The Tragedy Behind Nirvana's 1994 'In Utero' European Tour 

How insane that Smells Like Teen Spirit ended up being left out of the final show due to the power outage. Like final favor to Kurt.. RIP

Thinking about the amount of stuff Nirvana accomplished from the end of 91 to early 94, seems like 10 years of worked packed in to 2 full calendar years. All those world tours, all those recordings, albums, b sides, special MTV appearances, music videos, buying houses, getting married, having kids, all those magazine shoots, interviews, collaborations. It's insane. Non-stop. With the drug problems on top of it.

That tour should never had happened, but I guess the show must go on at any cost. Just sad that it was the life of the most talented songwriter of his generation.

Realistically Kurt was probably out of dope and withdrawing. As a recovering heroin addict myself I can't even imagine touring.. let alone being in a different country every few days and trying to support my habit. What a nightmare scenario. Especially from his perspective having to perform in front of people every night. When I was withdrawing I would isolate. All signs point to him acting like an addict who ran out of his supply.. esp with all his excuses to cancel and ontop of being burnt out and mentally checked out, he def acted like an addict.

I had a ticket to see them in Cardiff on the 1st April 94. I was 14. Still one of the biggest low points of my life! Was a fan since 91 when Nevermind came out. RIP Mr Cobain!!

If only Kurt picked up Neil Young’s message then April 1994 could have been totally different. Heartbreaking stuff.

I always get sad watching live footage from 1994 I was almost 11 when he died, I only bin a fan since there 92 MTV performance, that's when I got hooked,I wish he were still around,r.I.p kurt

The guy clearly wasn't well and clinically depressed with a drug problem. The suits obviously wanted productivity. No wonder he said he felt like clicking in a time card before going on stage in his note. Look at his eyes at 2.05. They're emotionless and dead. It's really sad.

Burn out is a real thing whether you’re a rock star or work as a bank teller. Sometimes you just have enough and the thought of doing another shift fills you with dread and depression. If you’re ALREADY as psychologically disturbed as Kurt was this kind of burn out can be fatal.

Everytime i see a 'grunge and rock' upload, i read the title in his accent. Proper good videos though

He wasn't "worn out", he spent a week blasted on heroin in Paris. Thanks to that photographer, who hooked him up with a dealer. Once the drugs ran out, Kurt was frantic and irritable, and wanting to cancel the tour. And of course he got sick, both dope sick and viral sick from being on heroin for a week in France on some dealer's dirty couch. This has all come out recently by the photographer who hooked him up.

When you think you know everything about Kurt Cobain and then something else comes out. Really good job on your video man and all the videos you've done about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana as a fan myself I really appreciate it brother.

I just came across your channel and I’ve sat here and gone through so many videos. I looove it!!

Adding to what you mentioned about Kurt wanting to cancel the tour because of his stomach issue.... Kurt did a very candid interview with MTV. He was asked about his stomach aliment and he said there were days he felt like he wanted to end it the pain was horrific and unbearable. Adding that it had been going on for 6 yrs nonstop. He then said that at long last a doctor had prescribed a medication that actually worked. His pain was finally gone although he never received a prognosis. This video was well done... Sending positive vibes from the Windy City 💚

Thanks for making this, I have seen most of these clips, been a lifelong Nirvana fan. I like the way you created this video very much, with the calendar/imagery, as well as your narration of the events unfolding and how you simply present what occurred within this timeframe objectively. Subbed, fantastic video and thank you so much for helping me attempt to understand my favorite artist's death!

He deserved so much better in life, i wish he had more people in his life who cared about his life. Gone too soon, will never be forgotten. Hope those last shows were worth it.

Some footage in here I've never seen before. Good video. Thanks for sharing.

I saw the last gig they ever did basically. It was in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 1994. It's weird because I thought after that they went to Italy where they didn't finish the last show, but on this calendar Italy is shown before Slovenia. We loved the gig. Kurt did seem very distant and almost like he didn't want to be there but from what I remember it was still a good show. The place was packed and very enthusiastic. It was one of my first shows I ever went. Previous year I saw Faith No More on Angel Dust tour and just missed Metallica & Megadeth in Hungary because I had an elbow injury.

Kurt's last song was Heart Shaped Box, Layne Staley's last song was Man in the Box. Never write songs about boxes.

It's a bummer Kurt couldn't pull it off. I understand the power that opaties have on a person once they sink they're teeth in you. It's too bad the prescription drug Suboxone or Subutex wasn't around back then. It keeps you from withdrawing, helps with cravings, gives you energy and helps with depression. I believe if Kurt would have been able to get on this medication he would have finished the tour and possibly not committed suicide. I guess we'll never know. 😕

As rough as this tour was, I'd still highly encourage fans to check out the bootlegs of the European In Utero tour. Here and there Kurt just seems totally out of it, but by and large the band is still fantastic. Especially check out Milan from February 25th, 1994. Even Teen Spirit from that show is incredible. I only bring up that song because even here, at the very end, I think Kurt had a much more complicated relationship with that song than people generally consider.

🔥🔥 just keep going

After the Seattle show on January 8th they should have stopped and took time off because Kurt was still addicted to heroin. And in Europe some of the states they'd tour in wouldn't have heroin and the time to get help was actually much earlier than March because I read somewhere that after tours Kurt would go home and isolate himself from everyone. So what Nirvana should have done is take time off. Offer Kurt some help for his heroin problem and allow him to recuperate and then come back and do the European tour and if there unable to do lollapalooza that's fine Kurt didn't want to do it anyway.

To be honest this awesome video , great musian , wonderful guy , and great band.

King Buzzo said the last tour was very sad and uncomfortable the entire time. He didn’t seem surprised by what Kurt did.

Man, it's hard enough being on the skag when you are a normal person. Screw being on the gear and have to tour the world. How can you ever guarantee that's you will be able to score dope abroad or even have enough plugged to last. If your away from your local dealer for 3 months In 16 different countries I guess your gonna rattle

Thanks dude 😊

He deserved better. Someone should’ve helped him more

So thankful that he got to make his music but also so sad for his early loss. I was thinking about how very young he was. As you get older you really start to gain perspective on life and things change so much. I feel like a completely different person at 45 than I did at 27... I can only imagine what his life might have been like had he waited and gained that well needed perspective. I wish he never would have felt he had to do that last tour as maybe he wouldn't have been pushed too far.

much beloved and dearly missed. no amount of time can heal this wound

Reading the comments and watching the video, I think it is informative. If Dave or krist knew about addiction, it could have helped Kurt so badly. Just someone in his life he needed, but there was no one for him.

Thanks for this… May I suggest comparing different sources to create your video… I recognise the details are from 1 particular book and yet I know a few other book tell different stories…

After that European tour the band was to play Australia awesome video , great musian and band , Still very very sad #Nirvana #KurtCobain #InUtero

I just wish Kurt was alive he’s so handsome 😍❤️🥰

I don’t get how nobody especially Krist tried to personally talk to him. He would of been the only one who new him well enough and not on drugs. Wasn’t his responsibility or fault in anyway

I saw them in early Jan in Vancouver. They seemed weirdly distant. The music was still good though.

I just can't get over the impossible things that supposedly happened surrounding his death, like the amount of heroin in his blood, but great video.

I don't think anyone could've changed his mind he was clearly utterly miserable and just over everything: (

It's so funny, reading Kurt's account of the story. It's all "Well, and then what happened was....."

Rest in peace Kurt, you were great, we all miss you ❤

can you please attach links in the description box for where you get all your facts? you always have information that i’ve never ever heard.

Now seeing all these facts . There is no doubt in my mind he ended his own life

I had tickets for the Manchester gmex , to see Nirvana on that very tour. Such a shame

Love that coat!! Kurt looked great when he got some dough at end. Cracking coat, eyeliner, great hair and those beautiful rings. Geezer!

Last 2 milan shows are excellent

As i recall from watching MusiquePlus/MuchMusic at the time Kurt died, it was in the music news that week that Nirvana pulled out of Lollapalooza and he might've fired the band as well.

hey man how are you

You can see the sadness in Kurt’s eyes during the TV taping they did in Italy. So sad 😞

Dublin simmons court pavilion April 8 th Friday ... doors never opened at 8 pm. I still have the ticket.

Bands had so much more engaging stuff to talk about back then instead of what labels they're wearing

he was a great musician, but just because you're famous doesn't mean addiction works any differently than for any other person. people seem to be blaming the whole world for what Cobain did with his life, which is ironically what a drug addict does. They try to shift the blame for everything bad that happens in their life on external forces to justify their addiction. The fact that his life was so miserable that he decided to end it was noone's responsibility but his own. In order to recover from addiction you need to accept this fact. Stop blaming the label, his band, his wife, his manager, the world, his back, the society, stop painting him as some sort of a hero or a martyr. He was his own victim, just like every other addict in history. It's sad and tragic.

the fear and dispair in his eyes terrible you can see it in his eyes in that last picture what ever happend kurt its a strange and misterious death the whole investigation the overdose of herion in ure blood its al weird and strange rip mr kurt i wish you could explane more about ure death

Well krist when it mentally is effecting Kurt yes that's very serious medical condition. If he had the time off people were with him and not against him maybe he would still be here to relish his achievements

9:47 Oh god no I can't stop crying it's in his voice💔💔💔

I saw them in Spokane in January right before they did two shows in Seattle and poof just like that they flew to Europe and into the history books. I’m glad I got to see them although I don’t remember the show that well. I went with my girlfriend at the time. So I didn’t really get to enjoy the show like I would’ve liked.

Where can I find that cover of dumb that played at the beginning and end?

I still have the poster for 11. 3. 1994, Průmyslový palác - Prague on a wall.... its so sad for me... RIP Kurt Cobain

Nulle parte aillers "a dead finger, dead movement, if I was dead, those parts dying and killing me"

How big could nirvana have gotten?if nirvana were still here. Pretty darn big almost world leaders

Show this to all of the people who refuse to understand why he wanted to take his life, the “man I wish I he was still here” crowd. It was tragic for all involved but he had every right to want to take his life. The music was great but he realised he was part of a tawdry, money making enterprise and saw only one way out of it.

💔

If only kratom was a widespread thing around this time. Kurt could've just taken 12 grams of a strong red maeng da everytime he was beginning to get dopesick and bam his engine is a quarter full instead of completely empty

Imagine Nirvana and Green Day at the same concert

Have been on the last show in Munich, Kurt was upset cos the crowd was really cheesy towards the Melvins and you could see that he was not very comfortable at all playing the show.

Nirvana had one more photo shoot on feb 15 94 with the photos of kurt in torn green sweater with a pistol

Lollapalooza freaked him out if u ask me 😐 he seen the headliners and was like no way am I doing this..would of been epic.

Hi, does eanybody have a link to a this version of "dumb" in the end of the video? thanks

The music business killed him 😔

I have some feedback to op. Good vid, but the message here was that kurt cobain was a junkie and was so depressed and fried, he ended his life. He was completely managed and controlled by courtney love. She pushed him to do the tour, he didnt want to. He wanted to slow down and take a break and be a dad. She wanted hollywood and fame and money. Being in a mentally abusive relationship, yet trying to balance everything WAS overwhelming. He wanted to break from nirvana, not because he hated the band, but it would be the only way to get Courtney off his back and he wanted to spend more time with his child. Lots of info out there on all this. Point being, It wasnt touring that burned him out, it was his media whore wife. They were having MAJOR fights about money, on record. Police reports about their fights. He was "scared of Courtney". She realized she might lose her money train. Post rome coma incident, he got clean, went to rehab, wink wink and escaped to avoid Courtney and cut communication with her. Not everyone else around him, but specifically avoiding just her. Ask yourself, why? Interesting hmm? Then you go down the rabbit hole of did he kill himself, and that we will never know. But digging into his relationship, the toxic life he had to endure, and all the strange unexplained behavior on Courtney loves end, makes an obvious case that it wasnt exactly drug addict rock star was depressed and killed himself, but rather love had pushed and used her husband way too far and kirt wanted to get the hell away from her. Shes not the type to let something go if she really wants something.

Who lived up the street from Kurt when this happened? I had a weird dream. How would I know Kurt was disappointed about in bloom wasn't the hit single like he wanted? They chose smells like teen spirit wich Kurt fucking hates that song obvious he would not play it!!!!!!!!!

Very simple and straightforward sentiment I'd like to share and no blame to anyone. If you can, believe someone when saying he's not doing good and give support. Burnout is also a darker reality than people imagine and can lead to suicide very fast! No joke here! People can become very desperate quickly, especially on top of feeling guilty and ashamed. Many people commit suicide, not so much, because they want to end suffering, but also because of guilt and feeling it's for the best for everyone concerned, like some sort of sacrifice to stop hurting others. People who are burnt out don't have the best mindset to realize that reality is probably not as grim as they think it is. However, other people aren't aware or trained to understand what someone goes through when burnt-out, anxious, prone to panic attacks, loss of sleep, delirium, psychosis, depression and all sorts od ailments that can affect someone in downward spiral and feeling isolated and with no real support. Like I said, no blame to others, but if people knew better, maybe some wouldn't have putten so much weight on Kurt, maybe he just needed some love, affection and emotional support, that he's free to cancel a tour until he's better, than he'd still be there. I think a great deal of things were going through his mind, withdrawal, having a wife and daughter, feeling the chore of leading a band, playing songs over and over he grew tired of, a pretty long tour he couldn't handle and a whole lot of shame and humiliation as well, for not living up to his own but also what he thought was everyone else's expectations. The reality, life is the most valuable thing there is, not a tour, not the money, not all the hopeless expectations life throws at us. If we're dead, all of one owns, becomes utterly meaningless. Something about this needs to change in society and politics. Burnout is an emergency, suicidal ideation is an emergency. If someone is asking or begging for a day off, cancel or anything like this, benefit of the doubt, let them do so or gently ask if they can help with a few things and see if he or she can agree to have a little workload. Maybe if there was an agreement to cut the tour shorter, that may have helped a lot already. And if the person really can't, it is a medical situation. Last but not least, we should allow a person to take days off and propose help, but kindly so, not in a hurry. I am saying all that, because this literally could save lives, and again, nothing is more precious or has more value than being alive. If a person dies, there is no return or way to bring a person back. Also never forget, giving affection to someone who's at the end of the rope, can make the whole difference between life and death, just being there, also not being brusk and sharing time, even without words. Burnout and mental illness is real, and a whole of people don't know what it means, worse a lot of people think they know, but in reality still don't know what it means. Nowadays we have a lot of information and knowledge that can literally save lifes. Be informed and educate yourself. Among us are many Kurt Cobains, who deserve the best chances to heal and grow.

What version of “Dumb” plays in the intro and outro?

POV: your watching grunge and rocks RU-vid channel: 🤘😀 Kurt would be proud

Never met anyone in my life who claimed drugs were the best decision they ever made.

I think Cobain held out for Krist on that Ljubljana, Slovenia show on Feb. 27th, 2nd to last show. He knew it was important to Krist to make it happen.

Fitting that the last song they ever played was NOT Smells Like Teen Sprit

🎉🎉

The whole kids on drugs ,giving thumbs up: that was exactly what was said on Layne Staley info videos.

Albini banned Courtney from the studio. She wanted to get on the album. He nicknamed her "Hoser beast"

Maybe his father told him the truth about his mother

Who does the cover at the very beginning of this video? Sounds really cool.

😢

Ond irait qu il fait une référence à Courtney Love avec ses lunettes, cigarettes et la pause, comme en plus il voulait se séparer d elle....

Everyone knew Kurt was incredibly unwell but they all wanted more money, so they put their cash cow on the road

Carton of cigarettes for his birthday, death on an installment plan....along with the lifestyle of the rich and famous drugs and alcohol...parties..nice...

Nothing beautiful lasts...

Somebody….please use some AI filter to clean up that backstage conversation with Kurt and buzzcocks. Be so cool to finally hear what was said. So interesting that Kurt was into doing the festival at one point in time. But it went downhill fast. He was detoxing in Europe and things were just to miserable to handle. It’s a shame he burnt out so fast in 94. Rip kurdt

Whats the name of the song at the beginning of the video?

I don't know why you didn't mention Kurt having bronchitis on the last show?

Everyone knows that Heart Shaped Box was Courtney's fav song. And he played it...I don't know why.

I was doing heroin at about the same time 1988 to 1999...Kurt wasn't withdrawing...I think this is why Kurt seemed to change at about a couple of weeks or months before he died...He finally had enough money to do all the dope he wanted to do..But the thing about heroin is, It's fleeting..And when the KICKS are gone you're hooked..And the kicks are gone real quick on that drug..Weeks, or months..You don't have to do anything on that drug...All you're mental and physical pain are gone...You just sit there and do nothing, and all the excitement you need is in you're head, but after awhile that don't happen any more...After only like months...This is different than withdrawing which is dope sick...So the kicks are fleeting...You keep trying for those kicks and you got to keep upping the ante, by doing more but it ain't gonna happen...That's why people OD real easy on that stuff...How can you be a working musician in that condition?...Or properly rock and roll in that state for a long time?...Or any job for that matter?..Rock and roll is still some kind of a job I guess...You're fucked all of a sudden...Plus the pressure of being married to his wife that he wasn't so sure about with her own problems obviously, The baby, the band, touring, the idiots praising him all over the place....He should have took like a year off, cleaned up a little, and just chilled for a bit...Fuck everyone else..They always compare him to John Lennon..But John didn't give a fuck what his fans thought ...He just did his own thing..If his fans dug it or praised it he knew it wasn't about that bullshit...Kurt complained a lot that his fans were left over Van Halen, or Hair Band, or Ozzy Rules fans who finally realized that their music sucked and this new grunge music was so much cooler ..He hated those fans...Fuck it Kurt....It's not about that dude...It's about making music you love for yourself when you want to...Like John Lennon did..Also he would have had to clean up his habit some or he would have never made it out of the decade anyway. By either killing himself like he did, or over dosing..I love Nirvana, but how the fuck do you kill yourself on you're wife and new born baby...Or you're band and fans...That's fucked...Pussy shit...Cut me A break dude..I thought you and you're music were so cool Kurt. .RIP...frankm64yroldwhitekid rockfan...PS The only way I would ever kill myself is if I had to do more than 10 yrs in prison..I did five years and thought about it...But if you're not in jail..You're free motherfucker!!....In America!!...You could do anything you want Kurt.......You're not in prison...WTF!!

You forgot to include the Switzerland show

Burnout is the worst...stress anxiety, depression all at once ,😔

More like 3 weeks after the Rome incident.

I always felt the "stomach issues" thing was his public way of not admitting the heroin use. It was an excuse to use ultimately and unfortunately addicts do that. Wish he had never been introduced

No disrespect... But one has to wonder why did Kurt even start playing music in a band? I mean this in all seriousness... What did he expect to happen? What was his goal? You gotta know beforehand to expect that "getting famous" is always there in the cards from day one? Why not be a reclusive writer or some shit? I guess that's part of the enigma that is Kurt Cobain..

“ If you didn’t like being a rockstar, why don’t you just stop?” C.L.

I think Kurt really just wanted to be with his family and chill , I Think Nirvana needed a break and some time to recharge , kurt probably wanted to pursue other things outside of music , I also think kurt felt ganged up on and put in a corner for his drug use and around that time , depression and mental illness seemed taboo to discuss. He might has passed due to over dose or mis adventure but he could have lasted after 94 at the very least.

you didnt read the article in the inrocks (french magazine) on those last days in paris? Its a very detailled (like 5 full pages) account of what happened during thoses few days. They were traveling in the 2 buses (the ones that took drugs; kurt smear and the cello girl) and the others. It explained kurt was only thinking about getting drugs and cancel the tour to back to seattle. Lenquette hooked him with a local rock musician who was heroin consumer (they interviewed him for the article) and could get some H for him, after that he spent the next 24h with this dude in his hotel, almost overdosing at one point, he almost never went to the paris show, and the next day he didnt want to leave for the show Rennes, they had to beg him at the hotel to go out (he wound eventually like 4 hours later causing the show to start super late cause he was still in a train). And he was begging lenquette to come join him in munich (offering to pay all the expenses for lenquette and his girlfriend to take plane + hotel there, so he wouldnt be alone). And lenquette turned him off saying they wound spend time together in Cambodia (lenquette origin country) as they planned to spend holidays there later in the year. Krist even told the show in slovenia, kurt only did it for him (because he knew krist’s relatives would be there) otherwise he would already have cancelled. Kurt even asked the tour manager (regarding the insurance fees etc) « what happened if someone dies, do we still have to play the show ». You really have to read that one, it’s a very detailled account (with testimonies of the witnesses) of the total downfall that happens in those few days, leading to the incident in Rome and the end of nirvana

There seems to be all this mystery and lore around the last days of Cobain's life. Many questions that don't have any concrete answers to. I think that Kurt's addiction to opiates and heroin is the answer to a lot of these questions. People who don't suffer from addiction don't understand how powerful it is. Addiction can be partially genetic and can be developed through self medication by people dealing with mental health issues or some type of pain. Kurt had painful stomach issues, unknown if caused by lifestyle or medical condition and it is said he suffered from depression. Add all these things up and introduce heroin and it's almost a death warrant with an unknown expiration date. I believe Kurt was a talented, kind musical genius and poet that battled with addiction and lost. I live a "normal" 9-5 type life and I am in recovery. I know how chaotic living in addiction can be. I cannot imagine being as famous as Kurt Cobain and being part of Nirvana on tour while battling addiction. It seems impossible. It's hard enough to maintain a 9-5 work lifestyle while battling addiction, I can't fathom trying to manage a heroin addiction while being the lead singer of Nirvana on tour and the pressures that coma along with that. Everyone wants a piece of your time which is finite. I think it would be difficult to ask your bandmates, business partners and everyone else involved for a large amount of time off (months if not longer) to seriously address his heroin addiction. If he does that, it means a lot of people are not going to get paid, it may permanently effect his musical career and the future of his band which means it in turn effects likely dozens of other people employed by the Nirvana machine not to mention Kris and Dave. I'll always believe Kurt needed at least a year off at a professional medical rehab facility to get detoxed, get relatively healthy and address underlying ailments other than the heroin addiction and gain some strength before going back out on the road. Maybe Kurt felt like he was trapped and had no way out but to try and maintain his responsibilities through the use of heroin which will never work for ANYONE. Kurt maybe finally felt so backed into a corner and didn't want to "let so many people down" that the pain was too unbearable and the heroin addiction had likely become unbearable as well so he chose the permanent solution to his problems. It's very sad to me. It's tragic anytime anyone loses a battle with any kind of addiction. Our society still stigmatizes addiction and believes it's a lack of "will power" or some type of selfishness and lack of effort on the addicts part.