Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! is a live video by the American rock band Nirvana, directed by Kevin Kerslake, and released on November 15, 1994, on VHS and laserdisc. It was re-released on DVD on November 7, 2006.

Background

Conceived by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, the film was intended to document Nirvana's unexpected rise to fame following the release of their second album, Nevermind, in September 1991. After Cobain's death in April 1994, it was salvaged for release by surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, who completed it with editor Steve MacCorkle.

Kerslake, who had been in communication with Cobain during the film's development, revealed that Cobain's concept for the video was "much more evolved" than the version that was released, featuring "more of an interior sense of what it was like to be in the band", but "obviously, we never got to the point where that part was shot."

Content

The video includes live performances, as well as interview clips, news footage and the band's home movies. One song, "Lithium", as well as other footage, is from the band's headline performance at the Reading Festival in Reading, England on August 30, 1992, which, according to Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, had an attendance of 50,000 people and that hearing the audience chant the lyrics to "Lithium" was one of their biggest moments. Two songs are from Nirvana's headline appearance at the Hollywood Rock festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 23, 1993, which had an attendance of over 100,000 people in the audience. Although it was actually a different version of the song that appeared on the From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah album that was recorded at Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California, on December 28, 1991.

In 2002, an unsent letter to "Kevin & co" was published in Cobain's Journals, which contained numerous requests for changes to an earlier cut of the film, none of which appear in the final version. Among Cobain's instructions were the inclusion of the song "Sifting", from the band's show at Rhino Records in Los Angeles on June 23, 1989, and "Molly's Lips", from their appearance at the 1991 Reading Festival on August 23, 1991.

Reception

Allmusic's Greg Prato wrote that the film showed "how great the trio could be on stage", and offered "great insight into the group, just as they were hitting it big." Charles Aaron of Spin wrote that it captured "the dizzying silliness of the times, as well as Nirvana's fractious magnetism." According to Noah Davis of PopMatters, the film showed that despite the band's "position as world beaters", they were rarely serious, and "never played along" to the traditional rules of fame. Dan Martin of the NME wrote that it showed "Nirvana as they should have been experienced: a raw, visceral, devastatingly sexy way of life."

Chart performance

The original 1994 release of Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Top Video Sales chart, and at number 1 on the Billboard Top Music Videos chart. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 2 on the UK Top Music Videos chart.

Track listing

  1. "Aneurysm" (In two parts: 1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland, and 1993.01.23 - Hollywood Rock, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Incorrectly labeled 1993.01.16 São Paulo, Brazil on inlay)
  2. "About a Girl" (1991.10.31 - Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Washington)
  3. "Dive" (1993.01.23 - Hollywood Rock, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Incorrectly labeled 1993.01.16 - São Paulo, Brazil on inlay)
  4. "Love Buzz" (In two parts: 1991.10.19 - Dallas, Texas / 1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland)
  5. "Breed" (1991.10.31 - Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Washington)
  6. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991.11.27 - UK TV show Top of the Pops)
  7. "Negative Creep" (1992.02.22 - Honolulu, Hawaii)
  8. "Come as You Are" (1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland)
  9. "Territorial Pissings" (In two parts: 1991.12.06 - UK TV show Jonathan Ross / 1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland)
  10. "Something in the Way" (1992.02.14 - Osaka, Japan)
  11. "Lithium" (1992.08.30 - Reading Festival, England)
  12. "Drain You" (1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland)
  13. "Polly" (1991.10.31 - Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Washington)
  14. "Sliver" (1991.11.25 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland)
  15. "On a Plain" (1992.06.26 - Roskilde Festival, Denmark)
  16. "Endless, Nameless" (1991.10.31 - Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Washington) (Not listed on VHS release)
  • "Lounge Act" from Nevermind plays over the ending credits.
  • Numerous other fragments appear throughout the video, including pieces of the band's 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live. An audio clip of the outro of a live performance of the song "Rape Me" that was recorded at the Seattle Center Coliseum on September 11, 1992, plays over a collage of other footage.

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:

  1. "School"
  2. "About a Girl"
  3. "Been a Son"
  4. "On a Plain"
  5. "Blew"

There is also a secret "easter egg" bonus feature at the end of the credits, a rehearsal of "On a Plain" from early 1991.

Charts

Weekly charts

1994 original VHS release

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1994–1995)

!Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"|Australia Music Video Top 20 (ARIA)

| 1

|-

! scope="row"|Italy Music Videos (Musica e dischi)

| 2

|-

! scope="row"|UK Videos (OCC)

| 9

|-

|-

! scope="row"|US Top Video Sales (Billboard)

| 6

|-

! scope="row"|US Top Music Videos (Billboard)

| 1

|}

2006 DVD re-release

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2006)

!Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"|Australian Audiovisual Top 40 Chart (ARIA Charts)

| 9

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"|US Top Music Videos (Billboard)

|align="center"| 1

|}

Certifications

See also

  • Nirvana discography
  • Nirvana bootleg recordings

References

  • Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! DVD Trailer