Kurt Cobain - Unplugged

On Thursday 30th October 2025 the Royal We (Dad&Daughter) visited the Royal College of Music. A stumble from The Royal Albert Hall its in an area of architectural spendor and the inside of the building matched the outside. A centre of learning and prestige, I managed to sneak in. 

Let's have a blurb - Step into the world of Kurt Cobain and explore the legacy of Nirvana, a band that defined a generation. Explore their iconic 1993 MTV Unplugged performance, one of Nirvana's final televised appearances before Cobain’s death just five months later. See up close Cobain’s rare Martin D-18E guitar, uniquely adapted for his left-handed play, shaping the unmistakeable sound that defined Nirvana’s music. In 2020, it became the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction, bought for over $6 million by Australian entrepreneur Peter Freedman AM.

The exhibition, at the Royal College of Music Museum, reunites Kurt Cobain’s guitar with another piece of rock history – his famous olive-green mohair cardigan, worn during the MTV Unplugged performance, marking the first time these two legendary items have been displayed together.  

Immerse yourself in rare memorabilia, uncover insights into Cobain’s songwriting, and discover the lasting influence of a band that changed the face of rock music. 

Co-curated by Alan di Perna – one of America’s foremost rock journalists, and Royal College of Museum Curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni. Source

Above - Cobain's cardigan made between 1960 and 1965 by Manhattan Industries. Made of acrylic, mohair and lycra - it would've cost you $16 new but sold in 2019 for $334,000

Above - Cobain's guiatar modified for left handed playing and adding an extra pick up. It's a Martin D-18E Electro-Acoustic Guitar from 1959. 

Above - The Hardshell Case for his Martin Guitar

Above - The internals of a Martin D-28E 

Above - Cobain's guitar - "Mojo"

Above - Not Kurt Cobain

Above - Aside from the Cobain exhibition there are lots of musical instruments with historical significence that is far beyond my understanding. But my attention was drawn to the guitar above - listed as the worlds oldest guitar - Belchior Dias, Lisbon, 1581.