Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has lived a life in music like no other. Playing in two of the most influential groups of their era and with many celebrated collaborations to his name, the man can do it all, from rousing vocal performances to thunderous turns behind the drum kit.
Throughout his career, Grohl has mentioned some of the finest to do it as heroes, such as The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, as well as more underground but nonetheless influential acts, like hardcore pioneers Minor Threat and Bad Brains. A consumer of only great music, this taste even extends to the present day, with the Foo Fighters frontman being one of the most prominent figures to back the Isle of Wight indie sensations Wet Leg.
Whilst Grohl has never been afraid to gush about his favourites, one group he holds a particularly special place in his heart for are hard-rock stalwarts AC/DC. The band behind anthemic cuts such as ‘TNT’, ‘Thunderstruck’ and ‘Back in Black’, their music is famed for the full-bodied effect it has on fans, with Grohl revealing that one of their performances had such an impact on him when young that it was the first time music made him want to “fucking break something”.
Of course, this was a monumental moment, as it would lay the foundations for all to come, from Grohl’s stint as the teenage drummer in celebrated hardcore act Scream to his genre-defining work behind the kit in Nirvana and everything that followed.
Grohl made the revelation about AC/DC while appearing on Anders Bøtters Tiny TV in 2021 after discussing the first time he met the band in person. He said the convergence came after Paul McCartney invited them to dine with the Foo Fighters and himself after the Grammys. Following this, the Foo Fighters leader explained that the 1980 AC/DC concert film Let There Be Rock was the first musical experience that made him want to break something.
Grohl recalled: “I wasn’t performing at the Grammys; I was presenting an award or something. I’m lucky to say that Paul McCartney is a friend, and I love him very much. As much as he’s a hero of mine, he’s also a very sweet man and a friend. And so he was in town, too. And he called and said, ‘What are you doing after the Grammys?’ I said, ‘I think maybe me and Pat and Taylor are just gonna have dinner.’”
Grohl continued: “And he said, ‘Do you mind if me and Nancy (Paul’s Wife) come?’ I’m, like, ‘No. That’d be great.’ So then he bumps into AC/DC in a hotel or something. And then they say, ‘What are you doing after the show?’ And he says, ‘I’m gonna go have dinner with the Foo Fighters.’ And Paul said, ‘Do you wanna come?’ So Paul’s wife calls my wife, and then my wife says, ‘Hey, do you mind if AC/DC comes to dinner?’ And I had never met AC/DC.”
“When I was maybe – I don’t know – ten years old, I went to see that movie Let There Be Rock, the [AC/DC] live concert film, in a movie theatre,” Grohl said of the effect that AC/DC had on him when young. “This is before I was punk rock. That was the first time I saw a performance and heard music that made me wanna fucking break something. And still, to this day, I use that as a reference for how I like to play a show. I wanna be like AC/DC Let There Be Rock. That’s a live band.”
Returning to the impromptu dinner with McCartney and AC/DC, Grohl concluded: “So then we had this beautiful night. And there was this jazz band. And it was one of the greatest nights of my entire life.”
Watch Foo Fighters cover AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’ below.
