The former Beatle was invited by now Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl (Nirvana’s drummer) to play with bassist Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear (who toured for the last six months of Nirvana’s existence) at the gig tonight in the US.
The Nirvana members haven’t played live together for 20 years, although Novoselic has played on a Foo Fighters album.
With their ‘new singer’ they’ll play a new song they’ve written together.
On meeting the pioneers of the grunge era, McCartney suggested they “just make something up” while Grohl played drums, Novoselic bass and Smear guitar. They liked what they came up with enough to share it with the world.
“I didn’t really know who they were,” McCartney said.
“They are saying how good it is to be back together. I said: ‘Whoa? You guys haven’t played together for all that time?’
“And somebody whispered to me: ‘That’s Nirvana. You’re Kurt.’ I couldn’t believe it.”
Kurt Cobain took his own life in April 1994.
Also headlining the benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in New York are The Rolling Stones, Jon Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West.
The concert will be broadcast on 30-plus US TV networks and be seen across six continents.
There will also be live web streams, free movie theatre screenings and radio simulcasts.
Images via Getty
Paul McCartney & “12-12-12” The Concert for Sandy Relief from Robin Hood on Vimeo.
Here in a 1997 interview McCartney tells TFI Friday presenter Chris Evans that’s he’d like to have been in Nirvana (at around 4 mins 10 secs)
And here it is! The performance of new song ‘Cut Me Some Slack’
