The Seattle scene in the late 80's / early 90's?!

The Seattle scene in the late 80's / early 90's?

Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Hole, Candlebox. Before these groups got signed, were many of them good friends and did they play together a lot? Here's what I know so far...

Pearl Jam and Soundgarden knew each other well, and members from each band formed Temple Of The Dog together. Also, I know members of Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Screaming Trees formed Mad Season. I even think Nirvana and Soundgarden traded guitarists in the early days. But did these groups often play together before being signed and were they good friends?

of all the bands you mention, the only ones who were really "friends" were PJ and Soundgarden, and even then, it was really only a few members who were friends at first. Hole and Candlebox came much later than the rest, and in fact, Pearl Jam was the last addition among the originals, since, as another poster pointed out, the original members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam were busy being members of Green River and Mother Love Bone (and, ahem, Mookie Blaylock). Temple of the Dog was a tribute band formed of the drummer and singer from Soundgarden, and the guitars and bass from Pearl Jam, and their only album was a tribute to the then-recently-deceased Andrew Wood, the singer from Mother Love Bone. Nirvana weren't really "friends" with ANY of these people (other than Hole, since that was Kurt's wife's band, of course), and Mudhoney were in and out of the scene. Alice in Chains were originally a buttrock band who became monsters of rock when Layne Staley starting shooting smack, and the Screaming Trees are still around in one form or another, but you mentioned Mad Season, and yes, that is members of AiC and ST, but also the lead guitarist from Pearl Jam, Mike McCready. there was also one song from a band called Alice Mudgarden called "Right Turn" -- you can guess which bands made up that incarnation -- and it was on Alice in Chains' EP release, Sap.

there have been a few crossover members of bands (from one band to another, not "supergroup" members), including the guitarist from Nirvana into Soundgarden, but the only crossover player still in the scene is Soundgarden's original drummer, Matt Cameron, who has been playing with Pearl Jam for almost ten years now.

whew! confused yet?