It’s official.

Following this morning’s news that Nirvana’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame performance would feature surviving members – Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear – performing a medley of Nirvana classics with a rotating cast of female performers, the reports have all turned out to be true.

After hours of inductions and live performances from the likes of 2014 inductees KISS, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, iconic managers Brian Epstein (Beatles) and Andrew Loog Oldham (Rolling Stones) and an hour-long performance from Bruce Springsteen and inductees E Street Band, Nirvana closed the ceremony, hosted at New York’s Barclays Center.

Following an induction and speech by REM frontman Michael Stipe, the band took to the stage with Joan Jett taking centre stage as the band hammered out their most iconic anthem, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ – the first time the band has played the song in 20 years.

Here’s a fuzzy smartphone photo of Jett fronting Nirvana for ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ (Note: zero points for the flock of people up front nattering while history in the making is happening not two feet from them).

Next up in the female Nirvana medley turnstile was St. Vincent (aka Annie Clarke) who (as suspected) performed an encore version of ‘Lithium’ after the US guitar maverick performed it on the 20th Anniversary of Cobain’s death last Saturday.

And confirming this morning’s rumours, 17-year-old New Zealand star Lorde was next to the podium. The ‘#LordeVana’ hybrid – featuring the ‘Royals’ singer along with Jett, Gordon, and Clark, tacked ‘All Apologies’ as bassist Krist Novoselic jumped onto the accordion for the infamous In Utero closer.

Along with the all-star performances from Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, Lorde, and St. Vincent, the induction featured an emotional side – chiefly thanks to the appearance of Kurt Cobain’s mother and Courtney Love, who said: “I have a big speech but I’m not going to say it. I just wish Kurt could have been here,” before giving Grohl and Novoselic a heartwarming hug (and here’s visual proof).

“This is about community,” said Michael Stipe during the induction, “Nirvana tapped into a voice that was yearning to be heard. Keep in mind the times, this was the late 1980s. The idea of America — that hopeful idea — had been dismantled.”

Watch clips of Nirvana’s frontwoman medley below (via Consequence Of Sound and New York Daily News). More footage and coverage from Nirvana’s Hall Of Fame induction performance as it arrives to hand.

Nirvana with Joan Jett – ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’



Nirvana with Kim Gordon – ‘Aneurysm’

Nirvana with St. Vincent – ‘Lithium’

Nirvana with Lorde – ‘All Apologies’

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine