MOMENTS THAT SHOOK MUSIC: KURT COBAIN SUBJECT OF BBC MUSIC DOCUMENTARY

BBC Two and iPlayer will dedicate a Saturday night of programmes to Kurt and Nirvana in April, with the centrepiece being Moments That Shook Music: Kurt Cobain, a new 1 x 60m documentary for the BBC from Touchdown Films.

Told exclusively through powerful and rare archive footage – some of which has never been seen on British TV before – Moments that Shook Music: Kurt Cobain is a visceral account of the days that surrounded that tragic moment in 1994 when Cobain took his own life.

By 1994, Nirvana had achieved mainstream and global success. Just as the they were hitting their stride as one of the biggest bands on the planet, their lead singer was gone and the world wanted to know why. Cobain was hailed as the voice of a generation and the effects of his passing were felt right across the world – Bill Clinton, who was president of the United States at the time, even discussed whether he should give a national address.

Now, one of musical history’s most shocking stories will be told as never before, as footage captured by local fans in Seattle and raw material from news crews reporting at the time are woven together, immersing the viewers in the events that unfolded, as they happened.

We see the poignant reaction from the electrician who discovered Kurt’s body when installing a security system at his Seattle home; statements from police at the scene; the chaos, confusion and devastation caught on video by his fans – including the moment a tape recording of an emotional Courtney Love reading her late husband’s final letter was played out to a crowd of thousands at a vigil in Seattle; and a revealing interview with Cobain himself, just months before he died.

Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV says: “Kurt Cobain’s life and death has turned into myth and legend since his passing. This documentary tries to demystify that moment in time by telling the story direct from the scene, via fly on the wall footage filmed by those that were there.”

Touchdown Films founder John Osborne, the producer and director of the documentary, says: “We are incredibly proud to be working with the BBC on this film, who share in our vision of using only archive to take viewers back to 1994; to immerse themselves in this seismic story...

"Kurt Cobain was the voice of a generation, but a reluctant one, and his death left a huge void. The only way to get a true sense of what happened is to witness it first hand, and that’s exactly what this film does. It never lets you look away.”

Moments That Shook Music: Kurt Cobain was commissioned by Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV and Rachel Davies, Commissioning Editor, BBC Popular Music TV.