Foo Fighters members Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins discussed how rock goes in cycles in a recent Alt 98.7 interview. They discussed Nirvana and Grunge ending the Motley Crue and hair metal era, and then Marilyn Manson and late 90’s shock rock ending the Grunge era. Alternative Nation transcribed their comments.
Grohl said, “In the 80’s you had all these rock bands that got huge. There was so much glamor, all the dudes had crazy hair, limos, they were shooting their videos at Crazy Girls, riding Harleys.”
Taylor chimed in, “Motley Crue.”
Grohl then said, “A lot of bands. It kind of went its course or whatever.”
Taylor added, “Nirvana came out.”
Grohl said, “Then there were a lot of bands that loved playing rock music, but didn’t have anything to do with that. It was more about we’re just dirty kids who play in garages and write these songs.”
The DJ added, “It was the Grunge thing.”
Grohl responded, “Yeah, that was sort of born out of the punk rock thing. Then all of a sudden that becomes huge, and that becomes huge for awhile, and after that you are sort of like damn man, I sort of want a rock star. Then Marilyn Manson gets big, and you’re like oh cool, now you’ve got something that is really fantastic to look at, it’s really moving, and really powerful.
The imagery and the music too, you are like, wow that’s cool man! Then the hip hop scene sort of took over all of the glamor that the rock and roll thing sort of had in the 80’s. It’s kind of cyclical in this weird way, eventually you’ll get to a place where you’ll have a hip hop artist who doesn’t go that route, or a rock band that does go the glam route. Things kind of roll in this cycle.”
