INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 30: Violet Grohl (R) performs onstage with Dave Grohl and Nirvana … [+] band members during the FIREAID Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at The Kia Forum on January 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for FIREAID)
Getty Images for FIREAID
Dave Grohl and the surviving members of Nirvana, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, returned to the stage to perform a Nirvana set with the help of four guest vocalists at the Fireaid benefit concert. Nirvana’s reunion set was certainly a big surprise and a highlight of the evening, and the A-List guest vocalists who included St. Vincent, Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Joan Jett, and Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet Grohl, added to the unique performance.
However, apart from this being the first time the band has reunited in over a decade, with their last reunion being in 2012 with Paul McCartney, this also marked Dave Grohl’s first public performance since he publicly announced he had fathered a child out of wedlock in September 2024. Furthermore, Grohl’s daughter joining the band to perform “All Apologies” for the final song of the set felt like an important moment, especially given the recent events.
Out of all the guest vocalists, Violet Grohl’s performance was easily the most well executed and it felt the most touching. Dave Grohl even accompanied her singing vocal harmonies towards the end of the song, though he did not address the crowd.
Overall, the majority of the reunion set felt rocky throughout. St. Vincent opening the set with Nirvana’s punk thrasher “Breed” felt like a missed opportunity, and the same could be said about Kim Gordon’s performance on “School.” However, Joan Jett sounded incredible singing “Territorial Pissings,” and she certainly hasn’t lost any of her punk-rock vocal chops.
It’d be interesting to see if there’s anything else that comes of this Nirvana reunion, possibly a tour or more one-off shows. With the undying trend of reunion tours in the music industry, a full-scale Nirvana reunion tour featuring a variety of guest vocalists doesn’t seem far-fetched. Provided Nirvana is still one of the most recognizable and beloved rock bands, a worldwide reunion tour would likely drive unprecedented ticket sales and create demand akin to the Oasis reunion. Furthermore, it could be a tactical way for Dave Grohl to effectively circumvent the outrage caused by his recent public affair.
