Rare video from a tiny Mexican club showcases the raw energy that would soon define a generation.
A raw and previously unseen 45-minute film capturing Nirvana in their explosive infancy has surfaced for auction, offering a gritty portal to a February 1990 gig in Tijuana, Mexico.
The footage, estimated to fetch up to $150,000, immortalises the band on the cusp of superstardom, mere months before the release of Nevermind would irrevocably alter the music landscape.
Shot by film students on two handheld cameras at the legendary Iguanas venue, the tape is a testament to the band’s chaotic energy.
It features a 13-song set promoting their debut album, Bleach, with a flannel-clad Kurt Cobain in peak form, writhing on the floor, diving into the crowd seven times, and famously destroying two guitars: his homemade pink Mustang and a 1970s Gibson SG.
The auction lot, presented by Bonhams, is a time capsule of immense historical value, including the original master tapes, digital transfers, and rare memorabilia like a limited white vinyl Bleach pressing.
This discovery coincides with a thriving market for Nirvana artefacts. In 2023, a different Cobain-smashed Fender Stratocaster from the Nevermind sessions sold for nearly $600,000, while the Martin acoustic from the MTV Unplugged performance holds the record at $6 million.
This newly unveiled footage, however, is not just a relic; it’s a vibrant, unpolished glimpse of a revolution just before it went global.
