Nirvana’s former soundman says Courtney Love was a “pretty positive presence” around the band
“She was generally fun to have around,” Montgomery says of Love’s time spent with the band.
Kurt Cobain, Frances Bean Cobain and Courtney Love at the 1992 MTV Awards / Photo: Jeff Kravitz
Former Nirvana soundman Craig Montgomery has opened up about his time working with the band, offering the opinion that Courtney Love was a “pretty positive presence”.
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Montgomery was speaking to American Songwriter about his work with Nirvana when the conversation turned towards Kurt Cobain‘s reaction to rubbing shoulders with other well-known bands the iconic frontman might have admired during festivals.
Asked if Cobain would socialise, Montgomery said, “Early on yes and then later when he got more famous probably not. But early when we were the young upstarts, yeah he was totally up for participating and seeing other bands.
Yeah, he was enjoying himself for sure. But that was like during the early part of his relationship with Courtney, too. And she was super social and, you know, wanted to meet everybody and hang out with other musicians, too. So, that probably helped a lot, too.”
Recalling that Love had never performed onstage with Nirvana, Montgomery noted she was very protective of her independence.
“She wouldn’t have wanted to be seen as—she wanted to be seen in her own right. There were plenty of gigs that we did where she was there with us. But I don’t remember her ever getting involved with a Nirvana show, which might be a surprising thing for people to hear. But she was generally fun to have around,” Montgomery said, adding that he occasionally worried for her band as she may have made them late to gigs or cancel shows in order to spend time with Cobain.
“I got along with her and I think she got along with most everybody. So, she was a pretty positive presence,” the soundman concluded.
An opera inspired by Cobain’s death in 1994 titled Last Days, an adaptation of Gus Van Sant’s 2005 film of the same name about a young and tortured musician named Blake, is currently being produced. The opera has been composed by Royal Opera House’s composer-in-residence Oliver Leith, an admitted “massive” Nirvana fan.
Directed by Copson and Anna Morrissey, Last Days is set to begin as part of the Royal Opera House’s 2022-2023 season in October at the Linbury Theatre.