Nirvana fans shook as band is ‘casually resurrected’ in breathtaking FireAid performance-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

The surviving members of Nirvana just reunited for a four-song performance at FireAid in a truly historic moment.

Last night, the world of music came together in Los Angeles for a fundraising concert after devastating wildfires blazed through the city, destroying thousands of acres and killing 29 people.

Many celebrities and residents were forced to evacuate from the fires, which took hold in strong winds on January 9. While the fires are now largely contained, the flames are thought to have engulfed 16,000 homes and businesses.

First responders got the best seats in the house for the concert, which – held across two locations in the city in conjunction with Live Nation and AEG Presents – will fund the repair of the community and prevent future fires.

Billy Crystal stood on stage and described the moment his home burned down, while Stevie Nicks performed Landslide for the firefighters who saved hers.

The When Harry Met Sally actor announced early on in the evening that rock band U2 donated a huge £1million to the cause.

St. Vincent performed with Pat Smear of Nirvana (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Joan Jett also took on vocals for Pat, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic in the epic Nirvana reunion (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Meanwhie, a whole host of other performances came from stars including Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder. Green Day and Billie Eilish performed the rock band’s hit Last Night on Earth together, while Joni Mitchell took to the stage aged 81 for a rare performance.

Taking place at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome simultaneously, Sir Rod Stewart, Gwen Stefani, P!nk, Earth Wind & Fire, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt were also on the lineup – which would put the best music festivals in the world to shame.

Violet Grohl performed All Apologies with her dad on drums behind (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Sting, Tate McRae, Alanis Morissette, Anderson .Paak, Dawes, Graham Nash, John Fogerty, Stephen Stills, Slash with The Black Crowes and John Mayer also turned up for a song or two.

Dr Dre also made a surprise appearance with Anderson .Paak to sing Still D.R.E and California Love, while Travis Barker was a surprise guest for Jelly Roll’s cover of Hollywood Nights.

But the stand out performance – which was not billed on the official lineup and so came as a huge surprise to fans – was when the surviving members of Nirvana took to the stage to perform four songs.

Dr. Dre made a surprise appearance with Anderson .Paak., singing Still Dre and California Love (Picture: John Shearer/Getty Images for FIREAID)

Sir Rod Stewart opened the night in a dashing suit (Picture: REUTERS)

Billie Eilish performed with Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear dissolved Nirvana after Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, and they have performed on just a handful of occassions since.

Last night was one of them, and the Smells Like Teen Spirit hitmakers performed with four different female vocalists: Breed was sung by St. Vincent, School by Kim Gordon, Territorial Pissing by Joan Jett and All Apologies was performed with Dave’s 18-year-old daughter Violet Grohl, who famously took to the stage with her dad at Glastonbury 2023.

Naturally, fans went wild.

Sting put on a blinder too (Picture: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Joni Mitchell made a rare appearance on stage for the occassion, cementing the night as one that will truly go down in history(Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

‘WHAT IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW???’ shouted @earlydaysinnit.

‘Nirvana being casually resurrected on the FireAid bill without any warning, and playing four songs with all rotating women vocalists, is completely unreal,’ wrote @kyratyler on X.

‘Just Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet singing All Apologies with the surviving members to a global audience. No biggie,’ noted @DesignedToFade.

‘Still can’t believe there was a Nirvana reunion. Breathtaking,’ wrote @DanLeachDTM.

With Cobain, Nirvana performed their last ever show on March 1 1994 at Terminal Einz in Munich, but the surviving members came back together in 2012 to record Cut Me Some Slack with Sir Paul McCartney.

After, the remaining three performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2014 – again with female singers like St. Vincent, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett, and Lorde taking Cobain’s role in the band.

‘We thought, “Wait, it has to be all women,”‘ Grohl told Rolling Stone that year. 

‘Don’t even ask anyone else. If we can fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance with these incredible women singing Nirvana songs, then we’ll have achieved our own revolution.

‘It also added a whole other dimension to the show. It added substance and depth, so it didn’t turn into a eulogy. It was more about the future.’

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