Love or hate her; one can’t deny that Courtney Love never had it easy. From a father Love claims made her try LSD when she was only a toddler to an inattentive mother, the rocker’s early life certainly wasn’t what a child would wish for. Although we’re not here to learn all about Love’s biography, it might help us understand the complicated relationship between her and Kat Bjelland.
So, after living in numerous states and a handful of countries by the time she was an adult, Courtney’s life changed after seeing Cheap Trick perform. After that show, she knew what she wanted to be: a rock star under the spotlight and curious eyes of the world. Even if it wouldn’t be easy, Love was determined to go ahead and try.
After spending an unsuccessful few weeks with Faith No More, Love searched for something new when she met Kat Bjelland at an Oregon nightclub in 1984. The pair quickly bonded as they shared many interests and decided to form their first band, Sugar Babydoll, which would transform into Pagan Babies.
So, as their love of music fueled their friendship, Courtney and Bjelland decided to live together. At the time, it was common for the two rockers to borrow a dress or two from one another’s wardrobes. However, this exchange would eventually cause a future dispute between the two ladies and their audience.
Well, as much as they had quickly bonded, Pagan Babies decided to break up only after only performing a handful of shows. Still, Bjelland was determined to carry on with a new act: Babes in Toyland. Courtney, the ever-stubborn, wouldn’t give in, though, and try forming a new band as well.
So, she would go and declare she had been looking for a guitarist in local newspapers, and eventually, Eric Erlandson would give her a call, and the pair would form Hole. So even if this was undoubtedly excellent news for Courtney on the career side, things didn’t look much brighter in her friendship with Kat.
As Babes in Toyland and Hole performed side by side, the comparisons between Love and Bjelland turned things a bit complicated. You see, the two frontwomen would dress in similar stagewear when they were on stage. This was the classic punk aesthetic ‘kinderwhore’ fashion, including messy makeup, even more disheveled hair, and doll-like dresses.
However, the arguments wouldn’t end there, as other comparisons also carried on, and the two would often criticize one another from here and there. Courtney even once blamed Bjelland for trying to steal Kurt from her. Don’t worry; Bjelland would also hit back by criticizing her old friend and Hole.
Yet, even with all the controversies, the pair’s bond was intense and, maybe, a bit toxic in the end. But maybe, the media and the competitive Seattle scene would never let them have a chance the moment they creatively separated ways. In 2011, Bjelland addressed how the media pitted them against one another.
“The media did that,” Kat said as she discussed constantly being compared to Courtney. “And it was really hurtful to me for a long time. They’d say it’s some kind of battle. Which it wasn’t. We were friends.”
If we were to go back a decade from the above statement of Bjelland, the frontwoman once again emphasized in 2001 that they were soul sisters with Courtney and their bond would never be broken. Kat said, “I haven’t spoken to Courtney for years, but soul sisters don’t need to. There will always be a bond between us, regardless of whether we speak or not.”
On Love’s side, things also softened, with appreciation coming from her side. So, in the end, the two made up a bit, though their relationship hasn’t been the best; but what had been easy in Love’s life? The brutal comparisons almost cost them a friendship, and maybe, Courtney, who has had toxic relationships all over her life since the beginning, bonded with Kat to find a bit of peace.
