Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl recently made an appearance on Amanpour and Company when he spoke about his singing. Foo Fighters leader insisted that he is not really a singer and revealed his preference of playing the guitar, something which he can do all day long. However, his love for drumming knows no bound. Nikki Sixx Ex-Girlfriend Didn’t Know He Was Famous
Dave Grohl opens up on singing
He was asked about the first Foo Fighters album [1995’s self-titled] where Grohl practically played everything, except for one portion of one track. He was asked what he identifies the most to, also mentioning about his guitar playing skills and singing[as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar]:
“First of all, I’d take singer off that list because I’m basically just running around screaming for three hours, so we can take that off. The guitar was my first instrument and there’s nothing like sitting around with a guitar in your lap all day long. But drumming – I feel like I’m dancing when I’m drumming. I don’t have to think, I can just do it, and whatever is in my heart winds up in my hands. There’s not a lot of thought, which is probably why I prefer it. I really loved the physicality of drumming and I do have this some sort of internal rhythm that I’ve had my entire life.”
He added: “When I was a kid, I used to do this little exercise or challenge with myself. Whenever we would drive to Ohio from Virginia to visit my grandparents, we would go through these long tunnels in Pennsylvania through the mountains.There would be a song on the radio, and I would listen to it.Then, we would go into the tunnel, lose the radio, and I would try to hold the beat like this [clicking fingrs], and when we exit the tunnel I would see if I’m still on the beat, and I was still on the beat.I think drumming is one of these things I’ll do at the drop of the hat, at the opening of the envelope – if I see drums, I’m gonna play those drums.”
On the massive impact of “Teen Spirit,” and the musician replied:
“First of all, there weren’t such massive expectations for our band, and when we were recording ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,’ I went, ‘Wow, this sounds huge!’But not massive like what it became, at all. It happened really quickly. But honestly, the video is what changed the game.When we were on tour just like we’ve always have been, we were in our van, loading our equipment into this club, playing, and then getting back in the van and leaving.And when that video came out, all of a sudden the 300 capacity clubs had 300 more people outside, and then 500 capacity had 500 more people outside.It came down to the point where I would sit down on my drum stool and the first thing I would do is look around for an exit. ‘OK, there’s gonna be a riot, how am I going to get out?’But it was the video, and I think that not only the song was great – Kurt’s lyrics, his voice… Kurt was the greatest songwriter of our generation, but that video…I always say, ‘You wanna sell half a million records? Make a video where you’re burning down your high school.'”
On Kurt Cobain writing lyrics:
“I don’t know, I think it just happens sometimes…I think it’s just simplicity, the beautiful direct language, his lyrics which I consider poetry, his specific lense, his perspective on life…He was very open to writing about his own pain, which I think millions of people can relate to and connect. I think there’s a number of things. But because it was just him, that was it, it was just him.”
Dave was Nirvana’s drummer between 1990 and the group’s end in 1994, performing on 1991’s “Nevermind” and 1993’s “In Utero.” Grohl is promoting a new book titled “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music.”
