Dave Grohl: Nirvana could alter the cover of Nevermind after lawsuit

10 October 2021, 23:46

Dave Grohl and the cover to Nirvana's Nevermind. Picture: DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy Stock Photo

The Foo Fighters frontman has "many ideas" of how the classic album could be updated following legal action by the cover star.

Dave Grohl has revealed that Nirvana have seriously considered changing the cover of their album Nevermind following a lawsuit.

The band - featuring Grohl, Krist Novoselic and the estate of the late Kurt Cobain - have been on the receiving end of legal action from Spencer Elden, who was the baby that appeared on the cover of the classic 1991 album.

In August, Elden - who is now 30 years old - launched a federal lawsuit against the grunge rockers and those involved in the making of the artwork. Elden claims the band promised to cover his genitalia with a sticker and that the image constitutes "child pornography".

The contentious sleeve artwork for Nirvana's Nevermind album. Picture: Alamy Stock Photo

When asked about the case by the Times, Dave Grohl replied: "I have many ideas of how we should alter that cover but we'll see what happens."

"We'll let you know. I'm sure we'll come up with something good."

Elden is seeking $150,000 (£109,000) in damages from each of the 15 defendants, who include the band's surviving members, photographer Kirk Weddle and the managers of Kurt Cobain's estate; Courtney Love.

"The images exposed Spencer's intimate body part and lasciviously displayed Spencer's genitals from the time he was an infant to the present day," legal papers filed in California claim, according to the BBC.

Grohl also revealed that he was ambivalent about celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Nevermind's release.

"I think that there's much more to look forward to and much more to life than getting bogged down in those kinds of things," he admitted.

Dave Grohl tells Chris Moyles about his new book

The Foo Fighters frontman has been looking back, however, having published his memoir The Storyteller earlier this week.

He told Radio X's Chris Moyles that there's the potential for a sequel.

"There's absolutely no way I could put everything into one book," he said. "So I just picked specific stories to shape this... not necessarily chronological... but you know, funny light-hearted anecdotes of things that I've done over the last 50 years."