You may know Dave Grohl as the drummer of Nirvana or as the frontman and founder of Foo Fighters. Additionally, Grohl is the drummer in the supergroup known as Them Crooked Vultures, where he also provides backing vocals.
Grohl has also participated in various other ventures. He was involved in a film documentary, starred in an HBO TV series, lent his voice to Cartoon Network’s heavy metal parody show, “Metalocalypse,” filled in for Chelsea Handler for a week on her talk show, interviewed figures like Elton John, competed in a drum-off with Animal from the Muppets, made a cameo appearance in an SNL digital short called “People Getting Punched In The Face Before Eating,” and did voice-over work for the MTV show Daria.
Despite his busy schedule, Dave Grohl still finds time to collaborate on musical projects outside of his own bands. In fact, some of these artists he has worked with are very surprising. Here are the best projects Grohl has been a part of he surprisingly worked on:
– Recreating The Music Of The Beatles for the movie “Backbeat”
In 1993, Grohl was approached to play drums for the movie Backbeat, a film that tells the story of the early days of the Beatles. The movie tells the story of John Lennon’s relationship with Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bass player of the Beatles.
The film chronicles the Beatles during their time in Hamburg, Germany, and before they had recorded an album. During this period of early Beatlemania, the Fab Four played a majority of covers.
The producers of the film called the music the Beatles were doing during this time”the punk of its day” and recruited a band made up of contemporary alternative rock artists to
recreate the music they did at this time.
The Backbeat Band included Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) on vocals, Greg Dulli (The Afghan Whigs) on vocals, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) on guitar, Don Fleming (Gumball) on guitar, Mike Mills (R.E.M.) on bass, Dave Grohl (Nirvana) on drums, and Henry Rollins (Black Flag).
While the film failed to move the needle, The Backbeat Band did fantastic covers of “Twist and Shout,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” “Rock ’n’ Roll Music,” and “Money (That’s What I Want),” among others.
Purchase the Backbeat Soundtrack on Amazon.
– Cage The Elephant
In October of 2011, Cage The Elephant was on the road in support of their second album Thank You, Happy Birthday. During the tour, drummer Jared Champion had a medical emergency when his appendix burst. The show must go on; The Foo Fighter stepped up and temporarily filled in on drums while he was recovering from the ailment.
– The Hanukkah Sessions
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Grohl teamed up with record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Greg Kurstin for the Hanukkah Sessions, where the pair covered eight songs, one per night, that were originally written or performed by Jewish artists.
When pandemic conditions were rolled back in 2022, the two of them held a concert with guests in Los Angeles for the sessions. Guests included Beck, P!nk, Tenacious D, Karen O, and Grohl’s daughter Violet, who sang as well.
The Hanukkah Sessions in 2022 was a fundraiser for the Anti-Defamation League.
– Backup singer on The Bangles, “Grateful”
In 2003, Foo Fighters were in studio working on new material, the Bangles were recording their album next door. The Bangles asked him to do it when they met in the kitchen, and he did. Grohl told Rolling Stone, “I went in, did it, and never fucking heard it again.”
Purchase The Bangles, “Doll Revolution” on Amazon
– Drums on Killing Joke’s second self-titled album
This one is surprising. Nirvana had been accused of plagiarizing the guitar riff of “Come As You Are” from Killing Joke’s “Eighties.” While there was never a lawsuit, there was some animosity among the members of Killing Joke for the similarities between the two songs.
The anger that the guys in Killing Joke had towards Nirvana wore off, or was played up in the press, as Grohl was invited to step behind the drum kit for their 11th album, Killing Joke 2003.
Purchase Killing Joke’s, “Killing Joke 2003” on Amazon
– The Rolling Stones, “Bitch”
The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2013 with their 50 & Counting tour. When the guys came to California, they invited Dave Grohl to perform with them on stage. Grohl obliged, brought his guitar and mic stand, and sang with Mick Jagger verses on “Bitch” from The Stones Sticky Fingers album. Keith Richards let Grohl have the guitar solo on the track.
– Guns N’ Roses, “Paradise City”
Nirvana had an epic feud with the band Guns N’ Roses in the nineties.
Kurt Cobain had made a large effort to distinguish his band from Guns N’ Roses. Cobain had made statements such as telling a Singapore publication, “Rebellion is standing up to people like Guns N’ Roses.”
Axl at first did not care about Cobain’s words about his band. He had invited Nirvana to go on the road with GNR and Metallica. Nirvana refused.
One can take so much, when someone is trashing your work, and in 1992, Rose called Cobain and Love “Fucking Junkies.” He had also spoken badly about Cobain on stage, spread rumors about their child, mocked the term “Alternative.”
Then in 1992, the feud between the two bands came to a head at the MTV Music Video Awards. Kurt and Courtney were backstage with their newborn daughter. Love asked Axl to be the godfather, enraging Rose to scream at Cobain, “You shut your bitch up, or I’m taking you down to the pavement!”
At the end of Nirvana’s performance at the 1992 MTV Music Video Awards, while fans were jumping on stage and Kurt Cobain was destroying their rig, Grohl was yelling into a microphone, “Hi Axl! Where’s Axl?” The frontman of Guns N’ Roses. But, time heals everything. People mellow out, become more mature, and the same happened for the members of both bands. In 2016, Axl Rose injured his foot, and borrowed Grohl’s custom throne to perform in he used when he had broke his leg on tour.
Guns N’ Roses then welcomed Grohl on stage at their show in Tulsa, for their Not In This Lifetime Tour. They performed “Paradise City,” and at the end, Rose gave Grohl a hug.
– David Bowie, “I’ve Been Waiting For You”
Grohl joined Bowie in the studio for the recording of his 2002 release, Heathen. Grohl played guitar on his cover of Neil Young’s “I’ve Been Waiting For You”.
Purchase David Bowie’s, Heathen on Amazon
– Dave Grohl Vs. Animal from the Muppets in a drum off
Dave Grohl famously battled The Muppets’ Animal in a drum off and it was epic! The pair went at it in 2015 during the reboot of the classic television variety show. Grohl played guest drums with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the shows house band.
Grohl has said that he had waited years for this moment, with Animal responding, “Now we see who best.”
