Originally released by DGC Records on September 24, 1991, Nirvana’s second studio album Nevermind sees its 30th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the BBC has announced an upcoming film on the band’s time in the UK entitled When Nirvana Came to Britain. 

The doc begins a couple years before Nevermind, starting in 1989 when the band visited the UK on their Bleach tour (AKA the tour where someone pilfered a lock of Kurt Cobain’s hair). Running through to 1994, the doc covers how Nirvana cemented themselves as an icon through introducing “a new and exciting brand of rock music to the UK, changing the musical landscape of the time and influencing a generation of British youth,” as detailed in a BBC synopsis.


The film will include unseen archival footage and home movies by the band members themselves, as well as visiting “little-known British locations” that played “a surprising role” in Nirvana’s rise to fame. Interviews with the Nirvana road crew and surviving members, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, will provide extra insight into the special connection between Nirvana and the UK as they state Britain’s cult following of the band before global fame and American stardom hit. 

The film will also explore some of Nirvana’s influences for the first time in detail. Influences include Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Vaselines (who Nirvana covered at their famous MTV Unplugged gig).

Shows on Nevermind will also air on BBC radio stations. On Radio 4, author Doug Coupland will host Teen Spirit: Nevermind at 30 (September 24), while 6 Music will play tracks from the album for its Deep Dive into Nevermind programme (September 23).

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