Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe, 1989

Both prior to the release of the book, and post-release, Pavitt had done press interviews relating to the book for promotion.^[1][2]

Reception of Experiencing Nirvana was generally positive. Steven Rosen, stated "Pavitt offers up an honest appraisal of the band right before it blew up. For Nirvana fans, this one is a must. For grunge fans in general, Experiencing Nirvana will answer a lot of questions. A terrific document about a band that would, arguably, change the face of music."^[3] Frank Valish, in his review of the book stated that "the commentary is more journal than insightful commentary but it does provide a glimpse into the inter-workings of the tour and the dynamic of the time. As documents of a nascent scene go, this one is pretty worthwhile."^[4] Harry Guerin also fancied the book in his review for RTÉ and stated "While Experiencing Nirvana also gathers nostalgia-summoning articles from the Melody Makers, NMEs and Sounds of the era, the one thing it's missing is some recollections from the band members themselves."^[5]