Collection of rare Nirvana demos posted online
Four rare Nirvana demo tapes are uploaded to YouTube by Washington-based musician John Purkey - includes tracks from Bleach and Nevermind
Select the newsletters you’d like to receive. Then, add your email to sign up.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
Louder
Louder’s weekly newsletter is jam-packed with the team’s personal highlights from the last seven days, including features, breaking news, reviews and tons of juicy exclusives from the world of alternative music.
Every Friday
Classic Rock
The Classic Rock newsletter is an essential read for the discerning rock fan. Every week we bring you the news, reviews and the very best features and interviews from our extensive archive. Written by rock fans for rock fans.
Every Friday
Metal Hammer
For the last four decades Metal Hammer has been the world’s greatest metal magazine. Created by metalheads for metalheads, ‘Hammer takes you behind the scenes, closer to the action, and nearer to the bands that you love the most.
Every Friday
Prog
The Prog newsletter brings you the very best of Prog Magazine and our website, every Friday. We'll deliver you the very latest news from the Prog universe, informative features and archive material from Prog’s impressive vault.
A collection of rare early Nirvana demo tapes have been uploaded to YouTube.
Washington-based musician John Purkey says that the band’s late frontman Kurt Cobain gave him the four cassettes in the late 80s and early 90s.
Among the material, the tapes include demos of Bleach tracks Scoff, About A Girl, Negative Creep and Blew along with Nevermind songs Polly, In Bloom and Lithium. Montage Of Heck also features.
Purkey has also released a separate video explaining why he’s kept the collection under wraps until now.
View all the videos below.
- Record Store Day 2018 details announced
- Listen to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s moody new track Echo
- The Audio Archive – exclusive to TeamRock+ members
- Radiohead's music publisher denies lawsuit claims
Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck: The Home Recordings
The latest news, features and interviews direct to your inbox, from the global home of alternative music.

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.
