For a brief moment in 1994, it seemed like rock and roll had died. Kurt Cobain’s leadership of Nirvana had given the genre a creative rebirth. But his death left a massive void in the rock world that no one could fill. Dave Grohl has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. He admitted that one of his most celebrated works with the Foo Fighters received as much criticism as praise.
Grohl was unsure of his next steps following Cobain’s death. Grohl recalled wanting to get as far away from music as possible at the time. He feared that it would only remind him of the pain he felt after his friend died. When he saw a man on the other side of the world wearing a Kurt Cobain shirt, the drummer knew he had two options. One is to pick himself up another to continue wallowing for the rest of his life.
Rather than continue looking for work as a drummer, Grohl decided to record a few of his favorite songs. He decided to record the song on cassette at a studio a few miles up the road from his house. Much of the demos would serve as the foundation for the first Foo Fighters album with the rest of the band joining later to complete the lineup on tour.
Grohl had the opportunity to play with Tom Petty on Saturday Night Live. But he knew that pursuing his dream of becoming a rock star would provide him with creative fulfillment. As he hit the road, Grohl encountered as many detractors as supporters.
Instead of capitalizing on his celebrity status, the band’s first tours featured Grohl supporting Mike Watt of the Minutemen and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. He was touring with his side project, Hovercraft. As much fun as Grohl may have had touring the club circuit, he realized how many people despised him for forming another band.
In the documentary Back and Forth, Dave Grohl reflected on the hostility he received from old Nirvana fans. He said, “There were people who resented me for starting another band.” Like, “How dare you fucking start another band?” Many people would ask me, “Why would you continue to make music that sounds like Nirvana?” I was like, “What do you mean?” Like loud guitars and melodies, cymbal crashes, and big-ass drums? That’s what I do; I was in that band. what do you want me to do, fucking record a reggae album?”
Grohl’s music was occasionally more upbeat than that of his previous band. But the ghost of Cobain followed him around. During the album’s various press junkets, Grohl was frequently confronted with questions about Nirvana. Many outlets asked if any of the songs on the album had anything to do with Kurt Cobain.
Grohl would eventually establish himself as a sonic force to be reckoned with. He took the grunge sound and brought it to stadiums with singalong choruses like ‘Monkey Wrench‘ and ‘Everlong‘. Grohl may have had to try and run away from Nirvana’s legacy as fast as he could. But that initial resentment transformed him from the former drummer of Nirvana to one of the greatest living legends in rock and roll today.
