Life

Come as you are

AS YOU'LL doubtless be aware, tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide. Although there's been the usual flurry of Nirvana-related media activity in the run-up - not least the release of previously unseen crime scene photos, which revealed little new beyond the fact that even alternative rock gods have terrible driving license photos - it all seems strangely muted in comparison to previous anniversaries. Perhaps there's still a lingering hangover from the 20th birthday of In Utero last year but beyond Mrs Cobain-Love's comments on an apparently imminent Kurt Cobain musical (an idea so perverse he might actually have got a kick out of it), it's felt a little bit 'meh'.

Maybe that's entirely appropriate - after all, you don't usually throw a party to mark a suicide.

However, noted local grunge fans Chocolate Love Factory have decided to buck the trend by staging a full-on Nirvana-themed celebration tomorrow night at Bar Sub in the Queen's Students' Union.

Renamed 'Bar Sub Pop' for the occasion, the basement venue will host a selection of local acts performing choice cuts from across Nirvana's entire back catalogue.

Opening band The Last Generation will be tackling the best of 1989's Bleach, before Bellos get stuck in to 1991's breakthrough release, Nevermind.

An acoustic interlude courtesy of Conchur White will be the first nod to Nirvana's MTV Unplugged LP, offering a moment of calm before PigsAsPeople go hog wild (ho-ho) on material from 1992's top-drawer odds'n'sods collection Incesticide. Following a few more acoustic numbers courtesy of Junior Johnson, the evening's headlining act will be the one and only Chocolate Love Factory.

They will be screaming their way through a few numbers from your granny's favourite Nirvana album, In Utero.

Could this mark the long-awaited return of their cross-dressing musical alter-ego Courtney Love Factory? Whatever they're wearing, it will be your second-to-last chance to catch Rory and co in action: the band have announced that they'll be closing their Factory for good following one last live extravaganza at Bar Sub next Saturday night.

While the smart money is on a new, less amusingly named band rising from their ashes in the manner of a funky prog-grunge loving T-1000 (following a decent period of mourning, naturally) April 12 will definitely be your last chance to see Chocolate Love Factory in action playing their excellent original material.

Remind yourself of what you'll soon be missing at Chocolatelovefactory.bandcamp.com.

In the meantime, know that tickets for tomorrow night's Nirvana fest cost £5 on the door, with all proceeds being donated to local suicide awareness charity Pips.

Right, I'm off to listen to Bleach at extreme volume while composing a strongly worded letter of complaint to Nirvana's management over their decision not to include drummer Chad Channing in the band's impending induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Go listen to Love Buzz, Scoff and Negative Creep and then tell me that isn't an absolute flower sniffin', kitty pettin', baby kissin' corporate rock style embarrassment. Go on - I dare ya. RIP Kurt.