Foo Fighters - blagger's guide

Here’s a great way to start your day - e-Mo Magazine looks at the much loved Foo Fighters. How much of this did you know? Words: Natalie

You’ve gotta love the Foo Fighters, from the amazing vocal strengths of Dave Grohl to the indescribable drumming talents of Taylor Hawkins. A band that will be remembered for years to come. But I’m biased.

I have had the opportunity to see them once before and have another in a few months time at Wembley - I cannot tell you how excited I am!

The last time I saw them suited the band just right - an open field, much like a festival feel to it but was in the heart of London, Hyde Park. I was blown away.

The songs that really highlighted the night consisted of My Hero and, of course, Everlong in which the whole audience had that look of praise and admiration for the sure greatness of the band.

A look that my parents probably had on their faces for the likes of The Beatles - another great band that were classed as the daddies of their time!! In my opinion the Foo’s are our daddies of our time.
 
The end of one, the beginning of another

Not unknown to most, Dave Grohl was the drummer for Nirvana, (yet another amazing band in their own right), for three and a half years. Over that period he had already began writing songs of his own with the intent of not sharing them amongst his band members for fear of ruining their chemistry.

This led Dave into a recording studio, armed with his guitar, vocals and his talent of playing most musical instruments, to record professional demo tapes which started to form the aptly named band, Foo Fighters.

The group is named after the World War II term “foo fighter", used to refer to mysterious aerial phenomena or to me and you, UFO’s. And so in 1995, following the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, the Foo Fighters were made official with the release of their first single This is a Call in June.
 
The Foo Fighters

After the release of their first single, their first self-titled album soon followed in the next month putting the band on the map. The album included I’ll Stick Around, For all the Cows and, one of my personal favourites, Big Me which were released as later singles.

With the huge success they were receiving from the album, the band spent the following months touring, including their first appearance at the Reading Festival.

A later UK tour included a few nights playing at Brixton Academy, which were taped and compiled for an MTV special. Now if there was any sign the Foo’s were going to be huge and a worldwide success, this was it.
 
The Color and the Shape

Two years on (1997 incase you're not keeping up), the Foo’s second album was on its way, but the Foo’s were not without theirs troubles. The band lost their drummer, William Goldsmith, after Grohl decided he didn’t like the sessions they were recording.

Grohl re-grouped the band, excluding Goldsmith, to re-record the majority of the songs, drumming himself. Goldsmith soon found out and left the band after feeling hurt and betrayed.

Despite the departure of Goldsmith, the band still released their album while searching for a new drummer. They were in luck. Grohl had got in touch with an old friend which turned out to be Alanis Morrisette’s touring drummer, Taylor Hawkins - the drummer we know now.

But enough about the band’s full history, The Color and the Shape was the amazing album which introduced us to the always popular and favoured songs Everlong, My Hero and Monkey Wrench.
 
Learn to Fly

While recording their third album, There is Nothing Left to Lose, the Foo’s soon lost another band member, Franz Stahl, who cited creative differences. The now threesome, carried on recording the album that gave us the much loved Learn to Fly which, surprisingly was the band’s first song to hit the US Hot 100.

Aside from issues with their label, (boring stuff we don’t really need to know about), things for the Foo’s were really looking up. They eventually replaced their departed guitarist and started to make sweet music with new buddies and the kings of rock, Queen!

The Foo’s have always been fans of Queen and it was a dream come true for them when they worked on a number of songs with the remaining members. On one occasion, Grohl even had the opportunity to fill in for the late Freddie Mercury!

And I can tell you from personal experience, when Queen and the Foo’s got together to perform in Hyde Park (the gig I went to!!) words cannot describe how amazing it was! For those of you who were there, would definitely agree with me. For the ones who were less fortunate to be there, buy the DVD!!
 
All My Life

Towards the end of 2001, Grohl had begun lending a helping hand to Queens of the Stone Age with their forthcoming album. Realising the potential of their own album, Grohl re-grouped the Foo’s to rework a few songs on their fourth album, One by One.

This is the time, I really got into the Foo’s music and is the first album from them I bought. It just goes to show this great piece of work has the power to inspire people and create fans of the Foo’s - just like me! And with songs like All My Life, Times Like These, Have It All and Low, who wouldn’t become a fan?
 
Hyde Park

In Your Honor was the next album to come from the Foo Fighters in 2005, with Best of You, DOA, No Way Back, Miracle and Resolve becoming the more popular tracks from the album. But this album was not following suit of the others; this was a double CD with the next instalment producing acoustic songs, of which included a song Grohl wrote containing his initial impressions of former Nirvana band mates Cobain and Novoselic.

2006 brought the band to Hyde Park, playing their biggest non-festival headlining gig. The band had good supporting acts including big names such as Motorhead, Juliette and the Licks and, my personal favourite, Queens of the Stone Age as well as an amazing collaboration with remaining members of Queen. I can tell you now, the audience had one hell of a treat from the band.

To support the album, In Your Honor further, the Foo’s toured the second part of the album, the acoustic CD over the summer. They shortly released the live album Skin and Bones created in a three night gig in Los Angeles.
 
Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace

To return to the original sound of the Foo Fighters, the band brought in one of their previous producers. And it certainly did the trick! The band released some of the best work including their first single The Pretender and the follow up, Long Road to Ruin.

Not long after completing the much anticipated album, the band performed the penultimate set at Live Earth in the newly built/refurbished Wembley. They then went on to headline V Festival and eventually started their tour for Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace.

The Foo Fighters have been around for the majority of my growing life and I’m sure they will be around for a lot longer. All we can do is keep hoping they won’t lose their touch and continue producing amazing songs and even better albums.

They haven’t failed us yet and I will be looking forward to the release of their next album and, of course, their next gig in which I am certainly going to!!