Dave Grohl, a musician who has moved from drumming in Nirvana to leading the Foo Fighters and standing at the edge of rock's establishment, has chosen to keep his distance from politics. Asked for his views, he admits he often gives them anyway, yet he insists that he is the last person anyone should seek guidance from. As the band returns to British stadiums, this moment captures a familiar tension: the public wants its famous voices to speak, while some artists prefer simply to play and let their music do the talking.
Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Vows to Steer Clear of Politics as Band Returns to UK Stadiums
The very last person who should be telling anyone else what to do
Mark
Grohl says he's not a political person, yet he's been in the news for a political-looking stunt. How does that fit?
Mimi
By his account, the stunt was about fun and doing what he thinks is right. He dressed as the Bee Gees, played You Should Be Dancing and chanted "We love you" at Westboro Baptist Church picketers.
Mark
And he admits he tends to give an opinion when asked.
Mimi
Yes, that's the tension. He says he doesn't want to be seen as someone always handing out opinions, but he doesn't dodge the question either.
Luke
Worth noting this is one interview, with the Sun, and the framing of the band as non-political is Grohl's own. The piece doesn't tell us what he has said on specific issues.
Mark
Fair. What about the tour itself?
Mimi
Four major UK stadium shows next summer, including London Stadium, Villa Park and Old Trafford. Tickets go on sale Friday at 9am.
Luke
Is it four? The article names three venues, so the fourth isn't identified in the text.
Mimi
Good catch. Only three are named.
Mark
And the personal side?
Mimi
He says lockdown meant more family time, and that Ophelia, his youngest, will see him perform for the first time.
Luke
He also says the band is enjoying touring more than in years. That's his own read, not something we can measure.
Le Pouls
- A viral stunt in which the band appeared as the Bee Gees to confront Westboro Baptist Church protesters has pushed the group into a contentious spotlight.
- Grohl admits that his habit of answering every question makes him sound like a constant commentator on big issues, even as he says he gets things wrong.
- After eighteen months of pandemic silence, the band is hurrying back to the stage with a US leg underway and four UK stadium dates now announced.
- Tickets for London, Birmingham and Manchester go on sale, and fans will watch closely to see whether the band's stance on politics holds through summer 2022.
Dave Grohl, a musician who has moved from drumming in Nirvana to leading the Foo Fighters and standing at the edge of rock's establishment, has chosen to keep his distance from politics. Asked for his views, he admits he often gives them anyway, yet he insists that he is the last person anyone should seek guidance from. As the band returns to British stadiums, this moment captures a familiar tension: the public wants its famous voices to speak, while some artists prefer simply to play and let their music do the talking.
Dave Grohl has traveled a long road from drumming for Nirvana to fronting the Foo Fighters, a path that has taken him to the White House and onto some of the biggest stages in the world. Yet when asked for his opinion on the large political questions of the day, he says he is the last person who should be giving advice. He told The Sun that he never wanted to be seen as political or as someone always handing out opinions, though he admits people keep asking.
The moment arrived alongside news of the band's return to the UK, with four stadium shows planned for next summer. The Foo Fighters, Grohl said, are not really a political band. They try to do what feels right without lecturing anyone, and he concedes that when pressed, he tends to answer, which can make him seem always in the thick of things.
A recent viral video added fuel to the conversation. Grohl and his bandmates turned up dressed as the Bee Gees beside Westboro Baptist Church protesters, performed You Should Be Dancing, and chanted "We love you." Grohl laughed it off, guessing the protesters were not delighted to hear it.
The UK dates are London Stadium, Villa Park in Birmingham and the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester, with tickets on sale Friday at 9am. After eighteen months of lockdown silence, the band is relishing live shows again. Grohl said the long pause brought new energy and a chance to spend more time at home with his three daughters, who will soon see their youngest, Ophelia, join the crowd at a Foo Fighters show for the first time.
Dave Grohl has spent three decades moving from grunge drummer to something closer to an elder statesman of stadium rock. He started out behind the kit for Nirvana, went on to front the Foo Fighters, and has played the White House for Barack Obama and Sir Paul McCartney. Yet he says he is the last person who should be handing out advice on big political questions.
Grohl made the point while announcing the band's return to the UK, with four major stadium shows planned for next summer. He told The Sun he never wanted to be seen as political or as someone forever dispensing opinions, but that he gets asked about all sorts of things. The Foo Fighters, he said, are not really a political band. They try to do what they think is right without preaching to anyone.
He also conceded that the image can be hard to shake. When people ask for his opinion, he tends to give one, which can make it seem as though he is always talking about the big issues. Still, he insisted he gets things wrong all the time and that there are far better people to turn to.
The band's latest brush with controversy came earlier this month, in a viral video. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church were picketing at a roadside with anti-LGBT placards when Grohl and his bandmates turned up dressed as the Bee Gees. They performed You Should Be Dancing and chanted "We love you" at the protesters. Grohl laughed about it, saying he doubted the group was pleased, since a bunch of guys telling them they were loved was probably the last thing they wanted to hear. For the band, he said, it was about having fun and doing what they believe is right.
The UK dates are set for London Stadium, Birmingham's Villa Park and Manchester's Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground. Tickets go on sale Friday at 9am, with details at foofighters.com/tour-dates.
The tour marks a welcome return to live work. The band began the US leg of its tour after 18 months in which lockdown restrictions prevented live shows. Grohl said they are enjoying it more than they have in years, and that the long gap brought new energy, along with the pleasure of standing in a big venue with thousands of fans again. He said he has really missed it.
He described the band's rise as a slow build, unlike Nirvana, which became huge overnight in a way nobody expected. That meant years of touring, recording, then touring again, with two weeks on and two weeks off and no real break, so a pause was arguably overdue. The upside, he said, was family time: he has been home more than ever, and the family appreciated it.
Home life, he added, is wonderfully mundane. He goes from stadiums of screaming fans to making packed lunches in his pyjamas and sending the kids to school in a minivan. He has three daughters. Harper and Violet have seen him perform, but the UK shows will be a first for the youngest, Ophelia. He loves taking them to shows, and thinks it is a cool family thing to do, though he allowed that he might be alone in thinking so.
The band's summer 2022 dates will show whether Grohl can keep his stated distance from politics while still doing what he thinks is right.
Citations marquantes
We're not really a political band — we try to do what we think is right but we're not preaching to people.— Dave Grohl
It's really great to be back. I think we're enjoying it more than we have done in years.— Dave Grohl
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