An iconic artist of Grunge Rock Kurt Cobain and the final song he played onstage

An iconic artist of Grunge Rock Kurt Cobain and the final song he played onstage

‘Heart Shaped Box’ – Kurt Cobain

For as harsh as Nirvana’s In Utero tour got, no one could have assumed where Kurt Cobain was heading. Sure, many artists have complained about the strain that the touring life puts on them, but the spokesman for grunge was more content to treat his stomach ailments rather than have to deal with a bunch of kids gathered in a field just to hear the guitar riff to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. While most other entries here were triumphs, there’s an ominous feeling listening back to Cobain’s run-through of ‘Heart Shaped Box’.

It would make sense for Nirvana to close with what was their biggest hit that night, but the entire concert was already marred in controversy. Cobain had been dopesick on the road, and even when the band went on, their show had frequent electrical problems, which resulted in the discordant version of ‘Heart Shaped Box’ that they ended up with.

By the time Cobain walked out, it was clear everyone needed a break, but his failed stint in rehab and eventual death by his own hand was nowhere near the worst-case scenario people were thinking of. So now, when looking back on the feral sounds of Cobain’s guitar on ‘Heart Shaped Box’, it sounds like a worrying omen of what was to come once he returned to the US.