DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT So Proud To Be A FOO FIGHTERS Fan (Dave Grohl Interview Transcript)

Sunday, 3rd October 2021

By dltourhistory

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott interviewed Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters a few days ago and told him how much of a fan he is.

Joe interviewed Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters who was in the UK to promote his new book 'Dave Grohl The Storyteller' book.

He played a show at the Savoy Theatre in London on 27th September and also appeared on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One.

The video chat was billed as Joe Elliott and Dave Grohl In Conversation.

Joe and Dave talked about music, memories, Foo Fighters new album 'Medicine At Midnight', Dave Grohl The Storyteller Book, writing new music, the next Def Leppard album, The Stadium tour, music, songs and much more.

Dave Grohl The Storyteller

Dave talked in detail about the inspiration to write his new book which is a collection of short stories form his life in music.

The book 'Dave Grohl The Storyteller - Tales Of Life And Music' is released this coming week.

The 'Medicine At Midnight' album was released in February 2021 and the band play four shows in the UK in June/July 2022 including two nights at London Stadium.

Watch the full 21 minute interview video below.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Planet Rock - October 2021 Interview Quotes - (Transcribed By dltourhistory)

Joe - "Dave Grohl as I live and breathe."

Dave - "Joe!. This is amazing. What?!. How are you?."

Joe - "I'm good nice to E-meet you or whatever it is."

Dave - "I know I can't believe it. Oh my god the guys in my band are gonna lose their mind. You have no idea. This is a hero moment I'm having right now. This is great."

Joe - "Well you know I was talking to Phil about three weeks ago. He says I've just been to see the Foos down at Mates and Pat Smear is playing one of my guitars. I was like what? Fantastic."

Dave - "He was like a kid on Christmas morning. How are you? ."

Joe - "Yeah it's the six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing. There's always some kind of connection with somebody even if you've never met them, you know, there's somebody knows somebody else"

Dave - "Small world. Small rock and roll world."

Joe - "Looking good bud. I've been told we've gotta stay on track here apparently because shameless plug. Look at this!."

Dave - "Yes I wrote a book."

Joe - "It came to the door yesterday morning. So have I read it? No. Have I read the liner thing where you say you measure your life in musical increments. Hallelujah!. You're not the only one."

Dave - "Right isn't that the way."

Joe - "Everything I judge is by years, days, artists records in the past. Catalogue numbers..."

Dave - "Yeah same. You know I think some people they recall things through a sense of smell, or visuals. Me it's complete and totally music. And I can remember. Vividly remember things by, a song will come on the radio and I'll remember where I was the first time I heard it. Or where I was the first time I recorded it. Things like that and it makes life a lot easier. You know you win up with that musical file cabinet in your mind. And it's the same with you. I'm sure you remember album by album what you were going through at the time. Where you were in your life and whenever one of those songs comes on the radio it just brings you back to that moment when you hit record."

Joe - "Completely right but it's not just our stuff it's everybody's stuff. If I hear Every Picture Tells A Story by Rod Stewart I remember 'cause it was the first album I ever bought with my own spending money. I can remember exactly what it smelt like. What the weather was like. The brown paper bag that I carried it home in. In fact I think I tossed that away 'cause I wanted to look cool on the bus. Cause it was OK to like Rod Stewart in 1971. It is, it's absolutely right."

Joe - "Can I also add before we get totally into the book. The new album is, in my humble opinion, the best thing you guys have ever done."

Dave - "Oh Joe man. Thank you so much."

Joe - "It's absolutely outrageously stunning. In fact just to quantify that. I was just asked recently to put my top hundred favourite songs of all time. And I mean we're talking going back to '64. For a Playlist on Spotify. And Waiting For A War is in my Top 100."

Dave - "Oh man."

Joe - "And by the time I did it it was about three weeks old. Amazing record."

Dave - "Thank you so much I appreciate that. I think we finally got to the to the place where we didn't feel so tied to all the things that we had done before. You know like sometimes when you make a record you feel some sort of obligation. Like well we can't completely disregard all the things we've done before. And this time we just felt free to make something that sounded different than anything we've really done. There are moments that are recognisable but for the most part. And that was so liberating to be able to go into the studio and say OK let's forget about the last 26 years and let's start now. Let's imagine this was the first record. Let's take it from here. I really appreciate that."

Joe - "It's to me, you've taken a leaf out of Queen's book. Where they were this like, they were not a metal band. They were a hard rock band on Queen I and Queen II. Then they started to branch a little bit on Sheer Heart Attack. Yeah we had the Now I'm Here's and the Brighton Rock's but we also had Bring Back Leroy Brown which was like vaudeville you know. And that moved them on to the point where we didn;t know what we were gonna get next. I hear your new Foos album as like the Jazz period of Queen."

Dave - "I like to think it's out Hot Space actually."

Joe - "I'd go back a couple of years before then but it's brilliant."

Dave Grohl The Storyteller Book

Joe - "So this right. This is not exactly an autobiography. In the traditional sense of like I was born in Springfield and here I am. It says storytellers so you go off on tangents."

Dave - "It started when everything shut down last March. We were about to release that record. We were about to hit the road. We had the shows lined up. It was our 25th anniversary last year. So we had booked this world wide tour. And then everything stopped and I thought well I can't just do nothing. So I started writing for this. I started an Instagram page which I'd never done. And I just wanted to write stories and put them on this page. It was called Dave's True Stories."

Dave - "And after I'd written like three or four of them. They were all short stories. Maybe like 5 or 6,000 words. I started thinking I'm gonna be here for a while. So I might as well just write a book. I finally have time. And I'd made a list of 30 or 40 short stories. That I was gonna write for the Intagram page and I just handed that to the editor. And I said OK you tell me what you want me to write."

Dave - "And they'd assign me three or four stories and I would just kind of blast them out. So I wasn't writing in any conventional chronological frame. I was just writing thee short stories. And then it was compiled in a way that it made sense. There's structure to it. So there is a beginning and there is an end. There's no way that you could tell the entire story in 380 pages. There's just no way you could do it."

Dave - "So it was more a matter of just kind of painting this picture where it's more emotional than logistical. And it's informational but it's more like and I'm sure you feel this way. That all of these incredible experiences that you've had it's almost like having an out of body experience. It's almost like watching your life happen to someone else. And so there's these moments like right now. Like I can't believe I'm f**king talking to you right now. It's these sort of things where I feel like I'm watching this happen to someone else."

Dave - "So writing it that way. Yeah it's not like a conventional Rock Bio. It's like an emotional collection of these stories."

Joe - "Do you feel then that with the book it was liberating because of COVID. Because it was like the mega big reset button for the entire Planet but as an artist you're stopped in your tracks from doing what you love the most which is communicating with your audience there and then. Instant gratitude both ways. Now we have to reinvent how we do everything. So what am I gonna do. I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do I'll write a book. Oh and I'll write a new album. Where do you get your energy?."

Dave - "Ah it's all coffee. It's just coffee."

Joe - "Hallelujah to that buddy."

Dave - "Cheers I know where's my cup. You know I feel like. I honestly feel like you know we have this opportunity to live right. Wake up everyday and you're blessed to have one more day. And it's up to you what you're going to do with it. Whether it's the worst day of your life or the most beautiful day of your life. You're like you've got one more and so why not take advantage of that time while you have it. And you know I look at all of this opportunity that I have to like bring joy and to bring laughter and to bring and to bring happiness. And to connect with people as you do when you play live. Just to be able to sort or to share with others. I really really. I really love doing that."

Dave - "Everyday when I wake up I have a new idea of how to do it and last year of course the world changed so you had to adapt. You know like most people turned inward. Right 'cause you couldn't go out. So everyone turned inward and they started discovering like who they are and what they're all about. It's like an existential crisis, And to me. I mean having that time to be able to sit down and reflect and put those things on paper. It was great. It was life changing it really was you know. And still when I wake up everyday I think OK what comes next."

Dave - "This was probably the most time I've ever spent thinking about the past. You know I'm constantly reminded of it by the music and things that you hear or see in the public. But I'm more concerned with like the forward motion of doing things. So yeah to me that time was actually really good."

Joe - "Yeah I agree. We as artists have this strange - if you become successful. Your tied to your past like for example, you, us. It doesn't matter whether it's McCartney or the Stones. You can't go and see The Rolling Stones like say the last couple of nights ago and say St. Loi' football stadium. And goOK we're gonna play you 12 tracks rom our new album. That's not gonna work."

Dave - "No it doesn't work."

Joe - "People will indulge you very 30 minutes a new song unless you're in a club, Then you can get away with it and play your entire new album. If you're gonna go out there. You've gotta play Street Fighting Man. Jumpin' Jack Flash. For you guys you've gotta play hit after hit after hit. And still mingle it in with the new stuff as well. You know I find that gathering information from all my friends, all my colleagues and just reading articles 'cause I've got more time to do that now from other artists. It seems to have been a time for innovation and renovation."

Dave - "This is absolutely true."

Read the Def Leppard Album News part of the where Joe also comments on The Stadium Tour.

Staying Busy

Dave - "Yeah can't do it. All my friends they always laugh at me. They're like god you're so busy right now. And I'm like yeah right after this month it's gonna slow down. And they start laughing and go you've been saying that for 25 years, because it never really does. And actually in the book I talk about how like when Nirvana first became popular my Father called and said you know this isn't gonna last right. And I said no of course this could never last. It's too good to be true and he'd say you've got to treat every cheque you make like it's the last one you're ever going to make. OK 'cause this will not last. And so I thought OK good I've got maybe a couple of years of this and I'll resume normal life."

Dave - "And I always. I thought like a some point this'll stop and I'll go and resume normal life. I'll become a Father. I'll have a family. I'll get a real job. I won't be a drummer any more. Whatever, And it just keeps going and going. And then you realise oh no this is real life. I mean it sounds crazy but my life I consider to be just as normal as anyone else's. I just do this instead of that. But yeah time is short. Like you have to take advantage of the time that you have."

Band Longevity

Joe - "Completely agree. When we were in 1993. We were just about surviving you guys. Just and we went and played a gig in our home town a Don Valley Stadium 40,000 people. And it was almost to the day 15 years since we'd formed. And I remember walking out. It was still daylight 'cause it was June. And seeing all these people and actually thinking I think we could actually do this for as long as we want. Until that moment it had always been like Oh it's gonna come to a stick end soon. Because you're born into this thing of like. You know when we were kids we watched bands like T. Rex, and Bowie and Slade and Sweet. And other than say Bowie they all pretty much had five year shelf lives. So that's what you judge yourself on."

Joe - "To judge yourself against The Who or The Stones who were at the time 15 years old. It was like well that's, you're being a bit..come on. Be real that doesn't happen to everybody. But all of a sudden things change. You guys have been a band for what 25 years?."

Dave - "It's 26 years now."

Joe - "We've been a band for 42. I mean how crazy is that. You'll get there one day because you are who you are you know. There's no getting away from the fact that you guys are around fr good."

Dave - "I think at some point you have to accept that OK we're in this for the long haul. And I always I liken it to imagine your Grandparents getting a divorce. Like what the f**k. Your Grandparents can't get a divorce. You've been together for 50 years. It's like it's too late. You can't break up now. And I mean that love about being in this band is that we actually. We love each other. Like we are friends. And we still enjoy doing this. The same as we did when we first started jamming in our first drummers basement. Like it still feels the same."

Dave - "When we show up to an airport and four vans roll up to pick up the band we still all jump in one van. you know because it still feels that way. And of course I would never want it to end. It's too good. I love it so much."

Being A Big Fan Of The Foo Fighters

Joe - "We're blessed. You and I and anybody in this business is blessed to do what we do. And I think there aren't enough people in this world like you Dave that take - that know that and run with it and be honest with themselves. There's a lot of people out there that probably think of you as like this punk rocker. I think of you as just this humanitarian kind of guy. Who embraces love and hate equally. And hopefully the hate with a bit of humour 'cause its' not really hate. I watch what you guys have done. I watch how you discuss things with people in these documentaries you make. The humourous tour intro videos that you guys make in gas stations along Route 66 or wherever. These things turn you into a human being and it just shows that humour is a big part of what we do. You've embraced that more than any band that I can think of, that's not a comedy band. And it just brings a completely different dimension to what you guys do."

Joe - "I'm so proud to be a fan of your band."

Dave - "Ohh Joe. Man thank you so much. You're blowing my mind right now. This is - I hope someone's recording this. I need to show this to my friends. I need evidence."

Joe - "It's just honesty bud. It's just me being honest. I've always been a fan."

Dave - "Thanks man."

Joe - "The thing that hurts me the most is I've never seen you live. Just never been in the right place at the right time. But I want to put that right next year some time even if I have to get a private plane or fly in to watch one."

Dave - "Oh we'll just send you ours. No you have to come see the band. You know because at this point when we go out and do shows. I mean we do long shows. They're two and a half to three hours long now. And I honestly think we're better than we've ever been because of that year and a half that just passed. Like having it taken away. I don't think we ever took it for granted. But it feels like there's this new energy to it. That every time we get out to do it. We feel so fortunate that we can actually get on a stage. The audience feels so fortunate that they can actually see another rock and roll show. 'Cause you never know it might be the last one. And so when you hit the stage now you have that energy. Where you're just like let's play it like it's the last one we'll ever play. It's so good."

Joe - "Well I'm not gonna experience that until next year. Next year I can hopefully experience what you've just experienced. But it's never gone away. We've never took it for granted. We've always gone, I've always gone on stage thinking if this is the last show I ever do I want it to be good. I've never gone on stage blase. It's always gotta be. You've gotta live up to your reputation."

Dave - "Absolutely."

Joe - "If you're ill that's one thing. But never be ill prepared. I mean it's, just you can't be that guy."

Dave - "Absolutely correct."

Joe - "You guys, you've been on stage with Rick Astley. You've made a Bee Gees record. These are the kind of things here you've gotta have big solid bass balls to do that kind of stuff. This is what I admire just as much as all your insane chord structures and rhythms and Taylor's drumming. Just the mental - the whole structure of your songs are so unique."

Dave - "Thank you."

Joe - "That it's actually a pleasure and now. You know what I'm gonna do when this interview's over. I'm gonna go straight in there. Fire up my iPhone, put it on the speakers and just play your back catalogue until the sun goes down."

Dave - "Man."

Joe - "I'm in the mood. You've put me in the mood."

Dave - "My favourite interview ever!. This is rally going great."

Dave - "But you know I have to be honest with you. With talking about the sense of humour. You know a lot of my favourite rock and roll bands whether it was The Who or AC/DC. Like they had this tongue in cheek sense of humour. Like when they got down and played their instruments there was no f**king around. Like there was no bullshit. They were really playing from the heart. But everything else it was sort of like this tongue in cheek vibe where it made them seem even more like mischievous or like hooligans or something like that where you're like those are the kids in high school that you kinda wanted to stay away from but you know that if you were to hang out with them you'd have the best night of your life."

Dave - "And so that was you know I was one of those kids at school where I wasn't a great student of course. But I enjoyed being there. Like I had this wicked sense of I felt like a goblin. Or something like that. And so to be in a rock and roll band I get it. Like some bands they take it very seriously. And they want that portrait of like a really beautiful serious rock band. We've never been like that because I wanna be the one that has like a little wink and a tongue in cheek. And make you smile. Like bring a little joy. But at the same time it melts your f**king face."

Musical Influences/Humour In Music

Joe - "That's why I was always such a big fan of Queen because they could do Bring Back Leroy Brown and they could do things like you know Death On Two Legs. Like is that the same band really. You think of AC/DC with things like Big Balls."

Dave - "I just listened to it like a week ago. I was driving around laughing my f**king ass off listening to that song. . Like oh my god wow. Bon Scott."

Joe - "He was like the cheekiest guy ever. You know he was fantastic. We toured with AC/DC on the Highway To Hell tour for about three weeks in the UK. And he was that guy. He was the guy you wanted to hang out with but at the same time you wouldn't wanna say anything out of place because he had muscles baby. Bon Scott was the boy you know. I'm a big fan. Queen had the humour. AC/DC had the humour. There's not many other bands that really pulled it off. I don't think you can call The Rolling Stones deadly serious. But they had a tongue in cheekiness about them. 'cause they're loose. It's not serious. It's not Prog rock in the sense of like everything has to be exactly perfect."

Dave - "Well I kind of felt the same way about The Kinks you know. I always thought that The Kinks like they're taking the piss. Like if you listen to the lyrics of the song. I mean of course like an incredible rock and roll band with these legendary songs but I'm like. Are they joking. I can't tell.Are they kidding. Are they being serious. And I love that about them."

Joe - "And Pete Townshend did the best disguised masturbation song of all time in Pictures Of Lily. The guy was a genius really. I didn't get it at first 'cause I was like 8 or 9 years old. I didn't even know what it meant you know. But then eventually it's like oh! Oh OK really, good one."

Joe - "I think we're done. I think they've given me the hook boy. Dave absolute pleasure. I can't wait to have s drink with you in real life."

Dave - "Yes please. Joe it was an honour. I can't wait to see the show and you gotta come to ours as well."

Joe - "I will. I will any time. Will be a pleasure. Have a great day."

Dave - "Take care. Stay safe."

Joe - "See ya bud take care."

Dave - "Bye."