Dave Grohl

[Deleted]

Understandably The Foo Fighters have cancelled everything for the foreseeable future.

I hope they all are allowed to grieve as they wish.

[cremetangerine82]

Mar 29, 2022 12:51:30 GMT -4 Oxynia said:

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.”

Good point on Taylor’s death, so I have edited that word out of my post.

I still feel that Dave should address it, “subtle” is not in the public’s vocabulary these days, and an explicit apology would be more than appreciated. I can’t demand it from him, but I’m just suggesting it.

The future of the Foo Fighters looks uncertain, so I’m sad about that (never was a huge fan, but so sad for the Foo Fighters community of fans). At least the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while Taylor was still alive. Alice in Chains and Soundgarden still aren’t in!

[Mutagen]

Presented with a big grain of salt: Rolling Stone article on Taylor Hawkins' last days. Hawkins' family and the surviving Foos declined to be interviewed for this article, and the management disputes several comments from people who are interviewed. Matt Cameron, one of the interviewees, has already issued an apology for his comments being "shaped into a narrative I had never intended.”

Basically, the article suggests that Taylor wanted to stop or ease off on touring as he found the Foos' schedule too grueling, but his concerns were ignored/sidelined. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some kernel of truth, but with so many relevant people not commenting and without an official cause of death released, I'm still reserving judgment. 

[Binky]

Yeah, I feel like this is some “he could have been saved!” nonsense. A kernel of truth about an aging rocker who probably had some changing plans but no intention of stopping (any of his rock star life, touring or drug use).

[Ginger]

I think most musicians who have been touring for a long time (for Taylor ~30 years) probably grouse to their friends about how tough it is and how sick they are of it from time to time. It seems like Rolling Stone is trying to make that into a cause of death and create a storyline about Dave Grohl and guilt.

[Oxynia]

Yeah, I agree. This is being twisted into a narrative of poor Taylor being worked to death because of Dave Grohl's touring fetish. I'm sure he had moments of exhaustion and weariness but I seriously doubt he went on the road against his will.

Not for nothing but that article was poorly written as well. Rolling Stone's standards have really slipped.

[ahah]

Rolling Stone had standards?

[Auroranorth]

May 17, 2022 20:10:29 GMT -4 Ginger said:

I think most musicians who have been touring for a long time (for Taylor ~30 years) probably grouse to their friends about how tough it is and how sick they are of it from time to time. It seems like Rolling Stone is trying to make that into a cause of death and create a storyline about Dave Grohl and guilt.

I think pretty much everyone grouses to their friends about work stuff in various ways. There are days when I struggle to summon the patience to deal with one more patron who wants something we can't do (ex: fill out their tax forms for them), or who wants me to walk them step by step on how to do something I've already shown them at least twice before. My friends hear about those days. And when we've had to call the police/emergency services three times before noon, I definitely gripe to my friends about how this is exhausting and how sick I am of dealing. While being in a successful band sounds great from the outside, even glamorous jobs have their downside. His complaints sound pretty normal to me.

Given that nobody from the band or Taylor's family was willing to be interviewed, and two of the primary interviewees have said their words were taken out of context and apologized, I am very skeptical about this article.

[cremetangerine82]

More sad news for Dave: his mother Virginia has died.

This is awful, he's probably still grieving Taylor's death.

My heart really goes out to him, considering how close he was to her.

This news looks like a false alarm, according to this news source.

[ahah]

Notable that this news has not been picked up by any major news outlets at this point. It was reported on an unverified social media account and picked up by a few media outlets, but none of the well-established news outlets.