Kurt Cobain (centre) with Nirvana bandmembers Krist Novoselic (left) and Dave Grohl.

Nirvana tribute night in castlebar venue

There will be a tribute night to the late, great Kurt Cobain and Nirvana this Saturday night (April 4) at Garbo's in Castlebar, brought to you by Finbar Hoban Presents...

Entitled Territorial Pissings, the night will bring together local bands and artists, plus Ireland's definitive Nirvana tribute act, Negative Creeps.

Cobain, the voice of a generation, took his own life on April 5, 1994, and left a world in mourning. Now, on the 21st anniversary of his death, there can be no better way to mark the occasion than have a number of local bands come together to perform their own versions of some of Nirvana's classics.

Building on a vibrant underground scene in the US throughout the 1980s, Nirvana changed the landscape of music. In the late '80s Nirvana established themselves as part of the Seattle grunge scene, releasing debut album Bleach for independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. The band eventually came to develop a sound that relied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and loud, heavy choruses.

After signing to major label DGC Records, Nirvana found unexpected success with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', the first single from the band's second album, Nevermind. Nirvana's sudden success widely popularized alternative rock and as the band's front man, Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the 'spokesman of a generation', with Nirvana considered the flagship band of Generation X. 

In response, Nirvana's third studio album, In Utero, featured an abrasive, less mainstream sound and challenged the group's audience. The album did not match the sales figures of Nevermind but was still a commercial success and critically acclaimed.

Nirvana's brief but brilliant run ended following the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but various posthumous releases have been issued since, overseen by band members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl and Cobain's widow Courtney Love.

Since the release of Bleach, the band has sold over 25 million records in the United States alone and over 75 million records worldwide. Nirvana were inducted into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame in 2014, their first year of eligibility.

On Saturday, a number of local acts will merge and play various songs from Nirvana and other alternative rock luminaries such as as Pearl Jam, The Pixies, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth and a whole host of others. Doors open at 9 p.m. with the show starting at 9.30.