Dave Grohl - Limitless

I’m going to do my best not to use artist’s birthday to talk about them, but I’m going to need some fuel before I get into a groove of writing about music more often. So here goes.

If there was ever a perfect candidate one was looking for in terms of work-experience and drive, there’s no better resume than that of birthday boy – Dave Grohl. Known most widely as the drummer of Nirvana and the front-man of Foo Fighters, Grohl boasts of an impressive resume that includes gigs for artists such as Tom Petty, Slash, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and more. Not to mention the number of times he’s filled in and toured as a drummer for bands like Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age and more. I’m not even going to talk about the super group Them Crooked Vultures for today.

Dave Grohl turns 44 today! So here’s a big Happy Birthday to him. I’ve always had a sort of deep respect for Grohl as a musician. Grohl probably serves as one of the finest examples of how a musician can literally metamorphose and evolve over time. For those who remember, Dave Grohl came to the forefront as the drummer of Nirvana. More often than not, while drummers are instrumental (no pun intended) in keeping the tempo of the band and the crowd, they largely go ignored until the quintessential drum solo. Most of the time, this is simply because of their lack of proximity to the audience. The drummer always sits right at the back of the stage and generally gets hidden by his percussion arsenal. This gets further amplified when you’re the drummer in a band with a front man by the name of Kurt Cobain. (We’ll keep that tribute for later). Even then, Grohl is still remembered for the ‘no adjectives can describe it’ drum riff of ‘Smells like a Teen Spirit’ – the song that defined Grunge music for many folks.

We all know the story of Nirvana and the death of Kurt Cobain. When you’re in a band like Nirvana, it’s not easy to find a replacement for a front man of that stature. Nirvana found themselves in the league of The Doors, who pretty much ceased to exist after the untimely demise of Jim Morrison. (Cobain and Morrison were both 27 when they died). This probably was the defining moment for Dave Grohl as a musician.

  

There lies a certain inspiration in the uncertainty of Grohl’s mind who decided to continue to make music and not give up on the dream. In October of 1994, Grohl went back to the studio and recorded a 15 track demo all by himself. He played all the instruments on it. Little did he know that this would one day become the first cut of the band – Foo Fighters. Choosing not to wait out an uncertain future, Grohl continued to tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as a drummer with the occasional show for Pearl Jam (they almost made him their drummer, praise the lord that did not happen…. grunge fans know all too well about the Cobain vs. Vedder – King of Grunge spat).

The 15-track demo continued to make its rounds until studio execs liked what they heard and signed Grohl up. He put together the first avatar of the present Foo Fighters band and released the self-titled album in 1995. Dave Grohl, who started out as a drummer, thanks to an unusual twist of fate soon found himself with the burden of being the front man of a band. Not everyone gets that the first time around, and sometimes never. Drummers are normally safe and secure behind their little wall, but everyone has their eyes on the front man (double whammy if you’re playing guitars as well). The sheer sense of expectation is enough to break even the strongest of souls. And rock audiences are not known to be forgiving.

The first big show of Foo Fighters was when they opened to David Bowie in 1995. The audience was left unimpressed. The spiritual torch bearer of Kurt Cobain, it would seem, had failed. But Dave Grohl soon figured out that rock was not about being a great singer or having a great sound, but lied in connecting with people. Over time, Grohl stuck it out and is now definitely one of the most entertaining front men of our time. Check out the Wembley show of the Foo Fighters to know what I’m talking about.

The rest as they say is history. 18 years of touring, 11 Grammy awards including ‘Best rock Album’ 4 times, 7 studio albums later, the Foo Fighters are a force to be reckoned with. And with it Dave Grohl definitely a wonderful example for any musician who’s feeling down and out or can’t seem to get their tune right. And the neat part about Grohl at the helm of the band is that it sounds nothing Nirvana.

(Picture: Wikipedia)

With what began as a drummer with Scream in 1986, to the legendary Nirvana in 1990 and now to the ever popular Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl seems to have done it all. Grohl still tours as a drummer with a whole host of other bands including Queens of the Stone Age (Confirmed drummer on their next album) and Cage the Elephant. Besides music, Grohl is also found his groove with directing and cameos in movies. (I’m definitely looking forward to his full directorial debut documentary ‘Sound City’.) He continues to reinvent the music he plays with super groups such as Them Crooked Vultures, and his recently announced super group that will premiere at the Sundance Festival (includes Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, former Nirvana band mate Krist Novoselic, Rick Springfield and Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk and John Fogerty....yes, my jaw dropped too) 

Clearly, ‘limitation’ isn't a word Dave Grohl is too familiar with.