So, what were you doing 30 years ago?

[Medicine Man]

I was lying my way into bars to play blues gigs for this middle aged harp player named Lou. No way the clubs believed I was 18 (old enough to work in a bar at that time and place) but i never tried to order a drink, so they just let me slide. Lou told me "the most important notes are the ones you dont play." I didnt really understand until 20 years later. Happy times.

 

[Liam Wald]

Playing full time in a corporate/wedding cover band in Silicon Valley.

 

[SLPimp]

Running around Barefoot on a farm in Indiana, age 4.

 

[Thundertips]

I just flashed on this, and looked it up...maybe they didn't matter to you, maybe they meant everything to you, maybe you hated them because they 'ruined everything' (whatever everything might have been for you), maybe you weren't even born yet; as for me, I was a little beyond the intended demographic, but I liked them. They didn't exactly catch me by surprise as I had heard plenty of similar, forerunner stuff in the previous few years, but was amazed that something so raw was on mainstream rock radio. My only gripe was the over-saturation.
What am I going on about? 30 years ago this month, Nirvana entered a studio with Butch Vig to start recording Nevermind, and while there wasn't exactly one pivotal moment like 2/9/64, the following October was definitely a before/after period. I don't think anything like that would happen again.

I was just learning how to play Bass. I'd never played before, but I'd been playing guitar for 6 years already, so some guys asked me if I wanted to learn Bass cuz they couldn't find a Bass player. I bought a cheap Bass and practice amp and took right to it and have never looked back. It was a Trial By Fire.. and I passed. Haha.

 

[pedroims]

Man, I was 19. I was doing drugs for sure. Quit high school. Wasting my life with parties and probably working a crapy job. I dont remember much from that era

 

[dalahorse]

In '91 I was 15. I played the drums in a couple of alt rock bands with my friends, as well as drums and percussion the high school music programs (band, orchestra, jazz). I was obsessed with Rush, Depeche Mode, hair metal, and record stores. Because I had recently gotten my driver's license, I spent a lot of time running errands for my family - any excuse to drive around with the radio blasting.

 

[Danny O Danny]

I was 28, married, with a two-year-old son, living in Denver, playing in an original music trio comprised of myself on fretless bass, my wife on keyboards/vocals, and an eccentric blind virtuoso flautist. Somewhat New Agey music. The flautist fell in love with the Nevermind album--thought it was the greatest thing since the Beatles. I thought it was good but not great. That's still my opinion. Our son is now married and just completed his Ph.D in physics. A few years ago he and I went to a Foo Fighters show together. My wife and I live in Seattle and still play music together. We lost touch with the flautist.

 

[smtp4me]

I was 26, married for 3 years, no kids yet, a delivery driver for UPS whilst I was working towards a degree in computer science (night school), which UPS' tuition reimbursement program helped to fund. I wasn't really playing much music at that point. I actually started college as a music major in 1983 (yes, I was still in college 8 years later - too long of a story to describe here), but after 2 years of it I realized that a steady paycheck was more important to me as a married man with bills to pay, than an uncertain music career. I've never regretted that decision though - I live very comfortably now and can actually afford to play music and buy gear as a hobby because of that decision.

And yeah, Nirvana was a pivotal moment. Grunge/Alternative etc. are what kept rock alive.

 

[HardNHeavy]

I was 27, just come off a tour from Germany with my old punk/metal trio band i was with for 8 yrs. and left them soon after, to look for a more progressive metal situation. Working as a truck driver/security guard or whatever. Back then i took any crappy job so i could just pursue music. Was with my then girlfriend whom i'm married to now.

 

[Wolfhound32]

30 years ago I was on my third posting; stationed in Illinois when not deployed to the middle east. Was playing around with the guitar during down times. Owned a Fender Twin Reverb that I lugged around everywhere... Thank the Lord for Class-D amps and lightweight cabs!

Couldn't possibly have given less of a $h!# about Nirvana, or any of the other new acts under the grunge umbrella. We viewed them as nothing more than the latest fad, much like boy bands that school kids were infatuated with. Now, when people make a big deal about the effect that band had on the music industry, I never noticed-- there was plenty of good music to be found. Same holds today; you may have to look harder but its there

 

[ElectroVibe]

I liked the album. I was kind of surprised by the sudden popularity. I thought some good music came to the airwaves for a couple of years after that.

I never felt threatened because I was more into alternative rock and mainstream music, as opposed to 80s hair metal ot heavy metal.

 

[two fingers]

That just accentuates the fact that the arrival of Nirvana, or I should say the massive sucess/acceptance(as I stated before, there had been already stuff like them emerging, including their first album, Bleach)was truly the very first 'ok, boomer' moment. For well over a decade previous, I was part of a music scene that wanted to see the likes of Van Halen and Journey go away, so I can't feel your pain. When wasn't rock an outlet for teenage angst? Isn't that the whole point?

Sure, some bands put out opportunities for trenage boys to vent. But they also CELEBRATED things. Just having a good time. Just being alive. Just getn wild! Fun! Grunge never celebrated a damn thing. It was depressing. It was angry. It was messy. Sure, I'm fine with "raw". But lighten up a little! And (in my region) it never translated well for cover bands. Neil Young and the Allmans had a bit of a comeback at that time. You could get away with playing their stuff. The occasional STP song went over well. But nobody wanted to have a beer over grunge music. Nobody wanted to crowd up to the stage or fill tue dance floor to grunge. They wanted to stand back with their untucked plaid flannel shirts (each if them expressing their individuality.... only exactly like everyone else) and their hands in their pockets looking too "cool" to let loose and have fun. DJs took over here because live music was painted into a box. You couldn't play Boston or Bad Company because that stuff was "selling out". You couldn't play grunge because nobody wanted to party to it. And, after all, partying is why people go to bars.

It was awful to watch unfold. Club owners banged their heads against the wall trying to keep live music going. Bit nobody had an appetite for LOCAL and/or cover bands.

 

[Killing Floor]

Touring, playing to many dates. Weird smells in the bus. Very big amps. Long hair, almost to my belt.

 

[mrm56]

guitarist in the best band you've never heard

 

[Killing Floor]

30 years ago, I was playing sonic the hedgehog, dressed as a ninja turtle. Raphael, to be exact.

Raf was my favorite too. April O'Neil was hot.

 

[Spectrum]

I was coming home after being overseas for almost a year. The radio stations were oddly all different. My bass was in storage at the time.

Nirvana and the grunge thing was great, but I hate how the industry suddenly declared any rock prior to 1990 to be "classic rock" thus dividing listeners into two camps.

 

[DustyBottom]

I was 21, living in Colorado, going to trade school to be a machinist, working nights for $5/hr, living 2 paychecks behind and had no clue I was even struggling to survive!
I remember exactly where I was when Nirvana hit the airwaves, I liked it but found Alice in Chains was more my style which eventually led me to Tool and so on...
Today still a machinist, living in Alaska, far from the days of struggling, 2 weeks away from being an empty nester, musical tastes are all over the place, playing bass with friends, life is good...

 

[Spectrum]

And Kurt was the non singingest non quitar playingest (made up words) famous person who ever walked.

You know, we hear this all the time, but it's just plain wrong. Cobain had a good ear for interesting chord progressions and melodies, but many people can't get past the punkish noise and angst to hear it.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

· Working in a lumber yard (what's wrong with lumber yards – I own 2 of them? / I notice you don't spend much time there)
· Gigging almost every weekend, (sometimes not that far from Smart Studios, but probably unaware of it yet at the time)
· Just a week away from getting married. (we had been together for over 10 years, so I already knew that she was marrying me only for my bass collection)

 

[Bob_Ross]

30 years ago I was in the middle of a three-month tour of Mexico and the Caribbean playing bass for The Galaxy Orchestra onboard the MS Crystal Harmony. Don't think I found out about Nirvana until many months later. Also, admittedly, don't think I recognized nor understood why Nirvana were so important...still kinda don't..