Description:
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed by singer/guitarist Dave Grohl in 1995 in Seattle, USA. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band Nirvana in 1994. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters in 1995, Grohl drafted Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums) (both of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft), and Pat Smear (guitar) to complete the group. Goldsmith left during the recording of the groupâs second album The Colour And The Shape (1997), soon followed by Smear. They were replaced by Taylor Hawkins and Franz Stahl, respectively, although Stahl left prior to the re
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed by singer/guitarist Dave Grohl in 1995 in Seattle, USA. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band Nirvana in 1994. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters in 1995, Grohl drafted Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums) (both of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft), and Pat Smear (guitar) to complete the group. Goldsmith left during the recording of the groupâs second album The Colour And The Shape (1997), soon followed by Smear. They were replaced by Taylor Hawkins and Franz Stahl, respectively, although Stahl left prior to the recording of the groupâs third album, There Is Nothing Left To Lose (1999).
Chris Shiflett joined as the bandâs second guitarist after the completion of There Is Nothing Left To Lose. The band released its fourth album One By One in 2002. The group followed that release with the two-disc In Your Honor (2005), which was split between acoustic songs and harder-rocking material. Foo Fighters released its sixth album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace in 2007. Over the course of the bandâs career, three of its albums have won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album, and all six have been nominated for Grammys. More informations on Foo Fightersâs official site [Link removed - login to see].
Formation and debut album
Dave Grohl joined the band Nirvana as the groupâs drummer in 1990. In order to occupy himself during tours, he took a guitar with him and wrote songs. Grohl held back these songs from the band; he said in 1997, âI was in awe of frontman Kurt Cobainâs songs. And intimidated. I thought it was best that I keep my songs to myself.â Instead, Grohl occasionally booked studio time to record demos, and even issued a cassette of some of those songs called Pocketwatch under the pseudonym âLate!â in 1992.
Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home on April 8, 1994, and Nirvana subsequently disbanded. Grohl received offers to work with various artists, and almost accepted a permanent position as the drummer in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Ultimately Grohl declined and instead entered a studio in October 1994 to record twelve of the forty songs he had written. With the exception of a guitar part on âX-Staticâ by Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, Grohl played every instrument and sang every vocal on the tracks. âI was supposed to just join another band and be a drummer the rest of my life,â Grohl later said. âI thought that I would rather do what no-one expected me to do. I enjoy writing music and I enjoy trying to sing, and thereâs nothing anyone can really do to discourage me.â Grohl completed an albumâs worth of material in five days and handed out cassette copies of the sessions to his friends for feedback.
Grohl hoped to keep his anonymity and release the recordings in a limited run under the title âFoo Fightersâ, taken from the World War II term âfoo fighterâ, used to refer to unidentified flying objects. According to Rope Songfacts, he was reading a book about military World War II sightings at the time and he wanted people to think it was a band. So he called it Foo Fighters as it was plural. However, the demo tape circulated in the music industry, creating interest among record labels. Grohl formed a band to support the album. Initially, Grohl talked to former Nirvana band mate Krist Novoselic about joining the group, but both decided against it. âFor Krist and I, it would have felt really natural and really greatâ, Grohl explained. âBut for everyone else, it would have been weird, and it would have left me in a really bad position. Then I really would have been under the microscope.â Having heard about the disbanding of Seattle-based emo band Sunny Day Real Estate, Grohl drafted the groupâs bass player, Nate Mendel, and drummer, William Goldsmith. Grohl asked Pat Smear, who served touring guitarist for Nirvana after the release of its 1993 album In Utero, to join as the groupâs second guitarist. Grohl ultimately licensed the album to Capitol Records, releasing it on his new record label, Roswell Records.
The group played its debut show at a keg party in February 1995. Grohl refused to do interviews or tour large venues to promote the album. Foo Fighters undertook their first major tour in the spring of 1995, opening for Mike Watt. The bandâs first single âThis Is a Callâ was released in June 1995, and its debut album Foo Fighters was released the next month. âIâll Stick Aroundâ, âFor All the Cowsâ and âBig Meâ were released as subsequent singles. The band spent the following months on tour, including their first appearance at the Reading Festival in England in August.
The Colour and the Shape
After touring through the spring of 1996, Foo Fighters entered a studio in Woodinville, Washington with producer Gil Norton to record its second album. While Grohl once again wrote all the songs, the rest of the band collaborated on the arrangements. With the sessions nearly complete, Grohl took the rough mixes with him to Los Angeles, intending to finish up his vocal and guitar parts. While there, Grohl realized that he wasnât happy with how the mixes were turning out, and the band âbasically re-recorded almost everythingâ. During the L.A. sessions, Grohl played drums on some of the songs. Goldsmith said Grohl did not tell him that he recorded new drum parts for the record and, feeling betrayed, left the band.
In need of a replacement for Goldsmith, Grohl contacted Alanis Morissetteâs touring drummer Taylor Hawkins to see if he could recommend anybody. Grohl was surprised when Hawkins volunteered his own services as drummer. Hawkins made his debut with the group in time for the release of its second album, The Colour And The Shape, in May 1997. The album spawned the singles âMonkey Wrenchâ, âMy Heroâ, and âEverlongâ.
Pat Smear announced to the rest of the group that he wanted to leave the band to pursue other interests. Four months later in September 1997 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Smear simultaneously publicly announced his departure from the band and introduced his replacement, Grohlâs former Scream bandmate Franz Stahl. Stahl toured with the band for the next few months, and appeared on two tracks that the band recorded for movie soundtracks, a re-recording of âWalking After Youâ for The X-Files and âA320â for Godzilla.
There Is Nothing Left to Lose
In 1998, Foo Fighters traveled to Grohlâs home state of Virginia to write music for its third album. However, Grohl and Stahl were unable to co-operate as songwriters; Grohl told Kerrang! in 1999, âIn those few weeks it just seemed like the three of us were moving in one direction and Franz wasnâtâ. Grohl was distraught about the decision to fire Stahl, as the two had been friends since childhood. The remaining trio of Grohl, Mendel, and Hawkins spent the next several months recording the bandâs third album, There Is Nothing Left To Lose, in Grohlâs Virginia home studio. The album spawned several singles, including âLearn to Flyâ, the bandâs first single to reach the US Hot 100.
Before the release of the album, Capitol president Gary Gersh was forced out of the label. Given Grohlâs history with Gersh, Foo Fightersâ contract had included a âkey man clauseâ that allowed them to leave the label upon Gershâs departure. They subsequently left Capitol and signed to rca, who later acquired the rights to the bandâs Capitol albums.
Chris Shiflett joined Foo Fighters as a touring guitarist before becoming a full member
After recording was completed, the band auditioned a number of potential guitarists, and eventually settled on Chris Shiflett, who previously performed with No Use for a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Shiflett initially joined the band as touring guitarist, but achieved full-time status prior to the recording of the groupâs fourth album.
That same year, Foo Fighters established a relationship with rock band Queen, of whom the band (particularly Grohl and Hawkins) are fans. Guitarist Brian May added a guitar track to Foo Fightersâ second cover of Pink Floydâs âHave a Cigarâ, which appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Mission Impossible 2. When Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001, Grohl and Hawkins were invited to perform with the band on âTie Your Mother Downâ, with Grohl filling in on vocals for Freddie Mercury. In 2002, guitarist May contributed guitar work to âTired of Youâ and an outtake called âKnuckleheadâ. The bands have performed together on several occasions since, including VH1 Rock Honors and Foo Fightersâ headlining concert in Hyde Park.
One by One
Near the end of 2001, the band reconvened to record their fourth album. After spending four months in a Los Angeles studio completing the album, Grohl spent some time helping Queens of the Stone Age complete their 2002 album Songs For The Deaf. Once the Queens of the Stone Age album was finished, Grohl, inspired by the sessions, decided to reconvene Foo Fighters to rework a few songs on their album. Instead, they re-recorded nearly all of the album (save âTired of Youâ) in a ten-day stretch at Grohlâs studio in Virginia. The final album was released in October of 2002 under the title One By One. Singles from the album included âAll My Lifeâ, âTimes Like Theseâ, âLowâ, and âHave It Allâ. The band later expressed displeasure with the album. Grohl told Rolling Stone in 2005, âFour of the songs were good, and the other seven I never played again in my life. We rushed into it, and we rushed out of it.â
For most of its history, the band chose to stay away from the political realm. However, in 2004 prior to donating 3 million dollars to the new Pittsburgh Penguins arena, upon learning that George W. Bushâs presidential campaign was using âTimes Like Theseâ at rallies, Grohl decided to lend his public support to John Kerryâs campaign. Grohl attended several Kerry rallies and occasionally performed solo acoustic sets. The entire band eventually joined Grohl for a performance in Arizona coinciding with one of the presidential debates.
In Your Honor and acoustic tour
Having spent a year and a half touring behind One By One, Grohl did not want to rush into recording another Foo Fighters record. Initially Grohl intended to write acoustic material by himself, but eventually the project involved the entire band. To record its fifth album, the band shifted to Los Angeles and built a recording studio, dubbed Studio 606 West. Grohl insisted that the album be divided into two discsâone full of rock songs, the other featuring acoustic tracks. In Your Honor was released in June 2005. The albumâs singles included âBest Of Youâ, âDOAâ, âResolveâ, âNo Way Backâ, and âMiracleâ.
On June 17, 2006, Foo Fighters performed their largest non-festival headlining concert to date at Londonâs Hyde Park. The band was supported by Juliette and The Licks, Angels & Airwaves, Queens of the Stone Age, and MotĂśrhead. MotĂśrheadâs Lemmy joined the band on stage to sing âShake Your Bloodâ from Dave Grohlâs Probot album. Also, as a surprise performance, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen jammed with Foo Fighters, playing part of âWe Will Rock Youâ as a lead into âTie Your Mother Downâ.
In further support of In Your Honor, the band decided to organize a short acoustic tour for the summer of 2006. The tour included former member Pat Smear, who rejoined the band as an extra guitarist, Petra Haden on violin and backup vocals, Drew Hester on percussion, and Rami Jaffee of The Wallflowers on keyboards/piano. While much of the setlist focused on In Your Honorâs acoustic half, the band also used the opportunity to play lesser-known songs such as âAinât It The Lifeâ, âFloatyâ, and âSee Youâ. The band also performed âMarigoldâ, a Pocketwatch-era song that was best-known as a Nirvana B-side.
In November 2006, the band released their first ever live CD, Skin And Bones, featuring fifteen performances captured over a three-night stand in Los Angeles. An accompanying DVD was released, and featured tracks not available on the CD.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
For the follow-up to In Your Honor, the band decided to call in The Colour And The Shape producer Gil Norton. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was released in September 2007. The albumâs first single, âThe Pretenderâ, was issued to radio in early August. The second single, â[track artist=Foo Fighters]Long Road to Ruinâ, was released in December 2007, supported by a music video directed by longtime collaborator Jesse Peretz (formerly of the Lemonheads).
In mid-to-late 2007 âThe Pretenderâ topped the Modern Rock chart for a record 18 weeks, it also gave the band their third consecutive year at the top (a record), and made them the only artist besides Red Hot Chili Peppers to have 4 consecutive albums have songs reach the top (RHCPs have 5). When âLong Road To Ruinâ reached the top it gave them their fourth consecutive year to have a song reach the top (breaking their own record). When the fourth single, âLet It Dieâ, reached the top 20 it gave them 3 songs in the top 20, one of only four artists to do this. âLet It Dieâ is also the albumâs third Number One hit on the chart.
Not long after completing the recording sessions for the album, the band participated in Live Earth at Wembley Stadium in London, England, performing the penultimate set of the night. Later that summer, the band headlined V Festival 2007, including a surprise acoustic set on the Channel 4 stage under the name 606. In October 2007, Foo Fighters started their world tour in support for Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. The band performed shows throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and Asia. The band finished its world tour in September 2008 at the Virgin Festival at Toronto Island Park in Canada.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was nominated for 5 Grammys in 2008. The Foo Fighters went home with Best Rock Album and Best Hard Rock Performance (for âThe Pretenderâ). The album was also nominated for Album of the Year, while âThe Pretenderâ was also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Song.
On 17 September 2008 Dave Grohl announced on The Chris Moyles Show that the band would be taking a long break from music so that they could return with a new sense of purpose, and also informed fans not to expect any new music for a while. âWeâve never really taken a long break, I think itâs time,â Grohl commented. âAfter doing Wembley, we shouldnât come back there for 10 years because weâve played to everybody. Weâre over in the UK every year, every summer, so I think itâs time to take a break and come back over when people really miss us.â
Musical style
When Grohl first started the band, its music was often compared to that of his previous group, Nirvana. Grohl acknowledged that Nirvana singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was a major influence on his songwriting. Grohl said, âThrough Kurt, I saw the beauty of minimalism and the importance of music thatâs stripped down.â Foo Fighters also utilize the Pixiesâ technique of shifting between quiet verses and loud chorus, which Grohl said was influenced by the members of Nirvana âliking the Knack, Bay City Rollers, The Beatles, and ABBA as much as we liked Flipper and Black Flag, I supposeâ. Writing and recording songs for the first Foo Fighters album by himself, Grohl wrote the guitar riffs to be as rhythmic as possible. He approached the guitar similar to how he approached playing a drumkit, assigning different drum parts to different strings on the instrument. This allowed him to piece together songs easily; he said, âI could hear the song in my head before it was finished.â Once Grohl assembled a full band, his bandmates assisted in song arrangements.
The members of Foo Fighters meld melodic elements with harder sounds. Grohl noted in 1997, âWe all love music, whether itâs The Beatles or Queen or punk rock. I think the lure of punk rock was the energy and immediacy; the need to thrash stuff around. But at the same time, weâre all suckers for a beautiful melody, you know? So it is just natural.â
Campaigning and activism
In 2000, the band generated controversy through their public support of Alive & Well, an organization that denies the link between HIV and AIDS, questions the validity of HIV tests, and advises against taking medication to counter the disease. Foo Fighter bassist Nate Mendel learned of Alive & Well through What If Everything You Thought You Knew about AIDS Was Wrong?, a self-published book written by Christine Maggiore, the organizationâs founder. Mendel passed the book around to the rest of the band, who supported his advocacy.
In January 2000, the band played a benefit concert for the organization, which Mendel helped to organize. The band also contributed songs to The Other Side of AIDS, a controversial documentary film by Maggioreâs husband Robin Scovill, which questions whether HIV is the cause of AIDS. The bandâs position caused alarm in the medical community, as Alive & Wellâs advice ran contrary to established medical wisdom about HIV and AIDS. In a 2000 interview, Mendel spoke of using Foo Fightersâ popularity to help spread the groupâs message and of holding more benefits for the organization. However, no further benefits have taken place, and the band has since removed the organization from its list of supported causes.
... (more)
(less)
Tags: Rock (5), American (5), Alternative (4), Seen Live (2), Hard Rock (1), Grunge (1), Band (1), 1990s (1), Alternative Rock (1), 2000s (1), Nirvana (1), Rca (1), Dave Grohl (1), Formed 1994 (1)
My tags:
Add tags