It came straight out of left field last Wednesday afternoon: Paul McCartney would play with former Nirvana members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear that evening at the 12-12-12 concert to benefit Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. Immediately the Internet went abuzz with questions (would they play Beatles tunes? Nirvana tunes? New tunes? Jam?) and preemptive criticism (Gawker called it “the second-ever worst thing to ever happen to Nirvana fans”).
My brain also immediately went skeptical. I love the Beatles. I love Nirvana. But this seemed like a marriage doomed from the start. I just hoped and prayed that they would do McCartney tunes and not Cobain tunes. (Nirvana providing the backing for “Helter Skelter” is something that I could get behind.)
On Wednesday night, I found myself dropping in and out of the 12-12-12 live stream, hoping to catch a glimpse of this inevitable shitshow. If the acts leading up to Macca were any indication, we should have been afraid – very afraid. I caught the Stones doing “Jumping Jack Flash” at a tempo just slow enough to be disconcerting. I saw more of Roger Daltry’s 68-year old body than anyone should ever be subject to. I spent each commercial break wondering who the hell Chris Martin was, only to find out he’s the dude from fucking Coldplay. And then he brought out Michael Stipe, who fit in shockingly well with the lineup of old dudes.
Then finally, McCartney trotted onstage with his band. And as if to say, “Fuck you, Dr. Gonzo, I’ll show ya,” he launched into a blistering version of “Helter Skelter.” Then to drive the point home, “Let Me Roll It” and “1985,” two more of his great rockers.
After a few more classics, there they were – Dave, Krist, and Pat. And Paul. And they rocked. Hard.
Now, we have a bit more information – and a studio recording of that song, “Cut Me Some Slack.” The track is from Dave Grohl’s soon to be released film project, Sound City. And here my friends, is the studio cut that has ol’ Dr. Gonzo eating crow.