Idolator: dave grohl

Are You At A Led Zeppelin Reunion Show? A Handy Guide

Maura Johnston — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EDT

Hey, did you hear that Led Zeppelin reunited this weekend? Well, it was just John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, who took the stage with the Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium for "Rock and Roll" and (as seen above) "Ramble On," but that's not stopping the NME from running with the headline "Led Zeppelin reunite at Foo Fighters show." To celebrate this momentous occasion, let's play a game of "Are You Really At A Led Zeppelin Reunion Show"!

Before we begin, another piece of evidence:

1. ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU'RE NOT SEEING LEZ ZEPPELIN?
Hey, it's confused people before.

2. IS JOHN PAUL JONES PLAYING BASS?
If your answer is "yes," then go to question three. If your answer is no, then skip to question seven.

3. IS JIMMY PAGE PLAYING GUITAR?
If your answer is "yes," then go to question four. If your answer is no, then skip to question seven.

4. IS THE REANIMATED CORPSE OF JOHN BONHAM OR HIS SON PLAYING DRUMS?
If your answer is "yes," then go to question six. If your answer is no, then go to question five.

5. IS THE GUY PLAYING DRUMS A REASONABLY WELL-KNOWN DRUMMER LIKE, SAY, DAVE GROHL?
If your answer is "yes," then go to question six. If your answer is no, the skip to question seven.

6. IS ROBERT PLANT SINGING?
If your answer is "yes," then you were probably at the O2 arena last winter. If you weren't, go to question seven.

7. SO WAIT, WHO'S FILLING IN? DAVID COVERDALE? EVEN THAT DOESN'T COUNT. SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE, I KNOW THE TERM "LED ZEPPELIN REUNION" GETS THE GOOGLE HITS, AND I'M HAPPY THAT DAVE GROHL WAS REALLY PSYCHED ABOUT SINGING WITH HIS FAVORITE LEGENDS—BUT HONESTLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO OUT-AND-OUT LIE TO PEOPLE IN ORDER TO GET TRAFFIC TO YOUR PIDDLING WEB SITE.
Just saying.

Led Zeppelin reunite at Foo Fighters show [NME]
Foo Fighters Wembley Rock'N Roll Led Zeppelin [YouTube]
Foo Fighters — Led Zeppelin Ramble On [YouTube]

Dave Grohl On That Letter To Metallica: "I Didn't Write It, I Dictated It"

Maura Johnston — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:30:00 EDT

Dave Grohl has posted a sorta-denial of the open letter to Metallica that made the rounds last week, which inquired after the progress of their current album (particularly the drum parts). While not denying that he said the words that were picked up "by everyone from Blabbermouth to Rolling Stone," he claims that he never put pen to paper for the purposes of getting in touch with James et al. Instead, that "letter" was just part of an interview that was taken out of context and whipped up into a nice, frothy, Internet meringue:

Just wanted to write a quick note to clear up this whole "Open letter to Metallica" fiasco......For the record, I never "wrote" anything to Metallica. I was asked by a journalist, at the end of a long interview (abut the Foo Fighters) to give a quick message to Metallica in the studio. So, I rattled that quote off the top of my head. No biggie, right? Somehow it became my "open letter" to the band, and now it's been picked up by everyone from Blabbermouth to Rolling Stone (as if anyone really cares!). Now, it's true that I've been a loyal fan of this band for 25 years, and I can't wait to hear the new shit, but an "open letter" to the band?!!?? Nah. Not my style. I'd rather just text 'em......

Ah, Dave. If you're so friendly with them, wouldn't they invite you over for listening sessions? Or at least to be the second drummer on their version of "Fight Fire With Fire" that had an extra bass-playing appendage in Flea, so as to max out the number of extra people on stage?

Hey Everybody, [foofighters.com; HT Absolute Punk]
Metallica at the Wiltern - Fight Fire With Fire (w/ Flea) [YouTube]
Earlier: Dave Grohl To Metallica: "Please Don't Make Another Shitty Record. Also, I'm Available!

Foo Fighters' Bid To Get Noticed By Smoking Gun Finally Succeeds

Maura Johnston — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:15:00 EDT

Congratulations, guys! You've really hit the big time now! [TSG]

Dave Grohl To Metallica: "Please Don't Make Another Shitty Record. Also, I'm Available!"

Maura Johnston — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Self-proclaimed "guy that's been listening to your band faithfully since 1983" Dave Grohl has apparently sent an open letter to Metallica pleading with them to not release their new album until they're sure it's good, a rule that they haven't really been following for the past 10 years or so.

Dear METALLICA,
Hey, it's Dave! Remember me? Yeah, I'm the guy that's been listening to your band faithfully since 1983. I bought your first album 'Kill 'Em All' from a mailorder catalogue called Under The Rainbow, I think. Actually I can't remember. It was 1983 for Christsakes! But that album changed my life and I've been listening to your albums ever since (even 'St Anger'!).

I can't wait to hear the new shit, and no matter what you guys do I'll always be first one at the shop waiting to hear it. I'm sure you'll come out and blow everybody's fuckin' minds, because you're fuckin' METALLICA!

Good luck. And don't release it until it's kick-ass.

Yours, Dave Grohl.

P.S. Are you finished recording the drums yet?

I'm not really sure who he's trying to mess with here, but that P.S. sounds kinda... ominous. Watch out, Lars—you know that Dave Grohl thinks he's THE BEST, THE BEST, THE BEST... right?

DAVE GROHL's "Open Letter" To METALLICA [Blabbermouth]

Will The Writer's Strike Drain The Grammys' Talent Pool?

mjohnston — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:15:35 EST

The People's Choice Awards were reduced to a clip show. The Golden Globes are going to be held in press conference form. Will the writer's strike have a detrimental effect on the Grammys, which are scheduled to take place on Feb. 10? According to Phil Gallo at Variety, it might, because the producers "would have to do a show with no WGA writing, no actors as presenters and none of musicians with union or Hollywood connections." While the Grammys have only officially announced one performer at the show—the Foo Fighters, who are doing that YouTube talent show thing—Gallo has helpfully compiled a list of people who you likely wouldn't see on the telecast, given their assorted union connections. And guess whose name is right up top?

Dave Grohl
Bruce Springsteen
Beastie Boys
Joni Mitchell
John Fogerty
Lucinda Williams
Jack White
Steve Earle
Herbie Hancock
Chaka Khan
Fantasia
George Lopez
Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake
Tim McGraw
Beyonce

Eep! And isn't Whitney Houston in the Screen Actors Guild, too? Maybe Mike Huckabee can learn how to play the triangle sometime in the next month, because from the lineups I've seen for the late-night talk shows, dude is all about crossing picket lines.

Glare From Golden Globes Starting To Heat The Grammys? [The Set List]
[Photo: AP]

Led Zeppelin Rumors To Continue Running Amok In 2008

mjohnston — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:30:28 EST

Scuttlebutt that Led Zeppelin was going to headline the Bonnaroo festival this June started back in December—only to be subsequently denied by the festival's management shortly after. But the Mirror is claiming that Led Zep's headlining gig is back on, thanks to Robert Plant having a "change of heart." (Maybe the Bonnaroo organizers enticed him with the prospect of playing a bluegrass set as well? Or maybe this isn't true at all and just filled a ginormous New Year's-induced news hole within the Mirror's pages? It's so hard to tell!) Anyway, not to be outdone by its not-even-music-centric UK tabloid rivals, the scrappy site Gigwise has a Led Zep-related rumor of its own, and it's kind of a doozy if you read it straight:

Dave Grohl is reportedly waiting on a very important phone call, an invitation to go drum on the rumoured Led Zeppelin reunion tour.

Apparently the Foo Fighters man is desperate to take control of the skins for anymore shows the band might play despite the fact that he praised Jason Bonham's performance at the O2 Arena show.

According to one of those people that seem to know everything - the insider - Grohl was also in the running to take Bonham's role at the London gig.

Gigwise's rumor was reprinted from the Daily Star, which we've covered in this space before and which has since then actually put its stories online in non-PDF form. To welcome the fine folks over there to 1997, let's see what their original piece said:

SPOTTED a certain Dave Grohl at the recent Led Zeppelin reunion gig at the 02.

That's the same Dave Grohl who sports a series of tattoos in honour of Zep's late drummer John Bonham.

This got me thinking that should the Zep reform for the tour that's being talked about in 2008, they should give Uncle Dave a call. It seems that Grohl would jump at the chance to play with his heroes.

My man in the know says: "Dave flew in especially for the shows and played air guitar and air drums throughout the gig.

"He was in the running to take over from John Bonham a few years ago and he's still gagging to get on stage with the Zep.

"While he loves playing with Foo Fighters, Dave would drop anything to be part of Zep's shows."

So get on the phone Mr Page, as your campaign begins here. The Zep need him I reckon.

See? From a Livejournaly ramble about Dave Grohl being totally awesome to a picture of him waiting by the phone, desperate for contact from his heroes, all because of a few words being rearranged and misinterpreted. This, my friends, is how your ~~sausage~~ bangers get made!

Led Zep for festival [Mirror]
Grohl will add zip to the Zep [Daily Star]
Dave Grohl To Drum On Led Zeppelin Reunion Tour? [Gigwise]
[Photo: Getty]