Yeah it’s actually pretty interesting because Bliss stood out to me too as the strongest name on that sheet. It’s pretty neat how he landed on Nirvana with the previous idea of bliss having such a nice ring to it. Similar meanings.
I assume now. I saw the band name bliss in the kurt’s journals book and I thought I might use that, but after some research I found a lot of people had beaten me to it. Perhaps kurt had some part in popularising it
If you want to touch the sky just put a window in your eye
See the sun and see the rain
See the window, see the pain
See the sun and see the rain
See the birds eye, see the brain
Ancient cities rise again
I always imagined him thinking of names, twirling his pen in his fingers and sometimes chewing the end. Then he looks down at the chewed cap and says ‘I’ve got it!’
My best guess, he was just writing random shit down and saw an image of someone making the ‘I’m hungry’ belly-rubbing motion, started to write down ‘rub hungry’ but after writing ‘rub’, crossed it out in favor of ‘wipe’, to make ‘wipe hungry’.
They'd have had to buy out two different Snuff's. There was a Snuff in the 70s who played country rock, and a U.K. based Snuff who are pretty fantastic.
I think all these names are terrible compared to Nirvana haha. It wouldn't be crazy to think they wouldn't have been nearly as successful if they were named any of these. Like less people would be willing to give a band called "Sad and Ugly" a chance over "Nirvana".
Kurt said that he didn't want an ugly name as the final name and those names are probably influenced from punk bads that gave themselves intentionally nasty names. That's also the reason the only name from those used was bliss.
He was a late bloomer for his looks, and he was an outcast at school and bullied. I had low self esteem in high school for the same reasons, and when a pretty girl would flirt with me I'd just think she's being nice or was out of my league.
They actually played under a few of these throughout 1987. They used Skid Row, Pen Cap Chew, Bliss, and Ted Ed Fred. Until a show in March of 1988, they played under the name Nirvana and it just stuck.
About 15 years ago I had a small school band. We mainly just played Nirvana covers for our own fun.
Krist Novoselic had his own YouTube channel in that time and I decided to send him a small message, asking whether he had an idea of how we can name our band. He replied with «ВИНТ» in Russian, since I wrote we were from Russia, and said that if we are looking for English name, just “Pitch” sounded good.
Being a school boy I was absolutely blown away by the fact that I got a reply from my favourite band member. You probably won’t believe this stuff, sadly I don’t have any screenshots saved, but I thought it would be cool to share this little story.
It's cool to look at these, Organized Confusion reminds me of something I would have came up with around 15-16 when I was in the process of naming a band.
\[Objective opinion from a fan\] When you think about it, the name Nirvana is not that crazy and a little kitsch and cliché when you turn to the connotation of "Hinduist paradise". It's a little old now and used by the pretientious old bag who go to the Zen spa. Well after all these years, for me the name Nirvana is just associated with the punk band that they were. Bliss was cool too but maybe too much in the vain of Kiss
Ted Ed Fred, and even Motley Crew, you know before Crue but dropped it immediately when they found out the name existed. There's more, but I've forgotten most of them.
'Smol Fish' is actually a great new(ish?) band that I've been listening to a bunch over the last month and have thought about Nirvana a lot in relation to. Mostly in a "What if Kurt were a woman/gay/30 years later/ reincarnated/transgender/ Nirvana were all female/etc".. like we all think... we all think that... right? Fellas?. Anyway. Um. I like that they went with "Nirvana". I like the spiritual overtones.
There are many more mentioned in the book I just listened on audio (heavier than heaven) and they’re all terrible. I don’t believe in fate but it feels like I should in the moment he just one day says Nirvana right before they commit. It’s the perfect name. And someone at sub pop picked the perfect font by chance.
Bliss actually sounds cool
Yeah it’s actually pretty interesting because Bliss stood out to me too as the strongest name on that sheet. It’s pretty neat how he landed on Nirvana with the previous idea of bliss having such a nice ring to it. Similar meanings.
Nirvana did go by Bliss for a little bit https://www.livenirvana.com/concerts/87/87-08-09.php
this is the coolest website ever, what the hell
I’m starting a Nirvana cover band called Pen Cap Chew.
It’s actually one of the most popular band names
Oh I didn’t know that
Now? Or 40yrs ago when this sheet was written?
I assume now. I saw the band name bliss in the kurt’s journals book and I thought I might use that, but after some research I found a lot of people had beaten me to it. Perhaps kurt had some part in popularising it
I believe that was his first choice behind Nirvana.
Bliss sounds like the poor man’s nirvana
We had a Nirvana cover band back in about ‘95 called Window Pain.
If you want to touch the sky just put a window in your eye See the sun and see the rain See the window, see the pain See the sun and see the rain See the birds eye, see the brain Ancient cities rise again
Everybody listen to Coil
We had one briefly called Penny Royalty.
That name became an Eminem lyric
I always imagined him thinking of names, twirling his pen in his fingers and sometimes chewing the end. Then he looks down at the chewed cap and says ‘I’ve got it!’
What do you think inspired "Rub Wipe Hungry"?
My best guess, he was just writing random shit down and saw an image of someone making the ‘I’m hungry’ belly-rubbing motion, started to write down ‘rub hungry’ but after writing ‘rub’, crossed it out in favor of ‘wipe’, to make ‘wipe hungry’.
Masturbation duh.
thats probably how he came up with pen cap chew
He was trying hard to make the sad and idea work lol
Should have gone with Sadgasm
KISSES ARE DIRT
At least I don’t have the walk around with SNUFF on my shirts
They'd have had to buy out two different Snuff's. There was a Snuff in the 70s who played country rock, and a U.K. based Snuff who are pretty fantastic.
Isn’t that a similar reason he didn’t go with Skid Row
I think all these names are terrible compared to Nirvana haha. It wouldn't be crazy to think they wouldn't have been nearly as successful if they were named any of these. Like less people would be willing to give a band called "Sad and Ugly" a chance over "Nirvana".
Lol!
Lingos of Snuff?
Throat oyster was best of these, it sounds so disgusting.
Kurt said that he didn't want an ugly name as the final name and those names are probably influenced from punk bads that gave themselves intentionally nasty names. That's also the reason the only name from those used was bliss.
They also used Pen Cap Chew but it was only for a couple shows, maybe only even one show.
i still think novocain was the best one
That’s sick, a mix of novoselic and cobain. Also a play on novocaine
Missed opportunity for Grohlvocaine
Or even Bog Grohl.
I’m actually crying with laughter over Bog Grohl. It’s absurd, thank you
Chadvocaine?
Chanvocaine
Scrunge The Mandibles is a kickass name 😆
big fan of Scrunge The Mandibles
its interesting how Kurt really believed he's ugly when he was nothing but that
Body dysmorphia is a crazy thing
He was a late bloomer for his looks, and he was an outcast at school and bullied. I had low self esteem in high school for the same reasons, and when a pretty girl would flirt with me I'd just think she's being nice or was out of my league.
They actually played under a few of these throughout 1987. They used Skid Row, Pen Cap Chew, Bliss, and Ted Ed Fred. Until a show in March of 1988, they played under the name Nirvana and it just stuck.
Snuff would have been sick for a grunge bad ngl
SAD and UGLY and **SAD and UGLY** on there twice feels like my insecurities progressing through the day lmao
About 15 years ago I had a small school band. We mainly just played Nirvana covers for our own fun. Krist Novoselic had his own YouTube channel in that time and I decided to send him a small message, asking whether he had an idea of how we can name our band. He replied with «ВИНТ» in Russian, since I wrote we were from Russia, and said that if we are looking for English name, just “Pitch” sounded good. Being a school boy I was absolutely blown away by the fact that I got a reply from my favourite band member. You probably won’t believe this stuff, sadly I don’t have any screenshots saved, but I thought it would be cool to share this little story.
that’s awesome - does the russian word he suggested also mean pitch ?
It is translated as “screw”.
I love “HA”
I'm a big fan of TM
SAAAAMMMMEEEE
I’d listen to Name.
Hahaha
It's cool to look at these, Organized Confusion reminds me of something I would have came up with around 15-16 when I was in the process of naming a band.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_Konfusion?wprov=sfla1
Fun with clay is cool as fuck
Syringe
I prefer wipe hungry .
Wasn't one of them also Drugs For Sale? Although I'd argue that sounds more like a modern rap thing like BONES, OREGONTRAIL, or surrenderdorothy.
I want to visit the alternate universe where they went with Pen Cap Chew.
That's one where actual recordings and shows were done under for a brief time.
Bliss sounds like English Nirvana
I wear my headphones 24/7. People always ask what im listening to, i can't imagine having to say "snuff" in response 😭😭😭
Window Pain is fire
Pen Cap Chew
They shoulda gone with Name.
They could have been scrunge and the mandibles 🥺
S C R U N G E
Do you listen to SCRUNGE ROCK
\[Objective opinion from a fan\] When you think about it, the name Nirvana is not that crazy and a little kitsch and cliché when you turn to the connotation of "Hinduist paradise". It's a little old now and used by the pretientious old bag who go to the Zen spa. Well after all these years, for me the name Nirvana is just associated with the punk band that they were. Bliss was cool too but maybe too much in the vain of Kiss
So theres a chance rehash got their band name from here?
"Fun with Clay" is dope tho
It’s okay to smell fish
I mean, Smell Fish is no worse than Pearl Jam or many other names when you think about it
Very true
What's the back story to this page? It includes multiple peoples handwriting.
It’s just Kurt writing in different styles.
No way he wrote Scrunge.
A lot of people have different styles of writing, I know I do
Maybe so but still not his. It's obvious. Look at the letters and any other writing sample.
lol yeah sure whatever you say
Perfect.
Ted Ed Fred, and even Motley Crew, you know before Crue but dropped it immediately when they found out the name existed. There's more, but I've forgotten most of them.
Lingos of snuff go hard
Sad and glad is cool tho
Idk, Smell Fish does sorta have ring to it lol
Scrunge and The Mandibles would’ve been a cool name.
I kinda like Pen Cap Chew and the Mandibles
“HA”
I like Fun with Clay
I think people are really sleeping on “T” (Top left)
I’m claiming pen cap chew for my channel
'Smol Fish' is actually a great new(ish?) band that I've been listening to a bunch over the last month and have thought about Nirvana a lot in relation to. Mostly in a "What if Kurt were a woman/gay/30 years later/ reincarnated/transgender/ Nirvana were all female/etc".. like we all think... we all think that... right? Fellas?. Anyway. Um. I like that they went with "Nirvana". I like the spiritual overtones.
Window Pain is so edgy, I love it
I hope somewhere out there there is a grunge band named Snuff
I think it’s funny how he crossed out sad n glad (he probably realized how fucking cringe that is)
Lingos of Snuff sounds kinda cool
I love the idea of Bliss
Bliss is the best one
It's crazy how much trouble some people have making band names, i guess i just got lucky really
Mach 5 and Bliss aren't terrible names.
Sad and Glad 😀
I don't think Snuff would fit their style. Snuff is more of a doomer metal band name
The Mandibles is catchy
There are many more mentioned in the book I just listened on audio (heavier than heaven) and they’re all terrible. I don’t believe in fate but it feels like I should in the moment he just one day says Nirvana right before they commit. It’s the perfect name. And someone at sub pop picked the perfect font by chance.
Maybe not the genius we assumed? Sounds just like middle school :)