When a band goes on hiatus, its members normally use the time off to focus on their families or start a small side project. But for Foo Fighters main man and ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl , it seems work is never truly done.
Ever since the Foos announced their break from recording and touring back in October , fans have undoubtedly been wondering when they’d see their favorite band again. As it turns out, not even Grohl knows the answer, but he’s got plenty of jobs to keep him busy in the meantime.
He was recently tapped by longtime pal and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme to play drums on that band’s long awaited sixth studio album –– he previously played on the band’s 2002 album, “Songs for the Deaf.”
Rumors also abound of a new release from Them Crooked Vultures, the supergroup Grohl founded with Homme and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones in 2009 .
Yet his biggest and perhaps riskiest undertaking is his upcoming feature film debut about Sound City Studios, the recording studio in Van Nuys, Calif., where Nirvana crafted its magnum opus “Nevermind” in 1991.
Granted, musicians who decide to break into filmmaking don’t have the best track record with critics (see: Rob Zombie , RZA ), but Grohl’s outspoken passion for the legendary — and now-defunct — studio might be the key to making him an exception.
When Sound City closed in 2011, he bought the studio’s rare Neve soundboard that recorded such iconic albums as Tom Petty’s “Damn the Torpedoes” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”
If the film’s trailer is any indication, Grohl leaves no stone unturned by conducting in-depth interviews with Petty, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks , “Nevermind” producer Butch Vig and Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor among other artists who were fortunate enough to pass through the facility’s shag-carpeted walls.
With so many big names involved, the rock-doc is sure to make a lasting impression when it premiers at Sundance this week, and with Grohl being the sweetheart he is, the fun doesn’t stop there.
“Sound City” boasts an all-star soundtrack filled with new collaborations between himself and those appearing in the film, and to promote it, Grohl has taken it upon himself to assemble what could be the mother of all supergroups: the aptly-named Sound City Players .
The lineup will take the stage in Park City, Utah this Friday and is set to include Nicks, and Grohl’s fellow Foo Fighters — guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer Taylor Hawkins. It will also include Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Rick Springfield, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor, to name a few.
Noticeably absent from the roster is Sir Paul McCartney, who performed on the soundtrack’s lead single, “Cut Me Some Slack”, with Grohl, Novoselic and Smear at the 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy benefit concert.
The effort may sound bold on Grohl’s part, but what else would you expect from the so-called nicest guy in rock ?
“Sound City” will receive a limited theatrical release beginning on Jan. 31 and will be available for digital download on Feb. 1.
