WATCH: Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins play secret gig in Sydney

Playing as side-project, 'Chevy Metal' they covered tracks by Tom Petty, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and more.

Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters on stage in Sydney
Published 30th Aug 2017
Last updated 17th Aug 2021

When Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins stopped in Sydney as part of the promotional tour for the Foo Fighters' new album Concrete and Gold, Dave got a hankering to rock out.

So he called Brent Woods, guitarist with Taylor's covers band Chevy Metal. "Brent was in London 26 hours ago" revealed the ever-chatty Grohl, on-stage. “I said, 'Brent, we gotta play a f---in' Chevy Metal gig in Sydney, we gotta do it.’"

"I said 'I can’t pay you. I’ll give you whiskey, I’ll give you beer and I’ll give you sausage roll.' He flew 26 f---in' hours to come do this gig right here!"

Then they had to find themselves a crowd...

Sorted.

For 300 Foo Fighters fans at Sydney's Oxford Arts Factory, it was worth every one of Brent's 26 hours in transit. It was also seemingly just the tonic for Dave, who after a raucous night downing tequila shots with friends at a listening party for Concrete and Gold, asked the audience to source him a new liver. “If anyone knows a good doctor, I think I need a f---ing liver transplant.” he joked with the crowd.

In a typically sprawling set, the band - Dave, Taylor, Brent, and bassist/singer Wiley Hodgen - covered tracks from The Faces, AC/DC, David Bowie, The Knack, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen and more.

It's not the first time Dave has joined Chevy Metal onstage. Back in 2015, most of Foo Fighters ended up joining Taylor's band at a festival in California for an extended jam.

Watch Chevy Metal cover 'Stay With Me' by The Faces

"One by a band - you'll know who it is". That band of course was AC/DC. The song: 'Riff Raff'.

"One Van Halen stole from the Kinks". AKA, 'You Really Got Me':

Watch Dave Grohl get on vocals for a sprawling cover of Tom Petty's 'Breakdown'

Dave gets behind the drums for a cover of 'Under Pressure' by Queen and David Bowie

Watch the band cover 'Miss You' by The Rolling Stones

"Ladies and gentlemen... watch this" - the band cover 'Ziggy Stardust' by David Bowie

'My Sharona' by The Knack

No strangers to covers, Foo Fighters were recently joined on stage by 80s one-hit-wonder Rick Astley, to perform a quite brilliant version of 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.

Their new album 'Concrete and Gold' comes out September 15th, 2017.

Album tracklisting:

  1. T-Shirt
  2. Run
  3. Make It Right
  4. The Sky Is A Neighborhood
  5. La Dee Da
  6. Dirty Water
  7. Arrows
  8. Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
  9. Sunday Rain
  10. The Line
  11. Concrete and Gold