Nirvana refused to play their hit-song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', because they felt that it has become worn out. Instead, they wanted to play 'Rape Me', but it was rejected by the executives of MTV. They later agreed to play 'Lithium'. As a revenge, the band played the first seconds of 'Rape Me' before changing to 'Lithium'. It was later revealed that, as soon as the studio heard the few seconds of the first song, they were about to switch to a commercial break. Because of the change, a pre-recorded skit featuring Dana Carvey (doing a parody of George Bush) commenting on the band's performance was rendered inconsistent, as it still referred to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.
At the end of Nirvana's performance, when the band is beating up their equipment, Krist Novoselic revealed that he intended to toss his bass in the air and catch it, which was one of his usual routines. However, he failed to catch it, and the bass landed straight on his face, which prompted him to go backstage. Novoselic admitted that he pretended to be dazed and stumbling while leaving the stage. He was soon treated by paramedics. Queen guitarist Brian May joined him backstage and offered him a glass of champagne. Soon afterwards, Dave Grohl stormed into the room, who was looking all over for Novoselic.