The Nona Tapes

The Nona Tapes is a 1995 mockumentary by the American rock band Alice in Chains directed by Rocky Schenck to promote the band's self-titled album.[3] Released on VHS on December 12, 1995, it features journalist Nona Weisbaum (played by Jerry Cantrell) interviewing the band in Seattle and also includes the music video for the album's lead single, "Grind", and outtake footage overdubbed with the second single, "Heaven Beside You".[4] The Nona Tapes became a cult hit despite Columbia Records not liking it at first. It peaked at No. 23 on Billboard's Top Video Sales and at No. 25 on the Top Music Videos chart. Because it is no longer for sale, original copies of the VHS are considered a rarity. However, in 2006, Best Buy offered a DVD version for free for a limited time with purchases of the compilation The Essential Alice in Chains. On June 19, 2017, Alice in Chains' official Vevo channel uploaded the video on YouTube.[5]

The Nona Tapes
Video by
Alice in Chains
ReleasedDecember 12, 1995 (VHS)[1]
September 5, 2006 (DVD)[2]
Recorded1995
GenreComedy, music, mockumentary
Length25:03
LabelColumbia Music Video
Sony Music Video
DirectorRocky Schenck
ProducerKatherine Shaw
David Naylor
Samson Aslanian
Alice in Chains chronology
Live Facelift
(1991)		 The Nona Tapes
(1995)		 Unplugged
(1996)

Plot

The Nona Tapes follows aspiring journalist Nona Weisbaum (played by guitarist Jerry Cantrell) on her quest to "find some Seattle rock stars" for a breakthrough story. Throughout the video, Weisbaum scours the streets of Seattle and eventually finds and interviews all members of Alice in Chains (besides Cantrell). Entwined between Nona's segments are interviews revealing the lives of the band members, and interview footage regarding the self-titled album.[6][7]

Cast

Music listing
  1. "Brush Away" Excerpt 1
  2. "Brush Away" Excerpt 2
  3. "Over Now" Excerpt 1
  4. "Over Now" Excerpt 2
  5. "Grind" Excerpt
  6. "Over Now" Excerpt 3
  7. "Head Creeps" Excerpt
  8. "Heaven Beside You" Excerpt
  9. "Grind" (Music Video)
  10. "Heaven Beside You" (Outtake footage)

Production

To help promote their self-titled album, Columbia Records asked Alice in Chains to do an EPK (Electronic Press Kit), a common marketing tool in the '90s in which they should talk about themselves, but they did not want to do that. The band took the money from the label and made the mockumentary The Nona Tapes instead.[8] Directed by Rocky Schenck, it features Jerry Cantrell disguised as a female journalist, Nona Weisbaum, interviewing his bandmates playing fictionalized versions of themselves during a car ride in Seattle. The music video for "Grind" is also featured at the end.[9] Columbia did not like The Nona Tapes at first and told the band they had wasted their money doing it. However, it became a cult hit and Columbia decided to sell it, but the band was against it. The video was eventually released on VHS in December 1995.[8] In 2006, The Nona Tapes was released on DVD and came as a bonus with the compilation The Essential Alice in Chains.[10]

Nona Weisbaum made a special appearance for Alice In Chains' tribute at MoPOP's Founders Award on December 1, 2020.[11]

Chart positions
Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Top Music Videos[12] 25
US Top Video Sales[13] 23

References
  1. "The Nona Tapes - Alice In Chains". AllMusic.
  2. "Alice in Chains: The Nona Tapes DVD". blu-ray.com.
  3. Alice in Chains: The Nona Tapes [VHS] (1995). ASIN 6303923380.
  4. Tobey, Rovi, Matthew. "Alice in Chains: The Nona Tapes (1995)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  5. "Alice In Chains - The Nona Tapes". YouTube. June 19, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  6. "The Nona Tapes Review". ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  7. "The Nona Tapes". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  8. "Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell + Sean Kinney Talk Festivals, 'AIC 23' Mockumentary + Rock Hall". Loudwire. May 21, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  9. "Alice In Chains - The Nona Tapes". YouTube. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  10. "Alice In Chains - The Essential Alice In Chains review". Metal Storm. October 5, 2006.
  11. "MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice In Chains". YouTube. December 1, 2020.
  12. "Top Music Videos". Billboard. January 27, 1996. p. 100.
  13. "Top Video Sales". Billboard. February 3, 1996. p. 66.
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