13 facts about Foo Fighters

With Foo Fighters boasting nearly 30 years of action, their 11th album 'But Here We Are' out and a UK tour on the way in 2024, there's no better time to get yourself re-acquainted with these masters of hook-laden and melodic hard rock.

After drummer Taylor Hawkins' sad passing in March 2022, the band dedicated their latest record to his memory, as well as that of Dave's late mother Virginia Hanlon Grohl. Join us as we take a look at 13 facts you may not have known about the Foo Fighters...

1) How did Foo Fighters get their name?

Following the demise of Nirvana after Kurt Cobain’s tragic death in 1994, drummer Dave Grohl was considering his options. Indeed, rumours suggest that Pearl Jam offered him the drummer’s stool, and he reluctantly declined Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ overtures after he performed ‘Honeybee’ and ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels’ with the celebrated heartland rockers on US comedy show ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1994.

Instead, he decided to record songs that he’d written and demo’d while still in Nirvana. With the recordings done and dusted, Grohl decided to name the project Foo Fighters, which is taken from the term for UFOs used by the US military in 1940s.

Adding to the UFO theme, Grohl then named his record company ‘Roswell’, after the site where extraterrestrials are said to have crash-landed in 1947.

2) Did Dave Grohl really play all the instruments on Foo Fighters’ eponymous debut album?

Almost, but no. Afghan Whigs’ mainman Greg Dulli popped up to play guitar to ‘X-Static’, but apart from that, Dave Grohl played everything else on every track on the album. So whenever you hear ‘This Is A Call’, ‘I’ll Stick Around’ and ‘Big Me’ among others, be safe in the knowledge that Dave Grohl is playing the guitar, bass and drums. Oh, and he’s producing as well. Did this man ever sleep back then?

3) Does Dave Grohl play with other bands?

Speaking of that lack of sleep, Dave Grohl has managed to find the time to play with a heap of bands while still leading Foo Fighters.

As far back as 1994, he played drums with the Backbeat Band, who supplied the soundtrack to the biopic of The Beatles’ pre-fame years in Berlin. The band featured Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner covering Paul McCartney’s vocals, Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli standing in for John Lennon’s, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and producer Don Fleming on guitar, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills on bass and Dave Grohl playing pre-Ringo Starr drummer Pete Best’s parts.

Most famously, he played drums on Queen Of The Stone Age’s third album, ‘Songs For The Deaf’, in 2002. He had so much fun that Foo Fighters were put on hold while he went on tour with them.

He played guitar on David Bowie’s 2002 album, ‘Heathen’, where the pair covered Neil Young’s ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You’. Dave has also likened Foo Fighters' 10th album to Bowie's album 'Let's Dance'.

The following year, he played drums on Killing Joke’s second eponymous album. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also found time to play drums on every one of comedy duo Tenacious D’s albums - ‘Tenacious D’ (2001), ‘The Pick of Destiny’ (2006), ‘Rize Of The Fenix' (2012) and ‘Post-Apocalypto’ (2018). And Nine Inch Nails – let’s forget about Trent Reznor’s industrial groovers.

Taking things a little bit further, he formed supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones in 2009.

4) Have they done any famous cover versions?

Foo Fighters love a cover version. Among the best are Gerry Rafferty’s 'Baker Street', Wings’ ‘Band On The Run’ and AC/DC’s mighty ‘Let There Be Rock’.

But they’ve also done some pretty unusual covers, too. These include Tubeway Army’s ‘Down In The Park’ and Prince’s ‘Darling Nikki’. It seems that the Purple One wasn’t too thrilled about that one. In a bizarre twist, Prince then covered ‘Best Of You’ as part of his 2007 superbowl set.

5) Has anyone else covered songs by Foo Fighters?

They sure have. In addition to Prince, Stereophonics have had a go at ‘Best Of You’, while ‘Times Like These’ has been covered by Ryan Adams (and remember not to mistake him the Groover From Vancouver, Bryan Adams, or else all hell will break loose).

Elsewhere, Paramore recorded a version of ‘My Hero’ for – what else? – the soundtrack to ‘Superman Returns’.

Best of all is ‘Learn To Fly’ by Rockin’ 1000, a collection of a thousand Italian musicians who performed the cover in the hope of getting Foo Fighters to play the city of Cesena. And the great thing is that it worked: touched by their video, Foo Fighters went over and honoured their request.

Two months after Taylor's death, the group of 1,000 musicians performed to a 50,000-strong audience at the Stade de France in Paris - and the standout moment of the night came when they performed ‘My Hero’ in honour of Taylor.

6) Foo Fighters love Reading and Leeds Festival

Foo Fighters have played the Reading Festival an incredible seven times. Their first appearance was in 1995 and their last show there – and its sister festival in Leeds – was in 2019. We think it’s safe to assume they’ll be back there for more.

7) Foo Fighters were forced to delay their 10th album due to the pandemic

The release of their 10th studio album, 'Medicine at Midnight', was delayed from release in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, however the band eventually released the album in February 2021, after teasing plenty of tracks in the lead-up.

Speaking of their 10th Foo Fighters record, Dave Grohl said in 2020: "We just finished making a record. Some of those songs, the best ones happen in 45 minutes. Then there’s other songs — there’s a riff on the new record I’ve been working on for 25 years. The first time I demoed it was in my basement in Seattle."

8) Foo Fighters are an award-winning band

Over their 25-year history, Foo Fighters have won five BRIT Awards (Best International Group in 2008, 2012, 2015 and 2018 and Best International Album for ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace’) and a staggering 12 Grammy Awards, include four in the Best Rock Album category for ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’ (1998), ‘One By One’ (2004), ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace’ and ‘Wasting Light’ (2008), and three awards for Best Hard Rock Performance for the songs ‘All My Life’ (2203), ‘The Pretender’ (2008) and ‘White Limo’ (2012).

Kerrang! Magazine are partial to Foo Fighters, having awarded them six times for Best Album (‘Foo Fighters’), Classic Songwriters (2000), Hall Of Fame (2002), Best Single for ‘Best Of You’ (2005), Best International Band and Best International Live Act (both 2018).

9) Dave Grohl has his own signature model guitar

Having been a huge fan of Gibson’s Trini Lopez signature guitar, the legendary guitar manufacturers made the new Dave Grohl model guitar, the DG-335, in 2007. On top of that, he worked closely with Gibson in getting the guitar just how he likes it.

10) Taylor Hawkins used to play for Alanis Morissette

Having re-recorded all the drum parts for Foo Fighters’ second album, ‘The Colour And The Shape’, Dave Grohl asked Alanis Morissette’s drummer, Taylor Hawkins, if he could recommend someone for the job after original tubthumper William Goldsmith quit the band. Hawkins put himself forward and took over the drum stool from 1997.

Sadly, on 25th March 2022, Taylor Hawkins passed away at the age of 50. The Foo Fighters announced the sad news in a statement, saying: "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

11) Their 11th album is dedicated to Taylor as well as Dave's mum

In the lead-up to Foos releasing their 11th album 'But Here We Are' - which landed on 2nd June 2023 - the band announced that the record is dedicated to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins, as well as Dave's mum, Virginia Hanlon Grohl.

A description of the album - which is their first without Taylor - says it ‘marks the band’s return after a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances.’

It continues: ‘Sonically channelling the naivete of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, ‘But Here We Are’ is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.’

They're also performed their first concert without Taylor on 30th May in Washington DC, USA.

12) They played a secret slot at Glastonbury 2023

In one of the worst kept secrets in rock, the Foos made a triumphant return to Glastonbury for their first UK gig since losing Taylor Hawkins. Claiming a spot on the line-up under the pseudonym The Churn-Ups, Dave and co burst forth onto the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm to yell: "You guys knew it was us the whole time, you knew it was us, right? We're not good at secrets."

Prior to their incredible performance, online sleuths discovered that "The Churn-Ups" had no online presence, and interests were piqued after the Foos shared a statement to explain how excited they were to "churn up" emotions with their audiences at upcoming live shows.

13) Dave is a big fan of U2

Video footage of Dave having a truly beautiful day at U2’s final gig at the $2.3 billion Sphere venue in Las Vegas went viral in March 2024. A wholesome 32-second clip of Grohl fanboying during penultimate song ‘Beautiful Day’ racked up millions of views on social media.

Truly lost in the moment, Dave sings every word to the track as he gleefully dances and fist pumps.

Scroll through to see Dave Grohl through the years...

WATCH | Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on his broken leg: "Paul McCartney fixed me up with doctor"

You can hear Foo Fighters on the Absolute Radio playlist.

Read more:

Dave Grohl: From Nirvana to Foo Fighters and everything in-between

21 reasons why Dave Grohl is the Nicest Guy In Rock

Foo Fighters are announcing UK tour dates soon

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