GIG: Cover bands and supergroups have to fight more to be taken seriously than most other bands, so how do you approach the situation when your band traverses both categories?
Nirvanarama is a Nirvana tribute band featuring members of Karnivool, Gyroscope and Jebediah who take on songs from across Nirvana’s four album studio catalogue.
“It was a bit of a brainchild of a friend of ours and a chance to have some fun,” Nirvanarama drummer and Karnivool guitarist Drew Goddard said.
The Nirvanarama project has brought Goddard full circle, with the members of Karnivool having originally played Nirvana covers at their first gigs during high school.
“One of the first songs I ever learnt, Kenny, Karnivool’s singer, showed me Come As You Are on guitar so it’s funny the way things work out,” he said.
The most immediate distinction to be made between Karnivool and Nirvana’s music is how far on opposite ends of the stylistic spectrum the two bands sit.
Nirvana’s raw energy, pop-hook sensibility and lack of concern sits in contrast to Karnivool’s compositional intricacy and commitment to layered sound scapes with unconventional time signatures.
“That contrast is a big part of it. Writing for Karnivool is very thought out and it is a difficult process so it is good to get out and just play the Nirvana stuff,” he said.
The band also features Gyroscope’s Daniel Sanders and Brad Campbell, as well as Jebediah guitarist Chris Daymond.
Nirvana fans can expect to hear a range of tunes from Nirvana’s four studio albums, with the band pulling out numbers from across the catalogue.
“We reckon we do them all justice pretty well,” Goddard said.
Nirvanarama play the Prince of Wales on Wednesday night, with support from Dead Glorious, featuring members of Little Birdy, Gyroscope, and the Critics.
