Summary
- Dave Grohl is a beloved rock icon with a long history in the music industry, including his time with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.
- Despite his success and expertise, Dave hates rehearsing with his band and prefers raw, spontaneous performances on stage.
- Dave's commitment to his craft is evident through his extensive discography and his willingness to put himself at risk to entertain his fans, like when he performed with a broken leg.
Dave Grohl is a beloved icon in rock music, and he's earned countless fans over the decades while appearing with different acts. He might have risen to fame with Nirvana, but Dave's most iconic run is probably with the Foo Fighters, a band that has continued to perform and pay tribute to its late drummer Taylor Hawkins.
There are plenty of reasons why people love Dave Grohl, and as the face of the Foo Fighters, he's the one most often pulled into interviews and documentaries (though the band often appears together in the latter). In one particular instance, chatting with Jimmy Fallon, Dave revealed an interesting detail about working with the Foo Fighters—and the fact that he absolutely hates to rehearse as a band.
Dave Grohl Is One Of The Most Prolific Rockers Out There
Anyone who has listened to rock music in the last four decades has likely heard at least one song by (or featuring) Dave Grohl. As a former member of Nirvana and current member of the Foo Fighters, Dave has been rocking out since the mid-'80s.
Not only did Dave appear in countless documentaries with his various bands, but he's also been part of over 40 studio albums, and not just with Nirvana or the Foo Fighters. Dave has also worked with various other bands throughout his career, including Tenacious D (made up of Jack Black and Kyle Gass plus various other artists over the years).
Suffice it to say, Dave probably knows his stuff, and he works hard at what he does, too.
Grohl Is Seriously Committed To His Craft
Dave's long-term commitment to the various bands he's been part of suggests that music is basically his life, something that fans already understand quite well. Not only is Dave Grohl a seemingly great guy, a family man, and a passionate artist, but he's also willing to put himself at risk to entertain his fans.
Case in point? One concert during which he broke his leg—live on stage—and then returned to finish the show after a brief break (and hopefully some medical attention).
Not everyone loves Dave, of course; Courtney Love has been known to feud with Dave over their royalties issues, though she apparently handed over her rights to Nirvana's music ages ago.
There are plenty more celebrities and artists who love Dave, like Taylor Swift, who has even performed a casual duet with the rocker (but it won't ever be released, apparently).
Despite how much of an expert he's assumed to be when it comes to his profession, Dave Grohl has a very specific boundary when it comes to his time on stage, and he told Jimmy Fallon all about it during their co-hosting tenure on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Dave Told Jimmy Fallon He Refuses To Rehearse With The Foo Fighters
In 2022, Dave Grohl appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon two separate times. During one of his 2021 appearances with Jimmy, Dave chatted with the host about his habits working with the Foo Fighters.
Dave revealed that the Foo Fighters, which currently consists of Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Rami Jaffee, and Josh Freese, don't actually rehearse together. Though he didn't credit any particular member with the saying, Dave admitted that the group shares a mantra about practicing.
Instead of saying practice makes perfect, the Foo Fighters say "If it gets any better, it's gonna get worse." After that admission, though, Dave admitted he doesn't like to rehearse, so it could be that he was the driving force behind making sure the entire band adapted to that mode of thinking.
As for his reasoning why he doesn't like to rehearse, Dave has a pretty good explanation for it; he likes to get out on stage and have it "be raw and real." Unlike other stars (including rock bands), Dave doesn't like to choreograph his performances.
Instead, he says he likes to just get up there and have "that moment, and it's super real."
For the Foo Fighters, that strategy seems to have served them well, though it can be assumed that the guys at least work on their new songs a few times before playing them live.
Fans who have attended a live concert with the Foo Fighters will also notice that there's some amount of orchestration between the guys on stage, specifically when Dave comes out and starts singing without any accompaniment (gum in his mouth, too), and the instruments (including him on guitar) ease in slowly.
Whatever the formula, there's really no complaining, and there especially wasn't when Taylor Hawkins went hard on the drums. During one performance, in Madison Square Garden, Dave even earned himself something of a standing ovation before the music even started.
If he can achieve all of that without a rehearsal, who are the fans to question his methods?
