, a true genius. These images are unique, not only because of their historical significance, but because they are very candid." - Bruce Pavitt
