2. Beginning!
Dave Grohl was the drummer in the 1990’s rock band
‘Nirvana’ but after Kurt Cobain was found dead in
1994 Nirvana disbanded and Grohl decided to start
writing his own music and create his own band
instead of becoming a drummer in another band.
He called his new band ‘Foo Fighters’ which is a
term from World War 2 meaning unidentified
flying object. He signed drummer William
Goldsmith and bass guitarist Nate Mendel from
the band ‘Sunny Day Real Estate’ and also signed
Pat Smear who was a guitarist is some of the tours
for Nirvana. The band played their first live show
on February 23rd 1995 in Arcata, California. They
released their first single ‘This is a call’ in June
1995 and their first album was released the next
month called ‘Foo Fighters’.
3. The Colour and Shape!
In 1996 after a summer tour the band started
recording their second album ‘The colour and
shape’. The Lead singer Dave Grohl wasn’t
pleased with the drumming on some of the
tracks and decided to re-record some of the
tracks using his drumming instead of William
Goldsmith’s. Goldsmith was angry about this
so subsequently left the band, Grohl quickly
found a replacement in Taylor Hawkins. After
the album was released in May 1997 featuring
tracks such as ‘Everlong’ and ‘My Hero’.
Guitarist Pat Smear told Grohl he wanted to
leave the band because of exhaustion and
four months later was replaced by former
‘Scream’ band mate Franz Stahl.
4. There is Nothing left to lose!
In 1998 the band travelled to Grohls home state
of Virginia to record their third album, ‘There is
Nothing left to lose’. Grohl and Stahl had some
disagreements about the song writing and
subsequently Grohl reluctantly fired Stahl from
the band. The band became a trio with Grohl,
Hawkins and Mendel, Mendel did decide to
leave the group but then reversed his decision
the next day. They held auditions for a guitarist
and landed on Chris Shiflett who became a full
member just before the recording of their
fourth album. Grohl and Hawkins performed
Queen’s classic ‘Tie your mother down’ with
the band after they inducted them into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
5. 2001theyOnwards ‘One
Since 2001
- have released 4 albums,
by One’, ‘In your honour’, ‘Echoes, Silence,
Patience and Grace’ and ‘Wasting Light’. In
2002 Grohl toured with ‘Queens of the
Stone Age’ and helped record their album
‘Songs of Deaf’ which angered the rest of
the band but the band stayed together. In
2007 Pat Smear announced he had rejoined
the band at the European MTV Awards but
didn’t become a full member until 2010. In
2009 they released a Greatest Hits album
which featured two new songs, ‘Wheels’
and ‘Word Forward’. In 2012 Grohl they
would be starting on an eighth album after
their tour.
6. Musical Style!
As Dave Grohl is a former member of the
rock band ‘Nirvana’ he took some of the
band’s music style and used it in the
song writing in the ‘Foo Fighters’. He
said he took inspiration from Kurt
Cobain in the way he wrote his songs
and used the band’s style of having
quiet versus’ and a loud chorus.
They have been a very successful band
using this music style winning 11
Grammys and 4 ‘Best Rock Albums’.
