Besides Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, there may be no one in the world who knows more about Nirvana than journalist/author Charles R. Cross. The writer worked at Seattle's music magazine, The Rocket, when the band was starting out. He's written three books about the iconic grunge group, including a 2001 biography of frontman Kurt Cobain titled Heavier Than Heaven. Cross discussed some lesser-known Nirvana facts with The Huffington Post recently, much to the delight of fans.
Cross unearthed five gems for HuffPo about the band and it's fearless leader.
The writer remembered the three bandmates getting kicked out of their own Nevermind release party for starting a food fight that involved a fair share of dips and condiments. A bouncer kicked the guys out not knowing they were the stars of the event.
"Yes, the dip was part of the food fight, but it was also hummus. I remember at the party looking out into the alley -- there was a chain link fence over a door-sized back entrance. And Nirvana were there in the alley outside their own party. Remember they weren't stars then, and anyone who ruined the club was going to get kicked out. So they did."
Cross added that Cobain was horrible with band logistics and management. After he hired Grohl, the singer neglected to tell former drummer Dan Peters, who at the time had only played one show with the band, that his services were no longer needed.
Most of Cross's stories inevitably involve Cobain and his relationship with drugs, though. Early in the band's history, the singer didn't use drugs and was the most sober member of the group.
"Yes, Kurt was the most sober member of the band for at least two tours, and that's saying something," Cross said. "Despite his later drug addiction, for sometime he was a bit of a "health" freak and watched what he ate, what he drank, and didn't smoke for a time. But that was really just a short time, probably less than a year on that routine."
Cobain's addiction grew worse until his suicide in 1994. Cross recalled reading journal entries where the artist asked for help from God to kick the habit.
The HBO documentary about Cobain, Montage of Heck, will premiere on the network May 4.
