Nirvana's Night -- With Eddie Vedder A Surprise No-Show, Kurt Cobain And The Band Took Center Stage In Filming The Mtv New Year's Concert

The good news: Everything went fine at the filming last night on Pier 48 of "MTV's Live and Loud," to be broadcast New's Year's Eve.

The bad news: Eddie Vedder didn't show up.

When the audience arrived at the funky waterfront site just south of the ferry terminal, it was greeted by signs that read in part, "Unfortunately, due to illness Pearl Jam will not be performing tonight."

At first, an MTV press representative said she was not told the nature of Vedder's illness. Backstage gossip was rife with rumors about his no-show, ranging from a rekindling of his old feud with Nirvana, the other big name on the bill, to a sudden case of stage fright. Later, however, the official word was that Vedder said he had the flu.

The first sign of trouble came when Vedder did not show up for rehearsal Sunday afternoon. But Pearl Jam was still scheduled to play the show as late as yesterday afternoon, just hours before the filming, which started at 5 p.m. The other members of Pearl Jam, except for guitarist Mike McCready, were at the site when it was announced that the band would not play.

Pearl Jam's part of the show may be filmed later this week if Vedder is up to it, an MTV official said. "We will try to get Pearl Jam right up until New Year's Eve night, if necessary," she said.

Without Pearl Jam, the show would be considerably weaker. And MTV was counting on the filming to give the network Pearl Jam songs to broadcast as videos, because the band has so far not made any for its new album, the runaway best-seller "Vs."

Perhaps because it was suddenly the headliner, Nirvana put on a ragingly powerful performance that went off without a hitch. It ended with the band's usual instrument abuse, with Kurt Cobain repeatedly tossing his guitar in the air and letting it crash onto the stage, while it squawked with feedback.

The band was tight and totally in control of its chaotic sound. Cobain, dressed conventionally this time (he's worn dresses on some previous MTV appearances), was a riveting lead singer/guitarist, throwing himself into the performance with furious energy. Defying the tight security, he encouraged stage divers, even helping some scramble onto the stage before they launched themselves back into the crowd.

The Nirvana set included old and new songs, and covers. Although there's no telling what will eventually show up on the broadcast, the set included the controversial song "Rape Me," which once was banned by MTV, as well as the current single "Heart-Shaped Box," longtime favorites "Come As You Are" and "About a Girl," as well as "Penny Royal Tea," "All Apologies" and David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World."

The Breeders and Cypress Hill, the other bands on the bill, did much shorter sets, about a half hour each.

Cypress Hill, the popular rap group, was joined by three-fifths of Pearl Jam - guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament and drummer Dave Abbruzzese - for a jam on one song.

Known for its advocacy of marijuana, Cypress Hill's rappers asked the audience, "Anybody have a fat joint?" Several rained on the stage while the band played its hit, "Insane in the Brain," at sternum-rattling sound levels.

The Breeders opened the show with a comparatively low-key set. The band explained that it was taking a quieter approach to see if it played better on TV. The short but engaging set was highlighted by the band's current hit single and video, "Cannonball."

The Red Hot Chili Pepper's Anthony Kiedis and Flea were supposed to be hosts for the event, but they were nowhere to be seen during the filming.

Most of the 1,700 or so attending the show won tickets through a radio-station giveaway. But there were many invited guests, including such celebrities as Rob Morrow of "Northern Exposure," Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, Peter Buck of R.E.M. and local TV news anchors and sportscasters.

"MTV's Live and Loud" is scheduled for broadcast from 10 to 11:30 p.m. Dec. 31 on MTV.

Information from Associated Press is included in this report.