The 1992 MTV Awards, held at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, offered many notable moments, from Van Halen’s multiple awards to a surprising duet between Axl Rose and Elton John. For Nirvana, however, the night was particularly memorable due to an unexpected encounter between bassist Krist Novoselic and Queen guitarist Brian May.
Nirvana had won the Best Alternative Video award for Smells Like Teen Spirit, but the evening took an unusual turn during the band’s live performance of Lithium. Novoselic recalled the mishap in an interview with Bass Player magazine, explaining that a technical issue with his amplifier led him to toss his bass into the air. Unfortunately, the instrument got caught in the stage lighting, falling and hitting him on the head.
“So I storm off stage, and these paramedics come and take a look at me and put a bandage on,” he explained. While the medics were busy ensuring he was not seriously injured, Novoselic was surprised to find none other than Queen’s Brian May standing nearby. “I’m all annoyed, right, and I’m like, ‘What the hell!’ And behind them, there is this amazing fellow, with a glass of champagne. It’s Brian May! Just standing there politely. He says, ‘Here you are, my good man,’ and he hands me this glass of champagne,” Novoselic recounted. The bassist was taken aback, saying, “I was like, ‘You’re Brian May! How are you?’ and he said, ‘More importantly, how are you?’”
This was the first time Novoselic had met the Queen guitarist, and their brief exchange was soon interrupted by Dave Grohl, who had been searching for his bandmate only to find him sharing a quiet moment with May.
Though Nirvana and Queen never shared a stage, Brian May has performed multiple times with Grohl’s post-Nirvana band, Foo Fighters, much to the excitement of guitarist Pat Smear, a long-time Queen fan.
