Foo Fighters say emotional goodbyes on epic 10-minute track 'The Teacher'
It comes with an accompanying short film
Foo Fighters have premiered the fourth taster of their new studio album ‘But Here We Are’, the 10-minute epic ‘The Teacher.’
The longest track Foo Fighters have ever recorded, ‘The Teacher’ is a slow building and multi-layered musical tour-de-force that showcases a more experimental side of the band.
Just like previous songs ‘Rescued’, ‘Under You’ and ‘Show Me How’, ‘The Teacher’ comes complete with powerful lyrics that apparently reference the passing of Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl’s mum Virginia in 2022.
Virginia Hanlon Grohl was a schoolteacher for over three decades, and the title seemingly nods towards this.
Dave Grohl sings in ‘The Teacher’: “You showed me how to need, but never showed me how to say goodbye / You showed me how to grieve, but never showed me how to say goodbye / Every page turns, it’s a lesson learned in time.”
Poignantly, the song ends: "Try and make good with the air that’s left / Counting every minute / Living breath by breath / Goodbye."
‘The Teacher’ comes complete with an accompanying short film directed by multimedia artist Tony Oursler.
Known since the late 1970s for his body of work spanning video, sculpture, installation, performance, and painting, Oursler came to Foo Fighters’ attention via his work with David Bowie, specifically his video for Bowie's landmark January 2013 single ‘Where Are We Now?’
Watch Foo Fighters’ ‘The Teacher’ short film:
Fresh from revealing Josh Freese as their new touring drummer during their pre-recorded streaming event Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts on Sunday 21st May, Foo Fighters played their first full concert since Taylor Hawkins’ death at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion last Wednesday.
The concert saw Foo Fighters give the Taylor Hawkins penned 2005 track ‘Cold Day in the Sun’ its first live outing in more than five years, with Dave Grohl emotionally dedicating it to his late band mate.
Released on Friday 2nd June, Foo Fighters’ new album ‘But Here We Are’ is dedicated to Taylor Hawkins and Virginia Hanlon Grohl.
21 reasons why Dave Grohl is the nicest guy in rock:
1 - Dave sang ‘My Hero’ to Swedish medic who treated his broken leg
During Foo Fighters' headline set at Lollapalooza Stockholm on 29th June 2019, Dave Grohl sang 'My Hero' with the medic who treated his broken leg on stage at Gothenburg's Ullevi Stadium four years earlier. Performing 'My Hero' at Lollapalooza Stockholm, Dave spotted Dr. Johan Sampson in the audience and beckoned to the crowd: "There he is! Sing it to him!"
With tens of thousands of fans singing 'My Hero' in unison, Dr. Johan rightfully lapped up the adulation before crowd-surfing to the front. Embracing Dave on stage, Dr Johan then proceeded to sing: 'There goes my hero / Watch him as he goes', alongside the Foo Fighters frontman during the song's rousing finale. Spine-tingling stuff.
Watch the moment on YouTube.
2 - Dave surprised 9-year-old drumming prodigy
In 2018, Japanese schoolkid Yoyoka Soma hit headlines across the globe when her astounding performance of Led Zeppelin's 'Good Times Bad Times' went viral online. Appearing on The Ellen Show in 2019, Soma said Dave Grohl is her favourite drummer because of his "really heavy groove".
DeGeneres later surprised Somo by sharing a video message from Dave himself, where he tells her: "Hey Yoyoka, this is Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters. I've seen you play 'The Pretender' before and you're amazing! So keep it up, the world needs more drummers." Awww.
Watch her performance and Dave's message on YouTube.
3 - ...And 10-year-old Nandi Bushell
Dave once again made dreams come true when he accepted an online drum challenge from 10-year-old drum prodigy Nandi Bushell. Although she won the first round, Dave wrote Nandi her very own theme song - let's call it a tie!
Fast forward one year, and Dave even invited Nandi up on stage with him to play 'Everlong' during their performance at The Forum in August 2021 in California, proclaiming: "Tonight was the first night I came face to face with my arch-nemesis!"
Bringing a smile to all of our faces, Dave also added: "We've had the honour to jam with some pretty amazing people over the years. Some Beatles, some Rolling Stones, some Pink Floyds. But this one right now takes the cake!"
Watch their incredible performance on YouTube.
4 - Dave cooked a barbecue for firefighters battling Californian wildfires
As wildfires spread across California in late 2018, Dave Grohl treated the firefighters and crew of Calabasas' Fire Station 88 who'd been tackling the Woolsey Fire in Southern California to a free BBQ.
Expressing their gratitude in a post on Instagram, Fire Station 68 wrote: 'It was awesome to get a visit tonight from Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. He also treated us to some of his own Backbeat BBQ. Thanks Dave! It was excellent!'
5 - He also cooked a barbecue at a food bank at Christmas 2018
Just two days before Christmas 2018, Dave Grohl took his Backbeat BBQ to the Los Angeles Food Bank. The Backbeat BBQ team were at the food bank for 36 hours and Dave himself served up the food.
6 - Dave invited a blind boy up on stage
Tearing through a version of 'Sky Is A Neighbourhood' at a gig in St Paul, Minnesota in October 2018, Dave Grohl spotted an excited and visually-impaired boy being held up by his dad. Ushering them onstage, Dave let the blind boy have a go on his signature blue Gibson during their next song, 'La Dee Da'. The boy and his parents then spent the rest of the gig at the side of the stage.
Watch the moment on YouTube.
7 - Foo Fighters cover Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ with a 10-year-old
With Foo Fighters' 'Concrete And Gold' tour calling in at the Sprint Centre in Kansas City in October 2018, Dave Grohl found himself singing Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' with 10-year-old Collier Cash Rule after the plucky lad assured him he could play it. And boy, did he shred!
Watch the awesome performance on YouTube.
8 - Dave gave his shoe to a girl on crutches
Hobbling around on crutches in the backstage area of The Anthem in Washington in October 2017, a teenage fan called Sabryn was told by Dave Grohl's doctor that she really ought to be wearing a shoe with her brace.
And before you could say 'Savior Breath', Dave Grohl nipped back to his dressing room and offered her the extra shoe he'd worn when his leg was broken. Tweeting about the act of kindness, Sabryn wrote: 'tonight dave grohls orthopedic doctor told me if i didn't put a shoe on my foot it wouldn't get better. so dave gave me one of his shoes?' with photos of the pair meeting. We wonder if she played 'On The Mend' afterwards?
9 - He made a documentary series with his mum
With TV producers offering to make a televised version of her book 'From The Cradle To The Grave' – a look at music stars though the eyes of their mothers – Virginia Grohl found herself a little out of her depth.
Enter her offspring to get things sorted with the TV bigwigs. That gives a whole new meaning to 'In Your Honour', right? From Cradle to Stage premiered in May 2021, featuring the likes of Pharrell Williams, Miranda Lambert and Brandi Carlile.
10 - Dave stops fights at gigs
Playing the legendary London venue The Roundhouse in 2011, Dave Grohl not only stopped the band's set when a fight broke out in the audience, he also insisted that the idiot who kicked it all off was actually booted out of the venue. "You don't come to my show to fight," he told the troublemaker, adding: "You come to my show to f------ dance!"
11 - ...And settles feuds
The long-running beef between Nirvana and Guns N' Roses seemed to have finally come to an end when Dave Grohl not only lent Guns his stage throne when Axl Rose broke his foot, he was also spotted rocking out in the audience when his former rivals played Las Vegas.
On top of that, he also embraced Courtney Love when they shared a stage during Nirvana's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, after their long-running disagreement. She told Pitchfork that they'd reconciled backstage: "On my way to the bathroom, I saw Grohl, and Grohl saw me, and he came up to me, and I was like, 'Alright, no matter what happens, we're not going to be b------s.'
"This was my attitude going in and obviously his. Not much else needs to be said. We both knew it was time to let go. We were ready to do it. It's been 20 years."
12 - Foo Fighters performed gigs in fans’ garages in 2011
Having recorded the whole of their 'Wasted Life' album in Dave Grohl's garage, Foo Fighters played eight gigs in the garages of their most hardcore fans. How can you not love the guy?
Watch a 40-minute compilation of their garage tour on YouTube.
13 - He shone the spotlight on former Nirvana drummer Chad Channing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Despite providing the backbeat of Nirvana's debut album, 'Bleach', drummer Chad Channing was nonetheless snubbed when the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' hitmakers were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014. Taking the podium, Dave Grohl was quick to point out that he was, in fact, Nirvana's fifth drummer before heaping praise on Channing.
Watch Dave's speech on YouTube.
14 - Dave listens to the appeals of his fans
After 1,000 Italian Foo Fighters fans got together in Cesena to play 'Learn To Fly' in an attempt to get Dave Grohl and the boys to play their city, the band responded by Tweeting: "Ci vediamo a presto, Cesena" (which translates as "See you soon, Cesena"). Good to their word, Foo Fighters headed over and played a 27-song set in November 2015.
Watch their electrifying plea on YouTube.
15 - Dave does an awful lot for charity
According to the Look To The Stars website, Dave has supported at least 16 charities over the decades including Stand Up To Cancer, the Elton John Aids Foundation, Worldwide Orphans Foundation, Teen Cancer America and Autism Speaks.
16 - He fills in for sick musicians
In October 2011, Jared Champion, the drummer of indie-rock band Cage The Elephant, was rushed to hospital when his appendix burst. Hearing of his plight, Dave personally offered to fill in for the drummer at the band's show at the Maverick Center in Salt Lake City.
Guitarist Lincoln Parish said afterwards: "I had to pinch myself. I turned around and Dave Grohl is playing the drums. It's an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nobody can replace Jared. But…it's Dave f------ Grohl."
17 - Dave left a 100% bar tip to take bill to $666
Dave and his friends imbibed drinks at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood following Foo Fighters' pop-up show in the car park of the Hollywood Palladium on Sunday 26th August. When the resulting bill came to $333.30, Dave doubled it to make the tab the Number of the Beast itself - $666 (...and 30 cents. Okay it was close enough). See the receipts on Twitter.
18 - Dave invited a crying fan onto the stage
During a Foo Fighters gig in Colorado in 2015, Dave spotted an emotional fan in the audience just as he was beginning a speech in the middle of an acoustic rendition of 'My Hero'.
Dave then said: "I'm gonna sing this to your crying grown-man ass," before telling security: "He's a grown man crying, you can bring him up here". The fan called Anthony then took a seat on stage and Dave sang 'My Hero' to him.
Watch the heartwarming exchange on YouTube.
19 - Dave read a CBeebies Bedtime Story
Could it get any better?! In October 2021, CBeebies viewers were gifted with Dave's glorious storytelling talents, as he appeared on CBeebies Bedtime Stories and read the 2013 book Octopus's Garden - written by Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and illustrated by Ben Cort.
20 - He paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins at Glastonbury 2022
After the devastating death of Foo Fighters bandmate and close friend Taylor Hawkins in March 2022, Dave paid tribute to him at Glastonbury 2022. Appearing as a special guest for Paul McCartney's Saturday night headline slot on the Pyramid Stage, Dave performed 'I Saw Her Standing There' by The Beatles and 'Band on the Run' by Wings.
He then returned to the stage for the finale performance of 'The End', alongside Paul's second special guest, Bruce Springsteen. Dave made a moment of pointing to his right hand, which had a 'T' clearly marked on it to represent Taylor.
21 - Dave worked a 16-hour shift cooking food for 500 homeless people
Cementing his status as The Nicest Guy in Rock, Dave Grohl pulled a 16-hour shift in February 2023, cooking food for 500 homeless people in Los Angeles.
Rowan Vansleve, who is the Chief Fundraising Officer of the charity Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, has shared a video on Instagram of Foo Fighters legend Grohl sending a good luck message to Vanseleve as he takes part in a 350-mile charity fundraising from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
Alongside the video message, Vanseleve revealed that Grohl worked a 16-hour overnight shift BBQing food for homeless people affected by the storms sweeping California.
See a clip on Instagram.
22 - He broke down dedicating a song to Taylor at the Foos' first gig without him
Foo Fighters played their first full headline concert since Taylor Hawkins' death at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in May 2023, fresh from revealing Josh Freese as their new touring drummer.
After performing 'These Days', the night took an emotional turn when Foo Fighters gave the Taylor Hawkins penned 2005 track 'Cold Day in the Sun' its first live outing in more than five years. A clearly emotional Dave Grohl told the audience, "Now, I have to say that this is…" as he struggled to hold back the tears.
Gaining his composure, he added: "… something that I never thought I'd have to do. I'm gonna try to do it." With his voice cracking, Grohl continued: "Taylor wrote this song. We used to sing it together. So I'm going to do it for him tonight." Watch the moment on YouTube.