Watch: A thousand musicians perform Nirvana’s iconic ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ perfectly
It is, quite literally, the biggest thing in rock music.
In 2015, what has been billed as the “world’s largest band” played US rock band Foo Fighter’s Learn to Fly in a park in the small Italian town of Cesena. The video showcasing over 1,200 musicians jamming to the hit went viral and the band succeeded in their original intention, which was to convince the hugely popular rock band Foo Fighters to play in their hometown. Since then, their project, known as Rockin’ 1000, has frequently come together to perform a set list that ticks of some of rock’s best-known classics.
Despite the gargantuan nature of the band, the members have no intention of applying to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. “Well, we didn’t apply. I think that if we did it we would’ve got the Guinness World Record…but it’s not something that we care about that much,” Fabio Zaffagnini, one of the band members said. “I mean, what we obtained last year and this year as well, it’s bigger than any – I don’t know. It’s more about the emotions rather having our name written in a book.”
The live shows could make for an invigorating experience. In the video above, countless musicians come together to play Nirvana’s 1990s’ anthem Smells Like Teen Spirit. Hundreds of drummers are accompanied by almost as many guitarists and bassists, and fewer, but equally loud, keyboardists, violinists and bagpipe players.