One musician says hold my beer in terms of disrespect for Nirvana and Soundgarden

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As a gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of 90s rock music, I must say that the grunge scene was an exhilarating time for music lovers everywhere. Bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden truly revolutionized the industry with their raw, emotional sound. However, after reading about Steve Moriarty’s perspective as a former member of The Gits, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the band that never quite got its due.

In the early ’90s, Nirvana and Soundgarden were key components of a highly influential rock music subgenre. The release of Kurt Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” revolutionized radio and popular listening choices. Traditional rock was being phased out as the fresh talent from Seattle took center stage.

Was the music of most grunge bands worth the listen? Of course. There was simply too much talent and bands pushing each other for fans and catchy tunes for many of the groups to not be great. There were failures, of course, but bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and the others of their ilk still seem as vibrant today as they did 30 years ago.

Steve Moriarty, the drummer of the Gits, may have a unique perspective. They, along with their band, relocated to Seattle in the late 1980s and were part of a significant musical movement. Although the Gits were overshadowed by others, they still created some remarkable tunes. According to Moriarty, his band was significantly more innovative than Nirvana and Soundgarden.

Former Gits drummer calls Nirvana and Soundgarden unoriginal

Essentially, it appears Moriarty feels slightly overlooked compared to other Seattle-based bands. Perhaps the Gits’ talent was not quite up to par with that of Nirvana and their peers, as suggested by the popularity difference between them (not a criticism, just an observation based on the influence and reputation of Cobain and his group versus the Gits).

Recently, during an interview with Booked on Rock, Moriarty shared how his band from Yellow Springs, Ohio, always seemed a bit out of place compared to bands that were rooted in the Seattle music scene. Reflecting on this, it’s not hard to see why: bands who had grown up together might have found it harder to trust newcomers when grunge was starting to make waves.

Moriarty explained on the podcast that Nirvana, Soundgarden, and other bands were all from the same region. They often practiced at the same location. Essentially, they grew up together, with their parents, who were musicians in some instances, also residing there, and one even being an entertainment lawyer.

I understand your point, but it appears that the comment about the lawyer might be subtly critical rather than an objective remark. Interestingly, Moriarty didn’t stop there; he also criticized Nirvana and Soundgarden for supposed lack of originality.

The drummer expressed his personal opinion by saying, “I’ll voice my thoughts: I found the bands rather unoriginal. They either reminded me of Black Sabbath or Iggy and the Stooges…You might have noticed a resemblance to Soundgarden and even Nirvana, and they seemed slow, grungy, and melodic, resembling Black Sabbath quite often, often tuned down to D.”

Unfortunately, Moriarty’s band struggled to gain momentum as their lead singer, Mia Zapata, passed away unexpectedly. One could ponder the success the band may have achieved if this tragic event hadn’t occurred.

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2024-08-19 16:00