Dave Grohl has had a lot of memorable Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nights during the past decade. In 2013, he donned a kimono and blond wig to induct Rush and rock out with them on “2112.” The next year, Nirvana entered the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility and he played their music with Krist Novoselic for the first time since Kurt Cobain died in 1994. The year after that, he jammed with Joan Jett and got stoned out of his mind with her and Miley Cyrus afterward.
October 30th will likely be another unforgettable night for Grohl when the Foo Fighters are inducted. Like Nirvana, they’re entering the Hall in their very first year of eligibility. Hours after the news broke, Grohl called up Rolling Stone to talk about the big news and the band’s plans going forward.
Congrats.
Thank you very much.
Who told you the news?
My manger, John Silva, who I’ve been with for 31 fuckin’ years. [Laughs.]
What was your first reaction?
Well, I was surprised and, of course, very appreciative. The last few months I’ve been writing this book. I’ve been looking back at the last 30 years. As I write about my childhood in Virginia leading up to joining Scream and beginning to tour the world, and then joining Nirvana, I kind of gloss over the Foo Fighters. [Laughs.]
I don’t know why, to be honest. I just recently realized it’s been half my life since I’ve been in this band. I feel, in a way, that I’ve almost neglected how much we’ve done in the past 25 years. I think because I’m always working in a forward motion, I don’t spend too much time sitting down and looking back at what we’ve done or reflecting on our past achievements. I just kind of look forward to the next thing. So today has been a bit more reflective than before.
I was just sitting down and writing a story about the time we built a studio in my basement in Virginia to make the third record. I realized, “Fuck, that was 22 years ago.” [Laughs] It’s nuts.
I’m mostly happy for Pat [Smear] and Nate [Mendel] and Chris [Shiflett] and Taylor [Hawkins] and Rami [Jaffee]. I don’t think any of us ever imagined that this would happen.
Did you guys talk today?
There’s been a group text. There’s a text chain. It’s been very joyous. We released a statement about a member of the Germs being in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Then I realized there are two members of the Germs. Belinda Carlisle!
That’s crazy. I just talked to the Go-Go’s and they are psyched.
Yeah. Pat’s excited that the Go-Go’s are being inducted as well. As he said, “I’ll have someone to hang out with.” But also, the list of artists inducted this year is very important, and encouraging. Tina Turner, obviously, deserves everything that she’s been awarded with. And Carole King is a big one, and the Go-Go’s. To see so many women inducted this year is impressive and encouraging.
You entered the club of the double inductee.
I did. That’s funny.
You’re one of the youngest double inductees ever, but Eric Clapton beat you by a few years. He was 48.
Well, at 52 years-old, that’s quite a compliment. I still get carded for cigarettes. But yeah, it’s a lot to take in. It really is.
