Finding Nirvana

This year marks 30 years since the death of Kurt Cobain, known for being the lead singer and songwriter of the 90s grunge band Nirvana, who were and still are one of the biggest selling rock bands of all time, despite only having a handful of albums as a three piece. However, just like plenty of the other?young artists, whose fame and fortune were cut too short, Kurt's legacy firmly lives on to this day, inspiring many a Tortured Poet to come.?

This lovely piece from The Guardian talks about how a younger generation of fans and a new wave of musicians including Boygenius who are trying to revive rock music, have got?hooked on the band's angst and sensitivity, and are using their inspiration to inject some grit back into music.?

Last month 6 music dedicated a whole day to him with their?'Kurt Cobain Forever'?shows, and you can listen back to one of the?shows here?if you need an intro to or a reminder on why they were so iconic at the time.

Also, he probably didn't think it at the time, but the 90s grunge look pioneered by bands of the time, has of course become a hit again and again for generation after generation, and sites like Vinted and depop are awash with grandad cardigans, slip dresses and check shirts. I'm pretty sure sales of his iconic white oval sunglasses too must be on the up this year.

That grunge sound was obviously coined by so many great bands at the time, another one notably being Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, two of the most creative minds out there, have recently formed their creative company?With Teeth and are planning to soundtrack everything from films, to festivals, to clothing to the UEFN ecosystem, which is clearly set to inject the world with more of their iconic sounds and styles across a range of media. Read more here.

And with Kurt Cobain, you can't not have Courtney Love, who again is having a resurgence for her style and music once again, being as controversial as ever saying 'Taylor doesn't matter' in a?recent interview.?

There are countless documentaries and books on Nirvana, but I can definitely recommend one - Dave Grohl's autobiography The Storyteller - it's such a wonderful read. He?recalls?that even in the depths of rural Ireland, picking up a hitchhiker?wearing a Kurt Cobain t-shirt, helped him at the time with his healing. It's both fascinating and amazing to see a legacy so strong to this day continuing to influence our fashion trends, musical habits and views on the world to?this day.?

So in summary, even 30 years on, their?little group has always been and always will.?

As a reminder, it's Mental Health Awareness Week and Month, and at VCCP our Thrive team have put on a huge range of talks and activities to get involved with, plus we are reminding everyone of the support and resources available to them, including how to access our Mental Health First Aiders, free counselling sessions & advice helpline numbers. ??