Nirvana's most destroyed version of "Come As You Are"

On December 13, 1993, at Seattle's Pier 48, Nirvana delivered one of their most visceral performances of "Come As You Are" for MTV's Live & Loud special. Pearl Jam was supposed to share the New Year's Eve billing but pulled out at the last minute, leaving Nirvana to command the entire show. What resulted was far from the polished stadium performance MTV might have expected. Instead, the final touring lineup of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear turned the alt-rock anthem into a slow-motion implosion, complete with that signature watery guitar line that sounded like it was drowning under its own weight.

"Come As You Are" was originally released in March 1992 as the second single from Nevermind, eventually peaking at #32 on the U.S. charts. Kurt Cobain was hesitant to release it, knowing the guitar riff bore an unmistakable similarity to Killing Joke's "Eighties" and that the comparison would follow him. He wasn't wrong. The debate has persisted for decades, with critics and fans alike dissecting the sonic parallels. But nobody made that riff crawl quite like Nirvana did, transforming what could have been a straightforward alt-rock track into something heavier, more deliberate, more emotionally weighted.

When the Live & Loud DVD was finally released in 2013 to commemorate In Utero's 20th anniversary, fans immediately started arguing about the mix. Many claimed the HD version stripped away the grit and drowned out the crowd noise that made the original broadcast so electric. The rawness that defined that December night in Seattle, the warehouse concrete energy that separated it from sanitized arena performances, seemed diminished in the official release. For purists, the old bootleg VHS versions with all their analog hiss and imperfections remain the definitive way to experience this performance, a reminder that sometimes the flaws are what make something truly memorable.

📲 Stay connected!
Follow us on:
📸 Instagram: https://theurb.co/instagram
📘 Facebook: https://theurb.co/facebook
🐦 X (formerly Twitter): https://theurb.co/x
🎶 TikTok: https://theurb.co/tiktok
👔 LinkedIn: https://theurb.co/linkedin

Get more The Urban Herald!
🔔 Instant updates:
Join our WhatsApp Channel for new post notifications sent directly to your phone. Don't miss a beat!
https://theurb.co/whatsapp-channel

🎧 Listen on the go:
Catch up on all our stories and discussions wherever you are. Subscribe to The Urban Herald Podcast!
https://theurb.co/spotify-podcast

📰 Explore more:
For in-depth articles, exclusive content, and all our latest news, visit The Urban Herald website: https://theurb.co

Important information!
📹 Video credit: Nirvana LLC
All credit for the video goes to the original owner.

✅ Copyright disclaimer! Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: This content is intended for educational, commentary and entertainment purposes only. All media used in this photo/video has been transformed through the addition of an original voiceover, editing and creative interpretation, thus qualifying as fair use.

If this was submitted to us by mistake or would like it removed, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your cooperation!

📧 Contact us:
Sales and new business inquiries: [email protected]

Don't forget to LIKE 👍, SHARE ⤴️, and SUBSCRIBE ▶️ for more in-depth analyses and critical perspectives on trending topics!

#Nirvana #KurtCobain #ComeAsYouAre #GrungeMusic #90sRock #LiveMusic #AlternativeRock #MTV #MusicHistory #RockMusic #90sMusicNostalgia #VintageRock #MusicArchives