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Image via HBO
Buzz Osborne of grunge band Melvins, who was a close friend of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, has spoken out against the recent documentary Montage of Heck.
In a highly critical piece for The Talkhouse, Osborne attacks the overall veracity of the HBO documentary, saying, “First off, people need to understand that 90% of Montage of Heck is bullshit. Total bullshit. That’s the one thing no one gets about Cobain — he was a master of jerking your chain.”
He criticizes Courtney Love’s role in the movie, and explains that parts about Cobain’s stomach problem, trying to kill himself on train tracks, and more, are factually incorrect. Read some quotes from Osborne’s op-ed below and read the whole piece here.
On his relationship with Kurt:
“I went to high school with Kurt and was a big part of all the Nirvana guys’ lives before and after they became famous. I thought very highly of Kurt, Krist and Dave. We were good friends when they were all flat broke, long before they could buy big houses and cars with credit cards. My band played with Nirvana at their last show. I was there for the beginning and I was there for the end, for the very good and the very bad.”
On Kurt’s stomach problems:
“Kurt also told me there was absolutely nothing wrong with his stomach. He made it up for sympathy and so he could use it as an excuse to stay loaded. Of course he was vomiting — that’s what people on heroin do, they vomit.”
On Courtney Love:
“A lot of what she says in this documentary doesn’t exactly jibe with things Kurt told me himself, but I suppose that’s not surprising when you consider history becomes elastic every time Courtney Love opens her mouth.”
On Montage of Heck overall:
“I suppose this movie will be interesting for Nirvana completists, because it certainly reinforces their already twisted view of the man. I found it to be mostly misguided fiction. Not a happy experience.”
UPDATE:
Osborne did a Q&A with Riff You about his review. In the interview, Osborne explains that his review is ‘100% about standing up for a friend that isn’t around to defend himself:’
“Do they feel better now? Do they feel better if he actually was suicidal? That makes you feel better? None of that’s true. I don’t think that’s a good legacy for him to have out there…I know it’s not true. It’s that simple.”
On doing the review for attention
“If people think I am gaining something from this, they’re out of their minds. I got asked to review it, so I reviewed it. I reviewed it as honestly as I could… as a review.”
Read the rest of the Riff You interview here.
