Watch Lorde Front Nirvana Reunion For “All Apologies” At Rock Hall Of Fame Induction

Carl Williott | April 11, 2014 5:48 am

The 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony took place last night (April 10) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and the biggest draw was the Nirvana “reunion.” After being inducted by former R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe, the surviving members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, along with the band’s sometime guitarist Pat Smear, reunited to play a handful of songs. To fill in for the late Kurt Cobain, the HOF actually did a really cool thing here, enlisting a bunch of kick-ass ladies to take turns fronting the band.

Legends Joan Jett and Kim Gordon each led a song (“Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Aneurysm,” respectively), guitar goddess St. Vincent handled “Lithium” and Lorde took the stage for “All Apologies,” the closing track off Nirvana’s final album. While you could argue that, on paper, Lorde maybe should’ve been swapped out for someone more experienced, she was up to the task, delivering a wonderfully brooding, faithful version.

Watch Lorde’s rendition of the song and see her tweets following the show below, and for the rest of the Nirvana performances head over to Stereogum.

After the ceremony, the updated Nirvana lineup played a show at the tiny-ass (230-capacity!) metal venue St. Vitus a few subway stops north in Greenpoint — but it must’ve been past Lorde’s bedtime, as she was the only one of the four ladies who didn’t perform there.

For more on Nirvana’s legacy in pop music, here’s fellow young singer Tove Lo talking to us about her favorite song by the grunge titans:

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