In 1993, Nirvana gave an interview to MTV during the promotion of the album In Utero , and a rare video from the filming resurfaced on Reddit after being shared by a user in 2019.
During the conversation, the band was discussing the influence of Ticketmaster , an American company that sells tickets for concerts and shows, when journalist Kurt Loder asked Nirvana what they thought of artists who charged high prices for their tickets.
Loder asked the band what they thought about tickets costing between $50 and $75, causing an expressive reaction of shock and indignation from Kurt Cobain . "There are people who charge all that? Who does that?" the singer asked.
Someone mentioned the name of the pop artist Madonna , and while Kurt seemed no less shaken, Krist Novoselic showed understanding. “Oh, but her show is almost a burlesque show,” he replied. “And Madonna wears fur coats too.”
The question sparked a debate among Nirvana, who until then didn't know the price of their own tickets. Their manager can be heard in the background stating that the band charged between 17 and 18 dollars per show, to which Cobain comments that Ozzy Osbourne was charging around 5 dollars to perform that night and asks Novoselic how he feels. "Weak. Exploited," replies the bassist.
At that moment, the band also discovers that their share of the profits is 25% to 29%, which would be equivalent to receiving $5 for every $20, according to a quick calculation by Novoselic. This percentage, however, would have to be divided among the three band members instead of representing an individual amount.
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