Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!
Encyclopedia
Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! is a video album released by the grunge
band Nirvana
on laserdisc
and VHS
on November 15, 1994. The DVD
version was released November 7, 2006. Kurt Cobain
compiled much of the video himself, but did not complete it prior to his death
. Surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl
and Krist Novoselic
worked with director Kevin Kerslake
to complete the video, attempting to remain as close to Cobain's vision as possible.
Most of the live footage is from 1991 and 1992, with home video footage dating back to late-1990. The latest footage is from January 23, 1993 at the Hollywood Rock Festival in Brazil
. A message appears at the beginning of the film which states that the release was "initially conceived and constructed in 1992/93" and that "circumstances did not allow for the piece to be completed by those who forged its original vision..." A rough outline of the video appears in the book "Journals"
.
There is also a secret "easter egg" bonus feature at the end of the credits, a rehearsal of "On a Plain
" from early 1991.
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
on laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
and VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
on November 15, 1994. The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version was released November 7, 2006. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
compiled much of the video himself, but did not complete it prior to his death
Death of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home located at 171 Lake Washington Boulevard in Seattle, Washington, United States on April 8, 1994. Cobain, the lead singer of the American grunge band Nirvana, had checked out of a drug rehabilitation facility and been reported suicidal by his wife Courtney Love...
. Surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
and Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
worked with director Kevin Kerslake
Kevin Kerslake
Kevin Kerslake is an American music video director. He has directed videos for Stone Temple Pilots, Filter, R.E.M., 311, Faith No More, Green Day, The Used, 10 Years, Depeche Mode, The Smashing Pumpkins, Papa Roach, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Rise Against, Insane Clown Posse, The Offspring, and Blue...
to complete the video, attempting to remain as close to Cobain's vision as possible.
Most of the live footage is from 1991 and 1992, with home video footage dating back to late-1990. The latest footage is from January 23, 1993 at the Hollywood Rock Festival in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. A message appears at the beginning of the film which states that the release was "initially conceived and constructed in 1992/93" and that "circumstances did not allow for the piece to be completed by those who forged its original vision..." A rough outline of the video appears in the book "Journals"
Journals (Cobain)
Journals is a collection of writings and drawings by Kurt Cobain, lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana. Though the content is undated, it is arranged in an approximation of chronological order, starting with a letter Cobain wrote to Dale Crover in 1988, and ending with a rant about...
.
Track listing
- "AneurysmAneurysm (song)"Aneurysm" is a song by the American grunge band, Nirvana.-Studio versions:*"Aneurysm" was first recorded in the studio on January 1, 1991, by Craig Montgomery at the Music Source in Seattle, Washington. This version was first released as a B-side on the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single later in...
" (In two parts: 1991.11.25 - ParadisoParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam, Holland, and 1993.01.23 - Hollywood RockHollywood RockHollywood Rock was a music festival which took place in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, in 1975 and from 1988 to 1996. The festival was sponsored and organised by the Souza Cruz tobacco company, owners of the Hollywood cigarette brand...
, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Incorrectly labeled 1993.01.16 São Paulo, Brazil on inlay) - "About a Girl" (1991.10.31 - Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
, Seattle, Washington) - "Dive" (1993.01.23 - Hollywood RockHollywood RockHollywood Rock was a music festival which took place in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, in 1975 and from 1988 to 1996. The festival was sponsored and organised by the Souza Cruz tobacco company, owners of the Hollywood cigarette brand...
, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Incorrectly labeled 1993.01.16 - São Paulo, Brazil on inlay) - "Love BuzzLove Buzz-Shocking Blue:"Love Buzz" is a song written by Robbie van Leeuwen of Dutch rock band Shocking Blue.-Nirvana:The American grunge band Nirvana recorded a cover version of the song for its 1988 debut single, released on Sub Pop in the US. It was the first single in the Sub Pop Singles club. A...
" (In two parts: 1991.10.19 - Dallas, Texas / 1991.11.25 - ParadisoParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam, Holland) - "Breed" (1991.10.31 - Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
, Seattle, Washington) - "Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" (1991.11.27 - UK TV show Top of the PopsTop of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
) - "Negative Creep" (1992.02.22 - Honolulu, Hawaii)
- "Come as You Are" (1991.11.25 - ParadisoParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam, Holland) - "Territorial Pissings" (In two parts: 1991.12.06 - UK TV show Jonathan RossJonathan Ross (television presenter)Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011...
/ 1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland) - "Something in the Way" (1992.02.14 - Osaka, Japan)
- "Lithium" (1992.08.30 - Reading FestivalReading and Leeds FestivalsThe Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
, England) - "Drain YouDrain You"Drain You" is a 1991 song by American grunge band Nirvana and the eighth track from their breakthrough album Nevermind. It is most famous as a B-side on the band's most successful single "Smells Like Teen Spirit". However, a live version recorded in 1991 appeared on the live album From the Muddy...
" (1991.11.25 - ParadisoParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam, Holland) - "PollyPolly (song)"Polly" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the sixth song on its 1991 album, Nevermind.-History:Dating back to at least 1988, "Polly" stands alongside "About a Girl" as one of singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain's earliest forays into unfiltered pop songwriting. It was originally titled...
" (1991.10.31 - Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
, Seattle, Washington) - "SliverSliver (song)"Sliver" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana. It was originally released as a non-album single in 1990 by Sub Pop. DGC re-released the song to radio to support the release of the rarities compilation album Incesticide in 1992....
" (1991.11.25 - ParadisoParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam, Holland) - "On a PlainOn a Plain"On a Plain" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the eleventh song on their major label debut, Nevermind .-History:...
" (1992.06.26 - Roskilde FestivalRoskilde FestivalRoskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
, Denmark) - "Endless, Nameless" (1991.10.31 - Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
, Seattle, Washington) (Not listed on VHS release)- "Lounge Act" from NevermindNevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
plays over the ending credits. - Numerous other fragments appear throughout the video, including pieces of the band's 1992 performance on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
- "Lounge Act" from Nevermind
DVD bonus tracks
The DVD features the same track listing as the VHS release, as well as footage from Nirvana's performance at the Paradiso Club in Amsterdam on November 25, 1991, featuring the songs:- "School"
- "About a Girl"
- "Been a Son"
- "On a PlainOn a Plain"On a Plain" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the eleventh song on their major label debut, Nevermind .-History:...
" - "BlewBlew (EP)"Blew" is the title of a song and EP released by the American grunge band Nirvana.-Song:"Blew" was written in 1988 by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. The song was recorded in December of 1988 and initially appeared as the first track on Nirvana's 1989 debut album Bleach.-Release:Blew was released in...
"
There is also a secret "easter egg" bonus feature at the end of the credits, a rehearsal of "On a Plain
On a Plain
"On a Plain" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the eleventh song on their major label debut, Nevermind .-History:...
" from early 1991.
Chart positions
DVD| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Billboard Comprehensive Videos | 4 |
| Billboard Top Music Videos | 4 | |
| Norwegian DVD Charts | 6 | |
| New Zealand DVD Charts Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
6 (Gold) | |
| Italian DVD Charts Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
9 | |
| Australian DVD Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
9 |