Dave Grohl

[prisma]

Here's the Rick-rolling of the Westboro Baptist Church.

I liked their deployment of the Bee Gees a little better though.

These always make me laugh.

[cremetangerine82]

I’ve always had issues with Dave, the “Nice Guy of Rock” seems false to me. With his AIDS/HIV denialism (he has given to Elton John’s AIDS charity since then) and terrible treatment of former drummer William Goldsmith, formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate (they’ve since made up).

Yes, Courtney Love is a professional irritant, but Dave did talk shit about her through song (she’s represented by HIV in the “I’ll Stick Around” video), denied he wrote songs talking shit about her, and then fessed up to it (I guess they’re on better terms now?).

Although, I can’t deny his grief over Kurt, and most recently Taylor. His survivor’s grief is deeply immense and I can’t trivialize that.

*preparing for the hate in 3…2…

[ahah]

Mar 27, 2022 7:27:29 GMT -4 cremetangerine82 said:

I’ve always had issues with Dave, the “Nice Guy of Rock” seems false to me. With his AIDS/HIV denialism (he has given to Elton John’s AIDS charity since then) and terrible treatment of former drummer William Goldsmith, formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate (they’ve since made up).

Yes, Courtney Love is a professional irritant, but Dave did talk shit about her through song (she’s represented by HIV in the “I’ll Stick Around” video), denied he wrote songs talking shit about her, and then fessed up to it (I guess they’re on better terms now?).

Although, I can’t deny his grief over Kurt, and most recently Taylor. His survivor’s grief is deeply immense and I can’t trivialize that.

*preparing for the hate in 3…2…

I see no need for hate over anything you’ve said. I think when people describe him as the nice guy of rock, they’re not declaring that he’s perfect - merely that he does more good than bad. And honestly, going back 20 years to find the worst things he’s done affirms that sentiment. I think it’s totally understandable that anyone who feels passionately about the cause of HIV/AIDS would hold on to the problems there, while others would forgive or see it as one flaw among many traits both positive and negative.
Not everyone has to see a person the same way. Some can love, others hate, with many in the middle. No harm there!

As for the events of this weekend - it’s not lost on me that Dave has talked quite a bit about how when Kurt died he didn’t want to be around music at all, but in time realized the healing power of music. I’m hopeful that the healing power will lead to the Foo Fighters finding a way forward once healing has taken place.

[cremetangerine82]

Mar 27, 2022 11:44:48 GMT -4 ahah said:

Mar 27, 2022 7:27:29 GMT -4 cremetangerine82 said:

I’ve always had issues with Dave, the “Nice Guy of Rock” seems false to me. With his AIDS/HIV denialism (he has given to Elton John’s AIDS charity since then) and terrible treatment of former drummer William Goldsmith, formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate (they’ve since made up).

Yes, Courtney Love is a professional irritant, but Dave did talk shit about her through song (she’s represented by HIV in the “I’ll Stick Around” video), denied he wrote songs talking shit about her, and then fessed up to it (I guess they’re on better terms now?).

Although, I can’t deny his grief over Kurt, and most recently Taylor. His survivor’s grief is deeply immense and I can’t trivialize that.

*preparing for the hate in 3…2…

I see no need for hate over anything you’ve said. I think when people describe him as the nice guy of rock, they’re not declaring that he’s perfect - merely that he does more good than bad. And honestly, going back 20 years to find the worst things he’s done affirms that sentiment. I think it’s totally understandable that anyone who feels passionately about the cause of HIV/AIDS would hold on to the problems there, while others would forgive or see it as one flaw among many traits both positive and negative.
Not everyone has to see a person the same way. Some can love, others hate, with many in the middle. No harm there!

As for the events of this weekend - it’s not lost on me that Dave has talked quite a bit about how when Kurt died he didn’t want to be around music at all, but in time realized the healing power of music. I’m hopeful that the healing power will lead to the Foo Fighters finding a way forward once healing has taken place.

The fact he hasn’t cleared up his “advocacy” for a group that actively harmed people with HIV/AIDS does bother me. I would accept a sincere “I’m sorry”, but not talking about it seems like he doesn’t want to dent his “good guy” image. Also, considering how much he thought (or Courtney has insinuated) that Kurt hated his drumming, why he would be terrible to another drummer seems especially egregious, but at least he’s made amends for that. For the former, you have to go to the Wayback Machine to find information on his support (and the band’s support) for an organization that caused the AIDS-related death of the founder and her daughter.

[Ginger]

I agree with this article: goat.com.au/health/dave-grohl-and-foo-fighters-show-how-you-walk-back-a-wild-move-like-backing-hiv-deniers/?amp

Nate Mendel was the driving force behind getting the Foo Fighters involved with Alive and Well. His bandmates wanted to be supportive of something that he believed very strongly in. They should never have done so. That was over twenty years ago. I don't know whether Nate is still into it, but Dave and the rest of the band dropped it and made up for the mistake a long time ago. Nothing about that episode makes me think that Dave is not predominantly a nice, well-intentioned person.

Being persistently and unapologetically malignant - i.e., Eric Clapton - is different from making a mistake. Lifetime perfection is not a standard anyone should be held to.

[magazinewhore]

I feel bad for Dave. There's a picture of him weeping in the DM. I know he's not the perfect Gen Xer the media makes him out to be, but it's hard not to be fond of him. It's gotta be hard to lose a friend/colleague again.

I didn't know much about Taylor, but I read that he had an enlarged heart and his death was a cardiac collapse (due to drug use).

[Oxynia]

Mar 27, 2022 17:40:06 GMT -4 magazinewhore said:

I didn't know much about Taylor, but I read that he had an enlarged heart and his death was a cardiac collapse (due to drug use).

I don't think that's been officially established yet.

[cremetangerine82]

Mar 27, 2022 17:21:19 GMT -4 Ginger said:

I agree with this article: goat.com.au/health/dave-grohl-and-foo-fighters-show-how-you-walk-back-a-wild-move-like-backing-hiv-deniers/?amp

Nate Mendel was the driving force behind getting the Foo Fighters involved with Alive and Well. His bandmates wanted to be supportive of something that he believed very strongly in. They should never have done so. That was over twenty years ago. I don't know whether Nate is still into it, but Dave and the rest of the band dropped it and made up for the mistake a long time ago. Nothing about that episode makes me think that Dave is not predominantly a nice, well-intentioned person.

Being persistently and unapologetically malignant - i.e., Eric Clapton - is different from making a mistake. Lifetime perfection is not a standard anyone should be held to.

Thanks for eating my last comment, boards!

I am NOT demanding lifetime perfection from my fellow and fallible human beings, but I am calling for Dave Grohl to take responsibility for his advocacy and support for Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives. If it’s mentioned in his memoir published last year (The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music), I haven’t heard anything in the media about it (full disclosure: I have not read the book.).

Even if it was not his initial initiative to support Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, he (along with the rest of the band) gave publicity and urged Foo Fighters fans to donate money to them. If you make mistakes, acknowledging them publicly (which Dave hasn’t done, if I recall correctly) and make amends (I acknowledge he has supported Elton John’s AIDS charity) is an important part of life.

This group is still in existence, still has tax exempt status as a nonprofit, and has spread AIDS/HIV misinformation to sub-Saharan African countries. This group has done real damage, and his silence on this subject is frustrating. I understand why he wouldn’t comment on it, because it would damage his reputation as the “nice guy of Rock”.

Also, R.I.P. to Taylor Hawkins (and Kurt Cobain) and I acknowledge that my timing in bringing my issues with Dave is not to diminish the grief and sorrow he feels (and still feels in the latter) for their tragic and premature deaths.

I will cosign on Eric Clapton “being persistently and unapologetically malignant“ and I will amend to your statement that he is a DEEPLY overrated guitarist.

[ahah]

Mar 29, 2022 3:08:10 GMT -4 cremetangerine82 said:

Mar 27, 2022 17:21:19 GMT -4 Ginger said:

I agree with this article: goat.com.au/health/dave-grohl-and-foo-fighters-show-how-you-walk-back-a-wild-move-like-backing-hiv-deniers/?amp

Nate Mendel was the driving force behind getting the Foo Fighters involved with Alive and Well. His bandmates wanted to be supportive of something that he believed very strongly in. They should never have done so. That was over twenty years ago. I don't know whether Nate is still into it, but Dave and the rest of the band dropped it and made up for the mistake a long time ago. Nothing about that episode makes me think that Dave is not predominantly a nice, well-intentioned person.

Being persistently and unapologetically malignant - i.e., Eric Clapton - is different from making a mistake. Lifetime perfection is not a standard anyone should be held to.

Thanks for eating my last comment, boards!

I am NOT demanding lifetime perfection from my fellow and fallible human beings, but I am calling for Dave Grohl to take responsibility for his advocacy and support for Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives. If it’s mentioned in his memoir published last year (The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music), I haven’t heard anything in the media about it (full disclosure: I have not read the book.).

Even if it was not his initial initiative to support Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, he (along with the rest of the band) gave publicity and urged Foo Fighters fans to donate money to them. If you make mistakes, acknowledging them publicly (which Dave hasn’t done, if I recall correctly) and make amends (I acknowledge he has supported Elton John’s AIDS charity) is an important part of life.

This group is still in existence, still has tax exempt status as a nonprofit, and has spread AIDS/HIV misinformation to sub-Saharan African countries. This group has done real damage, and his silence on this subject is frustrating. I understand why he wouldn’t comment on it, because it would damage his reputation as the “nice guy of Rock”.

Also, R.I.P. to Taylor Hawkins (and Kurt Cobain) and I acknowledge that my timing in bringing my issues with Dave is not to diminish the grief and sorrow he feels (and still feels in the latter) for their tragic, preventable, and premature deaths.

I will cosign on Eric Clapton “being persistently and unapologetically malignant“ and I will amend to your statement that he is a DEEPLY overrated guitarist.

I've read the book, he does not mention it. But it's also not an autobiography. It's a book of various stories about his life, so there are a lot of things not covered. Some of the things not covered are things like meeting his wife, or the birth of his kids. So it's not a matter of this the band's involvement and mistake here does not rank as something highly important to him - it was just not that kind of book.

As for him taking the more public repentance that you are looking for here - if Nate still believes in this stuff, doing so could have an impact on their relationship and the band at large. Sometimes what looks like the right thing to do on a micro level turns out not to be what is best in the larger picture. That may be why he has fixed the situation on more subtle ways such has his support for Elton John's work for AIDS.

[Oxynia]

Also, R.I.P. to Taylor Hawkins (and Kurt Cobain) and I acknowledge that my timing in bringing my issues with Dave is not to diminish the grief and sorrow he feels (and still feels in the latter) for their tragic, preventable, and premature deaths.

Not sure if Taylor's death can be deemed "preventable" as we don't know how he died. His cardiac issues could have been entirely genetic and inevitable, or facilitated by drug use. The official cause of death has yet to be announced, so I'd reserve conclusive statements until then.

I think Dave and the band have overall done far more good than bad in their lifetimes, so a public atonement for past mistakes doesn't feel necessary. If Alive and Well is still able to make a noise this many years on, it's due to factors well beyond Foo Fighters.

ETA: Unsurprisingly, the Foos have just canceled all of their upcoming tour dates. Their statement reads:

“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother. We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned. Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together. With Love, Foo Fighters.”