Why Nirvana Refused To Tour With Metallica And Guns N' Roses

Kirk Hammett has opened up about why Nirvana turned down a chance to tour with Metallica and Guns N' Roses in 1992.

During a chat with NME, the Metallica guitarist recalled talking to Kurt Cobain about the opportunity, and why he firmly rejected the offer.

“I had to make the phone call to Kurt to talk to him about the possibility of joining our tour,” Hammett remembered, “and he just went on and on about how he just didn’t like what Guns N’ Roses stood for and I said to him: ‘Just go out there and represent Nirvana – just play the show and then that’s it.’"

“I pleaded with him, but he just wasn’t having it," he added. "So there you have it. It would have been great if Nirvana was part of that tour – but you know [the actual opening act] Faith No More were great as well.”

He also reminisced about inviting Cobain to a Metallica show. “He said to me: ‘Are you guys going to play ‘Whiplash’? That’s my favorite Metallica song!’" Hammett recalled. “When he came to the show, he was in the snakepit [an area onstage] with Courtney Love and every time he walked by, he tried to get my attention but my head was somewhere else.”

“He was great," Hammett said. "I became friends with him right when the first Nirvana album [1989’s Bleach] came out before people were even calling it grunge, and it’s so sad when I think back to all the guy wanted to do was play guitar and write songs and sing and somehow that all got destroyed for him.”