Nirvana Tribute Show: Na Maza,Variodivers, Inside theExterior @ The Basement,Canberra (8/4/11)

Sun 10th Apr, 2011 in Gig Reviews

I know I’m not alone when it comes to The Basement. A lot of people will tell you the same thing; it’s too far away to make it a worthwhile venture and no one will be there. However when you take something so simple as a bunch of local bands playing their favourite Nirvana tracks, Belconnen’s mainstay for all things heavy suddenly becomes a vibrant and lively place packed with energy and excitement, as it proved to be on a chilly Friday evening.

Many who arrived fashionably late were greeted on arrival to an unusually long queue and the prospect of being forced to listen to the grungey goodness from outside in the cold, until granted entry. A strong turnout from a broad spectrum of people had come to reminisce and get swamped in the heady wave of nostalgia that played through the PA from inside, proving how strongly Nirvana still resonates with people, both young and old and from all walks of life.

The eponymous smiley face was everywhere on faded black t-shirts as a thirsty crowd populated The Basement and listened to John Lollback, who got the night gently rolling along with a selection of interpretations from MTV Unplugged. The beer was cold, the atmosphere vibrant and the music was the perfect antidote to life’s troubles.

Taking things up a level was Looking Glass, who handled the compilation album Incesticide. Minor sound issues were quickly dealt with and provided little obstruction, the punters up front jumping up off the floor to a stand out rendition of Aneurysm.

The debut album, Bleach was assigned to local talent Inside the Exterior, who applied liberal doses of double kick and off-tempo riffage into what is arguably Nirvana’s most ‘metal’ record. A few people, hoping perhaps for a more faithful rendition seemed a bit put off, however it was more than satisfying seeing the band rework and contort the sound of Nirvana through their own paradigm, in effect making the songs their own. High energy from those on stage added to the intensity of the performance, Floyd the Barber and School deserving special mention.

Variodivers did a good job of catching the tone on Nirvana’s last effort, In Utero, taking the same path as Looking Glass and maintaining a more traditional garage rock sound. The three piece got it just right with a tight set that managed to cover most, if not all of the album’s tracklist. The pit was lively but not too violent so that everyone could get up close and enjoy the music, many swaying together arm in arms while those around them jumped about and had a ball rocking out.

Nirvana’s quintessential Smells Like Teen Spirit concluded the homage to the Seattle grunge gods, as performed by Na Maza, who had the honours of handling the magnum opus Nevermind. A distinct metal-core flavour was marinated by the local act, frontman Mila Haske orchestrating a brilliant performance by the band as a whole. The look of contentment and sheer joy was radiant on everyone in the room, the night ending an overwhelming success.

Whilst some may hold reservations about tribute shows and the like, The Basement proved that when it’s Nirvana, it doesn’t matter who plays it. The message still remains intact and the music still has the same turmoil and chaos that the original recordings did all those years ago. If anything the ‘modernisation’ each band gave the songs was invigorating and nothing but constructive to the original music. Perhaps Nirvana may been fetishised after Kurt Cobain’s death a little bit, but the night has proven that undoubtedly the songs themselves remain the same, as valid and integral to contemporary popular music as ever. This longevity is something that’s difficult to find in current trends in music today and because of this, it makes this sort of thing all the more special.

It’s a special experience sharing these songs with other people who have so strong a connection with the music that for just a few hours, we all can play make believe and just enjoy the sheer brilliance of it all for what it is.