Dave Grohl On The Coolness Of Bonnie Raitt, ‘Studio 666,’ Ghosts And More

As soon as upon a time, rock and roll was alleged to be, oh, I do not know, enjoyable. Means again within the stone age, the 60s and ’70s, bands just like the Beatles, then KISS and the Ramones starred in motion pictures primarily based on their songs. These weren’t meant to be Oscar-winning movies. Nobody will ever evaluate Rock And Roll Excessive College with the Godfather motion pictures. However rattling, Rock And Roll Excessive College was enjoyable.

It was that kind of frivolity and playfulness the Foo Fighters got down to seize of their first function movie, Studio 666. Once more, let’s be clear, this ridiculous story of a band that strikes right into a haunted home in Encino, California to report their new album and the lead singer (Dave Grohl) will get possessed and tries to kill all his band members is not attempting to be in comparison with Citizen Kane. That is the Foo Fighters being the Foo Fighters, albeit very exaggerated variations of themselves (all besides drummer Taylor Hawkins who, in accordance with Grohl, adlibbed all his strains).

As Grohl tells me once we communicate over Zoom, the band simply got down to have some enjoyable. And rattling, do they do it, from the various rock and roll references, from Led Zeppelin to Rush, us music nerds can geek out over, to the Lionel Richie cameo and extra.

By this level you might have learn many Grohl interviews on Studio 666, however you have not learn one which begins out with him recalling how Bonnie Raitt helped ease his nerves when Nirvana was inducted into the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame. As a result of I used to be there when Grohl and Raitt met and had relayed a message from Raitt, who randomly I interviewed the identical day as my dialog with Grohl, that’s the place we begin.   

Steve Baltin: I even have an vital message for you. A good friend of yours stated to say hello.

Dave Grohl: Who’s that?

Baltin: Bonnie Raitt.

Grohl: Oh, Bonnie Raitt. God, I really like that lady.

Baltin: You keep in mind at MusiCares I am the one who identified the Gerry Rafferty connection and I did that Rolling Stone story on the mutual admiration society. Tremendous randomly I interviewed each of you at present.

Grohl: Wow, no approach. That is so humorous. I’ve an image on my telephone and I do not know if I’ve advised you this earlier than, however on the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame 2014, when Nirvana have been being inducted, we have been type of nervous and we have been backstage in our dressing room. Pat [Smear] and I have been mendacity on the ground, simply type of enjoyable, and Bonnie Raitt got here in to say hey. And since she is the best human being on earth, she bought down and laid down between Pat and I on the ground and we frolicked for a great half an hour. That is how f**king cool Bonnie Raitt is.

Baltin: I requested her, since after all, you guys bonded over the Gerry Rafferty stuff, what ’70s tune she would wish to cowl with Foo Fighters. So, what ’70s tune would you wish to cowl with Bonnie Raitt?

Grohl: “Proper Down the Line,” man, I imply, if we’re speaking Gerry Rafferty. Or, “By no means Let Her Slip Away,” by Andrew Gold. That one really may be early ’80s, I can not keep in mind. There are such a lot of good songs from that period, however I can solely think about what she would wanna do.

Baltin: Truly, the primary one which got here to my thoughts was “Freeway to Hell.”

Grohl: There you go. That is a can-do state of affairs.

Baltin: And as I identified, it might be nice on the soundtrack for this.

Grohl: Yeah. [chuckle] It could, really. Yeah.

Baltin: I additionally love the Lionel Richie factor, as a result of someday throughout COVID, I grew to become obsessive about the tune, “Sail On.” That dude was so bad-ass within the ’70s. So, inform me the place that got here from.

Grohl: Lionel? Actually, the display author, Rebecca [Hughes], wrote him into the script, she wrote that scene within the film as a result of it was a hilarious scene, with out understanding that I knew him. And so I stated, “Oh my God, wait, do they know that I do know Lionel Richie?” I texted him and I stated, “Hey man, it is Dave, we’re making a horror movie. There is a actually hilarious scene, do you wanna be in it?” And he texted again, “Completely.” And that was it. Did not need to name any casting brokers or managers or something. I simply texted him. And hear, he got here in, he is such a pleasure to be round, to begin with. However e introduced that scene the place the primary take, he spoke his strains, he stated, “Pay attention, all of us have author’s block, however that is my tune.” After which he stated. “Wait, you need yet one more, need me to show it up slightly bit?” I stated, “Yeah,” They stated, “Motion,” he goes, “Dave, all of us have author’s block, however that is my f**king tune.” He was like, “That is my f**king tune!” He pumped it up and he is such a fantastic dude. I really like him.

Baltin: I really feel like when Lionel Richie will get mad at you, even pretend, you are like, “Oh s**t.”

Grohl: That is a dream sequence within the film. It felt like I used to be in a dream as we have been filming it.  By no means in my life would I think about that, A, Foo Fighters could be making a horror movie, and B, I must act out a scene with Lionel Richie telling me that “Hiya” is his f**king tune. All the pieces about it was bizarre.

Baltin: So talking of bizarre, what number of occasions in your life have you ever grabbed somebody by the shirt and stated, “I am Dave Grohl, I am a rock star?”

Grohl: As soon as. And it is in Studio 666. Yeah, that does not occur.

Baltin:  I used to do lots of movie writing and there is one thing that may be a very enjoyable launch about attending to faucet into that aspect. So how a lot enjoyable was it taking part in Dave Grohl rock star?

Grohl: Properly, it was actually enjoyable taking part in somebody who’s possessed, since you spend most of your time attempting to be cool to individuals, be good to individuals, be type to individuals, after which they put these fangs in your mouth and people contacts in your eyes, and likewise you might have license to be a f**king demon. It is enjoyable. There is a cause why Halloween is a well-liked vacation, as a result of everybody will get to place a masks on for a few hours and be one thing that they don’t seem to be. So it was actually enjoyable to make this movie. And in addition, there are lots of rock & roll cliches that have been exaggerated on this movie. The inventive rigidity, and the author’s block and a band attempting to place an album collectively once they have no materials, the lead singer being a f**king depraved dickhead. So it was actually enjoyable to type of act out all of those ridiculous cliches. It was f**cking fairly cool.

Baltin: This could make a hell of a consuming recreation for us music geeks to faucet in to the little rock and ballot mythology, for instance, the reference to Jimmy Web page, after which in a while, the Aleister Crowley.

Grohl: Luckily, Rebecca and her husband (Jeff Buhler), the display writers, they’re each rockers. They’re each writers, however they’re each rock and rollers. We met them within the music scene 10 years in the past. I keep in mind assembly Rebecca by means of Eagles of Demise Metallic. So that they understood the scene they usually understood the vibe. The road the place I say, “This album’s gotta be 2112 occasions 2112” that got here from them. They get the joke, for positive.

Baltin: Gerard Means, from My Chem, was telling me about recording Welcome to The Black Parade at Paramour and the way that place was haunted. So have been there bands that you just spoke to about their haunted studio recordings as analysis?

Grohl: No, however I keep in mind as I used to be making the Sound Metropolis documentary, I can not keep in mind the primary particular person to say the ghost at Sound Metropolis, but it surely grew to become a query that I requested nearly everyone. On the finish of the interview, I might say, “Okay, did you see the ghost?” And everybody had a ghost story about that place. And naturally, there’s that home on Laurel Canyon that Rick Rubin used to make information in. Everybody stated it was Charlie Chaplin’s previous property. Folks had ghost tales about that. I do not not consider it. I lived in a home in Seattle that did have a ghost, and earlier than then, I had no real interest in any form of paranormal something. However I lived in a home in Seattle for 2 and a half years, and I can actually say I used to be not the one f**king particular person in that home, with out query. So I do not not consider it, however something form of horror associated or paranormal goes hand in hand with rock and roll, it simply provides to the mythology and the mystique, I am positive.

Baltin: Let’s return to the start. At what level did you guys resolve that you just wished to do that?

Grohl: This goes again about three years, the place a good friend of mine that works within the leisure business was at some assembly and texted me afterwards and says, “I simply got here out of a gathering. These individuals stated they wanna make a horror movie with the Foo Fighters.” And I believed, “No approach, that is ridiculous. Why would we ever do one thing so silly?” Then it was time to start out writing Drugs at Midnight, and earlier than I make an album, I prefer to put down lots of concepts myself. I often discover slightly demo studio or someplace the place I can do it alone. So I discovered this home, which I really lived on this home 10 years in the past for a few yr. I rented it whereas I used to be reworking my place. So I moved in, I began writing and I believed, “Wait a second, okay, we’ve got the home, I am renting it. Let’s make the album right here, and as soon as we’re executed, we’ll simply make some actually low-budget run and gun, slasher movie. It’s going to be enjoyable, nearly like a long-form video.” That is the place the concept got here from. After which I got here up with the premise, which was {that a} band lives in a haunted home, singer turns into possessed, kills everybody and goes solo. That was it. However then it snowballed, impulsively there are screenwriters, after which there is a desk learn after which there’s particular results. And this entire time, we’re like, “Oh my God, are we making a film?” That wasn’t what we ever aspired to do, however luckily, it turned out that approach.

Baltin: Have been there template motion pictures? I really feel like theme sensible, it is slightly nearer to KISS Meets Phantom of the Park.

Grohl: Yeah, all of us grew up loving these rock and roll motion pictures. Sadly, they don’t seem to be as prevalent as they have been years in the past. You’d have a band just like the Beatles, they’d make A Onerous Days Evening, you might have a band just like the Ramones, Rock and Roll Excessive College, Kiss Meets Phantom of the Park, f**king Spice Women, no matter it’s, 8 Mile [Eminem]. Who is aware of? Purple Rain [Prince]. There was one thing about seeing your favourite artist in a completely completely different media.You are so used to seeing them both on stage or listening to them on album or seeing their music movies. However put them on this entire different state of affairs, and it is simply meant to entertain. At the very least it was for us. And there is one thing about an ensemble, you are used to seeing the dynamic between the Foo Fighters musically, however right here we’re on this ridiculous horror state of affairs, and it truly is simply meant to be enjoyable. And everyone having seen our movies for the previous 26 years, I do not assume many individuals could be shocked at what we pull off on display.

Baltin: How a lot have been the opposite characters within the band exaggerated, like Rami (Jaffe+ because the Lothario? I’ve a great good friend who’s buddies with Rami, and I texted her, I am like, “Simply begin calling him Ramio to any extent further.”

Grohl: Precisely. [chuckle] Rebecca really got here to the studio whereas we have been making Drugs at Midnight to get a really feel of the dynamic between the band members and what it is like once we’re really making a report. After which she integrated that into the horror concept. So everybody’s character within the movie is that particular person within the band, it is simply an exaggerated model. So Rami is rather more Pauly Shore on display than he’s in actual life. Properly, Nate [Mendel]’s type of Nate within the movie. The funniest factor is that Taylor noticed the script, he is like, “I am not saying this s**t. I am simply gonna say no matter I am gonna say.” And we’re like, “Okay, go for it.” And actually, he comes off very naturally within the movie, that’s Taylor Hawkins within the film. He did not actually deviate from his regular self in any respect. It is him. Actually, he got here up with all that s**t.

Baltin: Discuss the way you go ahead in 2022 trigger you’ve got already bought this launch, and now you lastly get to do the right tour for Drugs at Midnight.

Grohl: Within the band, an important factor to us is at all times the music and the efficiency. Once we go in to make albums, we take it very significantly, and it is one thing that we take lots of delight in. In the case of taking part in dwell reveals, we wish to be the perfect f**king band you’ve got ever seen. That is it, backside line. And once we hit the stage, no one’s half-assing it. We stroll on the market and we give it all the pieces we’ve got, each evening. And meaning the world to us. All the pieces else is type of identical to bells and whistles, it is all gravy. The truth that we get to make these documentaries or we get to make these movies, or we get to make a horror movie, that basically is simply the icing on the cake. And after 26 years of being a band, it isn’t that you just seek for these issues, however when the chance arises to do one thing that you have by no means executed earlier than, we simply take a look at one another and say, “Okay, why not?” And typically, you may ask, “Properly, cool, you’ve got executed this. What’s subsequent?” And I at all times say, “I do not know, I actually do not know.” It is exhausting for me to plan something previous subsequent weekend, however I am unsure. In true Foo Fighters’ vogue, if a possibility like this falls in our lap, most of the time, we’re gonna take it simply to expertise it after which transfer on.

Baltin: You talked about The Ramones, one of many issues about these bands is that they weren’t afraid to have enjoyable. In addition they weren’t afraid to poke enjoyable at themselves. I feel that is a lot part of the connection the Foo Fighters have with their followers. I really feel like lots of bands could be petrified of doing The Bee Gees cowl album, though by the way in which, the Bee Gees have been superior.

Grohl: I feel a band’s aesthetic needs to be a transparent and direct illustration of the kind of those who they’re. So, I would not think about Nick Cave would make a ridiculous horror movie. Perhaps he would, I do not know, but it surely’s true to the kind of those who we’re. There may be some light-hearted relatability to this band, that is it is real, it is actual. We do not have boardroom assembly discussions to attempt to determine the best way to be self-deprecating or extra relatable to the those who come to see the band. It simply occurs that approach. And it is totally actual. I feel we really feel completely comfy and pure doing this. In fact, everybody’s been asking us, “What a few sequel? You gonna do a sequel?” And we sit round typically, simply the band, backstage and attempt to think about like, “Alright, what different band is silly sufficient to do one thing like this?” We attempt to consider one other band that may do one thing that is simply so fully ridiculous. It is exhausting to think about. They’re on the market. I feel they simply need to form of let go and be capable of do it.

Baltin: Is there one other kind of movie that the Foo Fighters might do when it comes to a method of movie?

Grohl: Properly, we’ve got been discussing a Weezer rom-com [laughter]. However we’ll see, that is a tough pitch.

Baltin: After you have been possessed and killed all of the band, have been the remainder of the band members slightly afraid of you for a minute afterwards?

Grohl: No, by no means. They have been relieved that they did not have to return to set each evening at 11 o’clock anymore. [laughter] They have been like, “Oh, cool. I get killed tonight? Nice. So long. Have enjoyable with the remainder of the film.” That was mainly it.

Baltin: Who would you personally wish to do a buddy cop movie with? Going again to love 48 Hours, with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, who would Dave Grohl  wish to do a movie with?

Grohl: To be completely sincere, his title’s Taylor Hawkins. I do know they’ve made two Dumb and Dumbers, however dude, they have not seen a Dumb and Dumber like Taylor and I but, that is for f**king positive.