Kurt and the end of an era

It was really bizarre to learn that, at the beginning of this month, it is now 17 years since Kurt Cobain died. After watching Courtney Love's Behind The Music episode on YouTube it brought back all the feelings that many of my generation felt back when we learned Kurt had finally succumb to his illness (and depression is an illness) and ended his life. It was not only the end of his band Nirvana but really it was an end of an era too: the whole grunge scene seemed to die out and the bands that came after were just pale imitators. I guess all good things have to come to an end but I wish Kurt had overcome and survived, I can only imagine what good things he'd be doing now. That's why I prefer to think of Kurt smiling, as above in this photo I had on my bedroom wall years ago, rather than romanticise his depression and mental illness as many people do now. Think of all the things Kurt has missed, the movies he could have watched, the songs that could have brought him joy, the great people he could met, the music he could have made and the daughter he could have known as she grew up. His early death made him an icon but I wish he was still around, even as a fading artist, than just a picture on a moody teenager's wall who is idolising someone who no longer exists, something I'm sure Kurt himself would have hated.

Gig Memories: Leonard Cohen at the O2 in 2008

Leonard Cohen

O2 Arena, 17 July 2008

So, I had planned to go see Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter tonight but due to a bout of the flu this week I've been stuck indoors while everyone else has been enjoying the unusually sunny April weather. Since I can obviously no longer write about that show I thought instead I'd reminisce about a show I went to a few years back that I've been thinking a lot about lately: Leonard Cohen at the O2 back in 2008.