Killing Joke
(l-r) Guitarist Geordie Walker, vocalist Jaz Coleman, returning drummer Paul Ferguson, and bassist Martin "Youth" Glover
Background information
Origin	Notting Hill, London, England
Genres	Post-punk,[1] New Wave,[2] gothic rock,[3][4] industrial,[5] alternative rock,[5] heavy metal[6]
Years active	1978–1996, 2002–present
Labels	Spinefarm, Candlelight, Cooking Vinyl, Zuma Recordings, Butterfly, Invisible, E.G., Malicious Damage
Website	www.killingjoke.com
Members
Jaz Coleman Kevin "Geordie" Walker Martin "Youth" Glover Paul Ferguson Reza Udhin
Past members
Paul Raven Ben Calvert Geoffrey Dugmore Nick Holywell-Walker Martin Atkins Dave Kovacevic Ted Parsons Dave 'Taif' Ball Dave Grohl Troy Gregory Joe Mojica

Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England;^[1][7] other sources report the band formed in early 1979.^{[8][9][10][11]} Founding members Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards) and Geordie Walker (guitars) have been the only constant members.

A key influence on industrial rock,^[12] their early music was described by critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and John Dougan^[13] as "quasi-metal ... dancing to a tune of doom and gloom", which gradually evolved over the years, incorporating elements of electronic music, synthpop, gothic rock,^[14][4] and alternative rock,^[6][15] though always emphasising Coleman's "savagely strident vocals".^[12]

Finding modest commercial success, Killing Joke have influenced many later bands, such as Nirvana, Ministry, Amen, Lamb of God, Nine Inch Nails, Porcupine Tree, Napalm Death, Behemoth, Amebix, Big Black, Opeth, Murderdolls, Godflesh, Scorn, Hole, Dead by April, Marilyn Manson, Tool, Prong, Metallica, Franz Ferdinand, Primus, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Faith No More, Nick Harper, Blacklist, Shihad, Pitchshifter, Das Oath, Rammstein, and Korn, all of whom have at some point cited some debt of gratitude to Killing Joke.^{[9][16][17][18]}

History[link]

1978–1982[link]

"Big" Paul Ferguson was drummer in the Matt Stagger Band when he met Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman (from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire) in Notting Hill, London. In October 1978 (or early 1979), after Coleman was briefly keyboard player in that band, he and Ferguson left to form Killing Joke. They placed an advertisement in the music press which attracted guitarist Kevin "Geordie" Walker and bassist Martin "Youth" Glover. According to Coleman, their manifesto was to "define the exquisite beauty of the atomic age in terms of style, sound and form".^[8]

By September 1979, shortly before the release of their debut EP, Turn to Red, they began the Malicious Damage record label with graphic artist Mike Coles as a way to press and sell their music;^[19] Island Records distributed the records, until Malicious Damage switched to E.G. Records (then aligned with Virgin Records) in 1980. The songs on Killing Joke's early singles were primitive punk rock sometimes mixed with electronic ("Nervous System" and "Turn to Red"). Turn to Red came to the attention of legendary DJ John Peel, who was keen to champion the band's urgent new sound and gave them extensive airplay. They quickly progressed this sound into something denser, more aggressive, and more akin to heavy metal, as heard on their first two albums, Killing Joke (1980) and the more abrasive What's THIS For...! (1981). They toured extensively throughout the UK during this time, and both fans of post punk and heavy metal took interest in Killing Joke through singles such as "Follow the Leaders" (1981).^[8]

Killing Joke became notorious largely due to the controversies that arose from their imagery. Typically the images that appeared on their records and on-stage while performing live were bizarre and potentially shocking and inflammatory. One promotion poster featured a photo of a priest walking among rows of soldiers offering Fascist salutes, which was later used for the cover of the band's compilation album, Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!. Shortly afterwards, the band was banned from performing a concert in Glasgow, Scotland. At the same time, some journalists were suspicious about Killing Joke's image and wrote that "Killing Joke's music includes certain fascist tendencies...". Killing Joke had various 'run-ins' with a number of music journalists at the time.

Killing Joke's third album, Revelations, produced by Conny Plank, was released in 1982, and supported by a pair of performances on BBC Radio's The John Peel Show and by the singles "Chop-Chop", "Empire Song", and an unofficial release of "We Have Joy". The LP reached #12 in the UK Top albums.^[20]

By 1982, members of Killing Joke, especially Coleman, had become immersed in the occult, particularly the works of occultist Aleister Crowley. In February of that year, Coleman, with Geordie and Youth following shortly after, moved to Iceland to survive the Apocalypse, which Coleman predicted was coming soon. While in Iceland, Coleman and Geordie worked with musicians from the band Þeyr in the project Niceland. After a few months, Youth decided there was no indication of the Apocalypse, and decided to move back to England. Youth then began the band Brilliant with Paul Ferguson, but the latter defected and travelled to Iceland to rejoin Killing Joke with new bassist Paul Raven (previously of Neon Hearts and the rock / glam band Kitsch) in tow. After spending some time in Iceland, Killing Joke returned to England and began touring and recording again.

The new line-up soon produced, again with Conny Plank, the single "Birds of a Feather / Sun Goes Down / Flock the B-Side" and Ha!, a six-track 10" EP of a live performance recorded live at Larry's Hideaway in Toronto in August.

1983–1988[link]

Killing Joke's fourth album, Fire Dances (1983), contained music that, like that heard on the "Birds of a Feather" single, was artier and relatively calmer than before, which began a new direction. This was continued with the non LP singles "Me or You" (1983, b/w "Wilful Days") and "A New Day" (1984, b/w a dance remix or dub mix of the same), the latter promoted with a music video.^[8]

Mixing their sound with a slightly pop style, and with Coleman singing and not growling, Killing Joke had developed a variation of New Wave on their fifth album, Night Time (1985). They achieved mainstream success with the single "Love Like Blood" which covered all ground from goth^[21] to dance : it peaked at number 16 in the UK^[22] and number 8 in the Netherlands. Night Time also included the singles "Eighties" (1984) and "Kings and Queens" (1985), which both reached the UK Top 75. The album itself reached number 11 in the Uk.^[20]

The music on Killing Joke's sixth album, Brighter than a Thousand Suns (1986), was mostly similar in sound and mood to "Love like Blood". While no less aggressive and heavy than their older work, Brighter Than a Thousand Suns diverged musically in ways that lead to controversy among listeners. In this case, disagreements between fans and critics alike included opinions on whether the band was conforming with pressures from EG Records to develop a more commercial sound, to whether the songs were relevant for those listeners more comfortable with their proto post-punk beginnings. The record was a commercial failure compared to the previous effort : it didn't go in the top 50 in the UK charts.^[20] However, two singles were released from the album - "Adorations" and "Sanity" - and the band continued touring successfully until the end of the year.^[8]

In 1987, Coleman began plans for a solo record of unusual music, and he made demos of his songs, on which he performed with Geordie's assistance. The project ran way over budget and so, despite Coleman's objections, the record company decided that the music would be released under the name "Killing Joke" in order to best recoup the costs. Attempts were made to include Killing Joke rhythm section members Raven and Ferguson, but it didn't work out, and tensions ultimately led to both being dismissed from the band. Session player Jimmy Copley was then brought in to provide the drumming on the songs, along with percussion player Jeff Scantlebury.

The resulting album, Outside the Gate (1988), is Killing Joke's most controversial album, due to its synth-led sonics and disagreement over the quality of the material. Sounds said of the album : "It's a stodgy, inconclusive LP that fails in all but the most basic of senses to achieve its end, leaving us feeling soured and unimpressed."^[23] NME shared the same point of view and depicted it as "a private breakfast of ideas, depicting poor old Jaz wading through quicksand with his jeans rolled down yet again. Worse ... he seems to be wandering off in exactly the same direction."^[24] Outside the gate is not signature-sound Killing Joke, being built around Coleman's orchestral keyboards instead of Geordie's distinctive guitar riffs, which were all but drowned out in the final mix. Two singles, "America" and "My Love of This Land", were released from the album but did little to improve its fortunes, although the b-sides were live versions of old material. The video for the former features Coleman and Geordie with drummer Jimmy Copley and session bassist Jerome Rimson, who never actually recorded with the band.^[25] No live dates were played to support the album and the band spent much of 1988 in a legal battle as they tried to split from their management and record company, E.G. This struggle resulted in Coleman suffering a nervous breakdown.^{[citation needed]}

On 19 September 1987 Coleman had delivered a lecture at London's Courtauld Institute outlining the thinking behind the then-unreleased Outside the Gate album, touching on numerology and the occult. Geordie and percussionist Jeff Scantlebury provided a minimal musical backing at the event. A recording of the lecture was eventually released under the title The Courtauld Talks on Martin Atkins' Invisible Records in 1989.

1989–1991[link]

Towards the end of 1988, Coleman and Geordie decided to get Killing Joke up and running again as a live band, and they began looking for full-time bass players and drummers. First on board was drummer Martin Atkins, who had gained notability in Public Image Ltd. and later Ministry and Pigface. A suitable bass player proved more difficult. Former Smiths man Andy Rourke was hired, then dismissed after only three days. Eventually the band settled on Welsh bass player Dave "Taif" Ball, and played their first gigs in almost two years in December 1988.^[26] These were seen as a return to form, and featured the best of their 1980 to 1985 work, alongside powerful new material which alluded to the band's earlier, harsher sound. Nothing from Brighter Than a Thousand Suns or Outside the Gate was played (and indeed, never has been since). Touring continued across the UK, Europe and the US until August 1989, when the band took a break to record its new material in Germany, and to allow Jaz Coleman time to record Songs from the Victorious City with Anne Dudley of Art of Noise, which was released the following year.

For reasons which remain unclear, the German Killing Joke sessions were shelved and bass player Taif left the band to be replaced by old hand Paul Raven. The revised line-up began recording again, this time in London, and the result was Killing Joke's eighth album, the ferocious Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions, released on the German Noise International label in 1990. It included some of the heaviest, noisiest and harshest music ever to appear on a Killing Joke record, although the progressive musical spirit of the previous two albums remained as well. The many highlights included "Solitude", "Slipstream", "Age of Greed" and the single "Money Is Not Our God". Once again, the band toured Europe and North America, but by the middle of 1991 this promising new line-up had imploded. Coleman emigrated to New Zealand to live on a remote Pacific island, and it looked as though Killing Joke was over for good.

Geordie Walker, Martin Atkins, Paul Ferguson, Paul Raven and the band's live keyboard player John Bechdel (Ministry, Fear Factory, Prong, Pigface, Abstinence, False Icons, Ascension of the Watchers) added Scottish vocalist Chris Connelly (Finitribe, Revolting Cocks) and continued as the short-lived Murder, Inc., releasing a self-titled album in 1992.

1992–1996[link]

Youth and Jaz (1994)

A Killing Joke anthology, Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!, was released in 1992, and during its production, Geordie was re-acquainted with Youth, who suggested that they reform the band with himself back on bass. That same year, two singles (on cassette and CD) appeared featuring the early songs "Change" and "Wardance" in several new versions remixed by Youth, by then a very successful producer.

Coleman had produced the 1993 debut album Churn by the New Zealand Band Shihad and Shihad drummer Tom Larkin played drums on some of the songs on Pandemonium. Relations later soured between Coleman and Shihad due to a dispute over Coleman's production fee for Churn, and the fact that Shihad considered him a "megalomaniac". Shihad's second album, 1995's Killjoy, includes a song about Coleman and the dispute: 'Silvercup'. Coleman has also made a number of disparaging remarks about Shihad in the media. Shihad singer and guitarist Jon Toogood says his band have since put the dispute behind them.

Killing Joke also sued Nirvana during this phase, alleging that the riff for the latter's song "Come as You Are" was copied from the riff for their song "Eighties".^[10][11] The lawsuit was dropped after the sudden death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.^[27]

The reactivated Killing Joke released two strong and well-received albums on Youth's Butterfly Recordings label, Pandemonium and Democracy, which saw the band shift back to the simpler arrangements of their early albums whilst also (on 12 inch remixes) employ young talent, the likes of Waxworth Industries in order to provide an alternative inroad to the bands new and evolving sound. Pandemonium (1994) wove a metallesque ritualistic sound with mosh beats and loops and provided Killing Joke with a memorable Top of the Pops performance for the single 'Millennium', which was a UK Top 40 hit (the album itself made the Top 20). The title track was also released as a single and made the UK Top 30. Democracy (1996) successfully introduced acoustic guitar into the mix, as well as adopting more of a "live band" sound again. The title track was again released as a single and made the UK Top 40. Much of Pandemonium and all of Democracy featured session drummer Geoff Dugmore. He also played live with the band throughout this era. Nick Holywell-Walker joined the band on keyboards and programming for 11 years from 1994–2005, notably on Democracy and XXV Gathering (live). Youth bowed out of live performance early in the Democracy tour and was replaced by Troy Gregory, ex Prong.^[8]

After the Democracy tour, the band went on an extended hiatus. Jaz Coleman and Youth produced a string of well-received orchestral rock albums based on the music of legends such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Doors. Coleman became Composer-in-Residence for New Zealand and Czech symphony orchestras.^[28][29] He seems to have become something of a celebrity in the Czech Republic and made his acting debut with the main role in the film Rok ďábla (Year of the Devil) by Czech filmmaker Petr Zelenka (who later would direct the video for "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell").^[9]

2002–2007[link]

Coleman, Geordie and Youth reformed Killing Joke in 2002, and recorded their second self-titled album. Produced by Andy Gill and released to much acclaim in 2003 on the Zuma/Sony label, it was heralded as a powerful addition to Extremities and other visceral 1990s albums, and considered one of their finest recordings. In 2003 the band played at the biggest open-air festival in Europe (400,000 - 500,000 rock fans every year) - Przystanek Woodstock^[30] in Poland.The War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq were cited as major factors in their reforming, and this is reflected in the lyrical content of much of the album, based on themes of war, government control and Armageddon. The album, which almost reached the UK Top 40, was their heaviest to date and spawned two singles, "Loose Cannon" (a UK Top 25 hit) and "Seeing Red". The songs are all credited to Coleman/Walker/Glover/Gill, although Raven's name is also on the list of musicians on the liner notes, marking his return to the band after more than a decade. It remains unclear who actually played bass on which tracks on the album, and in some interviews with Geordie, he hints that it may have been he who actually played bass on most of the songs, with occasional contributions from Youth. Raven played on the subsequent tour, with Youth appearing to have retired from the band by this point. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Probot, Them Crooked Vultures), a longtime fan of the band, occupied the drum stool for all tracks. The original plan had been to use many different drummers on the album, including Grohl, but he was so enthusiastic about the material that he persuaded the band to let him do the whole thing. The album was accompanied by a tour of the United States, Europe and Australia in 2003/2004, with ex-Prong drummer Ted Parsons on board.

In February 2005, now with young Twin Zero and Sack Trick drummer Ben Calvert, Killing Joke played two consecutive shows at London's Shepherds Bush Empire to commemorate their 25th anniversary. DVD and CD recordings from these concerts were released in on Cooking Vinyl in the fall of 2005 as XXV Gathering: The Band That Preys Together Stays Together.

In June 2005, remastered and expanded editions of their two 1990s Butterfly Recordings albums, Pandemonium and Democracy, were released by Cooking Vinyl. These were followed in July by their first four albums (Killing Joke to Ha!) on EMI, who by then owned the E.G. Records catalogue. (The second batch of EMI remasters would not appear until January 2008.)

In mid-2005, Frontman from Industrial band, INERTIA, Reza Udhin, joins the band on Keyboards and they supported the British leg of Mötley Crüe's world tour and then began work on their next album in Prague. It was at this time the contribution to the world of rock was recognised when they were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Kerrang Awards.

Opting for simplicity and raw energy, the band recorded the new album in the basement rehearsal space of Faust Studios, going for live takes with the minimum of overdubs. The result was Hosannas from the Basements of Hell, released in April 2006 on Cooking Vinyl, which made the UK Top 75.

Killing Joke began a European tour in support of the album in April 2006. Bass player Paul Raven abruptly departed after a few dates to tour with Ministry and was temporarily replaced by Kneill Brown. The tour included an appearance headlining the MySpace stage of the Download Festival on 10 June 2006, which received four K's from Kerrang! magazine. Other highlights of the summer included a memorable set in Japan at the Fuji Rock festival where there were joined on stage by Orb frontman Alex Paterson (once a Killing Joke drum roadie) and headlining the Beautiful Days festival in the UK. The band's momentum suffered another blow, when health problems caused the autumn leg of the tour to be cancelled.

In October 2006, it was announced that Coleman had been chosen as Composer in Residence for the European Union. As Composer in Residence he will be commissioned to write music for special occasions.^[28][29]

Early in 2007, Killing Joke released three archival collections via Candlelight Records. The first, Inside Extremities, is a double CD of material taken from the band's preparations for the Extremities album: rehearsals, rare mixes, a previously unheard track, "The Fanatic", and a full live show from the Extremities tour.^[31] This was followed by Bootleg Vinyl Archive Volumes 1 & 2, each of which is a 3 CD box set of live-in-concert bootleg recordings originally released on vinyl in the 1980s, plus the Astoria gig from the Pandemonium tour which was voted one of the greatest gigs of all time by Kerrang.^[32]

In October 2007, the classic 1990 album Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions, which had long been out of print, was reissued in remastered form on Candlelight Records.

On 20 October, Paul Raven died of heart failure prior to a recording session in Geneva, Switzerland.^{[33][34][35][36][37][38]} In his honour, Coleman composed a lament for a 21st century Englishman (The Night Raven, the Tower and the Cenotaph).

On 28 January 2008 the albums Fire Dances, Night Time, Brighter than a Thousand Suns, and Outside the Gate were finally re-issued in remastered form with bonus tracks by EMI. Each of these carries the message "Dedicated to our brother Paul Vincent Raven 1961–2007".

2008–present[link]

Killing Joke plays live in Paris during the 2008 tour (Le Trabendo, 27 September 2008).

After the death of Paul Raven, the original line up of Jaz, Youth, Geordie and Paul Ferguson announced they were to reunite. Coleman told Terrorizer magazine that:

"Everything came together when we all met at...Raven's funeral. It was funny the unifying effect it had on all of us. It made us realise our mortality and how important Killing Joke is to all of us."^[39]

The original line-up of Killing Joke assembled in Granada, Spain, to prepare a world tour consisting of two nights in various capital cities of the world, playing a programme of four complete albums. The rehearsals will be immortalised on Duende - The Spanish Sessions, released in 2008 on Estworld Recordings. The first nights were dedicated to their first two albums, Killing Joke and What's THIS For...!, while the second night featured large parts of 'Pandemonium' plus some early singles released on Island records. The world tour began on 11 September in Tokyo and concluded in Chicago on 14 October.^[40]

Killing Joke performing at the 2009 Ilosaarirock festival.

Killing Joke released an album of radio session recordings, "The Peel Sessions 1979-1981", on 8 September 2008. This is the second time all 17 tracks were released in their live session form. According to Discogs.com, the tracks on this disc were originally unofficially released as a CD-R by Pontiac Records, titled Unspeakable.^[41] Legal distribution outside of concerts did not apply, and only 1000 copies were sold in 1985 at Top of the Pops, when Killing Joke performed Love Like Blood.^{[citation needed]}

The band continued its reformation by playing the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2009. They performed at the Sonisphere festival in Knebworth, UK on 2 August^[42] and headlined the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool.^[43] Killing Joke performed in The Big Top Tent at the 2009 Isle Of Wight Festival after being hand picked by Tim Burgess, frontman for The Charlatans.^[44]

In October–November, Killing Joke record their new CD with the original line-up. All members of Killing Joke have commented that this is the single most important work that Killing Joke have ever done. The new album was released on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and Japan, and on 1 October in Europe on Spinefarm Records under the title Absolute Dissent, marking the 30th Anniversary for Killing Joke.^[45] It was preceded by the In Excelsis EP released on 23 June 2010, and followed by a tour in the UK, Europe and North America for promoting the album.

In November, the band was honoured with the trophy for Innovator at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour 2010 marking their unique evolution of sound over the last 30 plus years which has incorporated electronic, synth and alternative rock and influenced a generation of rock acts including Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More and Tool. They were awarded the honour at the Roundhouse in London by long time fan of the band Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.^[46] On 26 November 2010 Killing Joke released a special edition Record Store Day Black Friday 2-CD set called, Absolute Dissent (Deluxe Edition) for independent record stores.^[47]

The band's new album was critically acclaimed all round, and they embarked on a European and UK tour culminating in a performance at the Hammersmith Apollo London. This was followed by a performance at London's Royal Festival Hall in the New Year, and this was recorded for an upcoming live album and a headline slot at the UK's largest urban festival, the Camden Crawl. The band were also honoured at The Metal Hammer annual awards, receiving The Album of the Year award. Summer festivals followed including a memorable performance at Sonisphere Knebworth with the band retiring to Spain to record a new album for 2012.

On 2 April 2012 Killing Joke released a new album titled MMXII on Spinefarm Records / Universal. It reached #44 upon its first week of release, the band's highest UK chart-placing since their eponymous album of 2003.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Killing Joke (1980)
• What's THIS For...! (1981)
• Revelations (1982)
• Fire Dances (1983)
• Night Time (1985)
• Brighter than a Thousand Suns (1986)
• Outside the Gate (1988)
• The Courtauld Talks (1989)
• Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions (1990)
• Pandemonium (1994)
• Democracy (1996)
• Killing Joke (2003)
• Hosannas from the Basements of Hell (2006)
• Absolute Dissent (2010)
• MMXII (2012)

Films[link]

Killing Joke are the subject of a feature length documentary film The Death and Resurrection Show scheduled for release in 2012. Two preview trailers have been released combining archive footage of Killing Joke over the last 31 years with new and unseen footage of recent live tours, recording sessions including the Great Pyramid and interview subjects including Jaz Coleman, Geordie, Youth, Jimmy Page, Peter Hook, Chris Kimsey, Mike Coles, Dave Grohl, Alex Patterson and Laurence Gardner discussing Killing Joke, UFOs, mysticism, religion and the end of the world. Locations featured in the trailers include the Egyptian Pyramids, the Nazca Lines in Peru, Snæfellsjökull glacier in Iceland, Iona in Scotland, Glastonbury Tor in England and numerous venues, bars, outdoor locations and rainforests in New Zealand, LA and England. The film is produced by New Zealand's ILC Productions, UK indie Coffee Films and Jaz Coleman, with filmmaker, photographer and lifelong Gatherer Shaun Pettigrew directing.^[48]

Side projects[link]

• Niceland
• Brilliant
• Pigface
• Murder, Inc.
• The Damage Manual
• Transmission
• The Fireman
• Inertia^[49]

Influence[link]

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• In 1982 the Canadian dark synthpop band named themselves Psyche after the B-Side of Killing Joke's "Wardance" single although the spelling on the single was Pssyche.
• Also in 1982, GC Green & Paul Neville first came together as Fall of Because, named after the first track on What's THIS For...! and were later joined by Justin Broadrick, setting the foundations of Godflesh, who covered "Requiem" live, with Raven on bass.^[50]
• Justin K. Broadrick cited Killing joke as an important influence in his use of melodies in his music.
• In 1987, Metallica covered Killing Joke's "The Wait" for their E.P. Garage Days Re-Revisited. James Hetfield picked Jaz as one of his top 20 favourite singer for a poll in Rolling Stone.^[51]
• In some early interviews, the members of Soundgarden cited Killing Joke as one of the bands they listen to most.^[16][17]
• In 1989, German gothic band Love Like Blood covered the name-giving track on the Love Like Blood EP and on the Snakekiller album.
• The main riff of Nirvana's song "Come as You Are" bears a striking resemblance to the riff of Killing Joke's single, "Eighties". The band did not file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which, according to Rolling Stone, was "due to personal and financial reasons."
• In 1993, Helmet covered Killing Joke's "Primitive" for the B-side to the single "Born Annoying".
• In 1993, Econoline Crush covered Killing Joke's "Psyche" (a B-side from their "Wardance" single) for their Purge EP.
• In 1994, Hoppy Kamiyama used a looped sample from "Exit" that was used in his God Mountain Orchestra project on the track "Lebanon", released on the Japanese compilation, "Neu Konservatiw".
• In 1995, Icehouse covered "Love like Blood" on their album The Berlin Tapes.
• In 1997, the Foo Fighters covered Killing Joke's "Requiem" for the B-side to the single "Everlong". Dave Grohl, leader and guitarist of Foo Fighters, played drums for the recording sessions of Killing Joke's second self-titled album in 2003.
• In 2001, Amen covered Killing Joke's "Europe" during a session on BBC Radio One in 2001. The recording of this song was later the B-side for their single "Too Hard to Be Free".
• In 2001, The Mad Capsule Markets covered Killing Joke's "Wardance" on their album 010.
• In 2002, Blacklight (Oliver Heydt, Olaf Wollschäger) made a double 12" with their five remixed versions of "Love Like Blood".
• In 2002, Finnish band Kotiteollisuus released an EP ±0 containing a "Tappava Pila remix" of their song "Valtakunta", meaning 'killing joke remix', as tribute to Killing Joke's "Millenium".

Kotiteollisuus is also on the Killing Joke Tribute-album, with their Finnish language cover of "Pandemonium".

• In 2002, LCD Soundsystem released "Losing My Edge" which is based around b-side "Change".^[52]
• In 2003, German band blackmail covered "Love Like Blood". It was released as a download track on their homepage and as a bonus track on the Japan edition of their album Friend Or Foe? as well.
• In 2003, the German death metal band Disbelief covered "Democracy" on the album Spreading the Rage.
• In 2004, Nouvelle Vague covered "Psyche" on their self-titled debut album.
• In 2005, Swiss band MXD covered "Pandemonium" on their album Frustration Is Fuel.
• In 2005, Fear Factory covered Killing Joke's "Millennium" on their album Transgression.
• In 2005 German Experimental Duo ALLES arranged and recorded a Symphonic Killing Joke Album : "Ode to the Joke that kills". But E.M.I.Publishers refused a physical release. So it`s since then shelved by it`s Creators.
• In 2009, Swiss cyber-metallers Sybreed covered "Love Like Blood" on their album The Pulse of Awakening.
• In 2009 Behemoth (band) covered Killing Joke's "Total Invasion" off of their 2003 self titled album Killing Joke.
• Other professed fans of Killing Joke include Ministry, Amebix, Front Line Assembly, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Melvins, Faith No More, KMFDM, The Complications, The Freeze, Born Dead Icons, Godflesh, Napalm Death, Jesu, Mr. Bungle, VX, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, I Am Spoonbender, Primus, Queen Adreena, Jello Biafra, Prong, The Red Star Ritual, Burning Image, The Process Void, Big Black, Lycia, Shitakke Fiddlefaddle, Ikon, Whispers in the Shadow, Morgoth, Project 86 and Soulwax.
• In 2010, Dead By April covered "Love like Blood" and released it as a single.
• A Killing Joke tribute album by some of the most famous artists such as Foo Fighters, Metallica, and many others was released as the second CD of the Deluxe Edition of Absolute Dissent.

See also[link]

• Wikipedia books: Killing Joke

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Killing Joke

Love Like Blood is a German gothic rock/gothic metal band.

Biography[link]

Its nucleus consists of Eysel brothers (Yorck-vocals, lyrics and Gunnar - bass). The band was active in the years 1989-2001 and is now on (indefinite) hiatus. Its early sound reminisces the style of The Fields of the Nephilim. They made their breakthrough with the 1992 album “An Irony of Fate”, which marked the debut of the English guitarist Mark Wheeler. This album showcased a transition to a more hard-rock-influenced style.

In the middle of the 1990s, Love Like Blood turned to Gothic metal with the album "Exposure".

On their 2000 album, "Enslaved + Condemned", Love Like Blood made a rendition of Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry's song "Seven Seconds", giving the pop song a more ragged metal-oriented cover.

In January 2010 it was announced that Love Like Blood would be performing live for the "first and only" time since 1999 at the Twentieth Anniversary Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in Leipzig.^[1]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Flags of Revolution (1989)
• An Irony of Fate (1992)
• Sinister Dawn/Ecstasy (1992)
• Odyssee (1994)
• Exposure (1995)
• Snakekiller (1998)
• Enslaved+Condemned (2000)
• The Best of Love Like Blood [Swordlilies] (2000)
• Chronology of a Love Affair (2001)

Singles[link]

• "Sinister Dawn" (1989)
• "Ecstasy" (1991)
• "Kiss & Tell" (1992)
• "Demimondes" (1992)
• "Flood of Love" (1993)
• "Heroes" (1993)
• "Stormy Visions" (1993)
• "Taste of Damocles" (1997)
• The Love Like Blood E.P. (1998)
• "Love Kills" (2000)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official webpage
• Unofficial polish Love Like Blood webpage

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

Dave Grohl
Grohl, Milton Keynes National Bowl, July 3, 2011
Background information
Birth name	David Eric Grohl
Also known as	Davy Grolton, Dale Nixon, Late! (pseudonym for his solo album Pocketwatch), and Dr. G (as Tenacious D's drummer) .
Born	(1969-01-14) January 14, 1969 (age 43) Warren, Ohio
Genres	Alternative rock, grunge, post-grunge, hard rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano
Years active	1986–present
Labels	RCA, Capitol, DGC, Dischord
Associated acts	Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Scream, Dain Bramage, Probot, Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Tenacious D, The Muppets, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Notable instruments
Gibson SG Custom Gibson DG-335/Trini Lopez[1] Gibson Firebird[2][3] Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexi[4]

David Eric "Dave" Grohl (born January 14, 1969)^[5][6] is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and founder of the Foo Fighters, prior to which he was the drummer in the grunge band Nirvana. He is also the drummer and co-founder of the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. Grohl has additionally written all the music and performed all the instruments for his short-lived side projects Late! and Probot, as well as being involved with Queens of the Stone Age numerous times throughout the past decade. He has performed session work (as a drummer) for a variety of musicians, including Garbage, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, Slash, Juliette Lewis, Tenacious D, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Lemmy Kilmister.

Early life[link]

As a child, Grohl's family relocated from Warren, Ohio, to Springfield, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Three years later, when Grohl was six, his parents divorced,^[7] and Grohl grew up living with his mother.

At the age of twelve, Grohl began learning to play guitar. He quickly grew tired of lessons and instead taught himself, and began playing in bands with friends.^[5][8] A year later, Grohl and his sister spent the summer in Evanston, Illinois, at their cousin Tracy's house. Tracy introduced them to punk rock by taking the pair to shows by a variety of punk bands. His first concert was in 1982 to see Naked Raygun at The Cubby Bear in Chicago when he was 13 years old.^[9] "From then on we were totally punk," Grohl explained. "We went home and bought Maximumrocknroll and tried to figure it all out."^[8]

In Virginia, Grohl attended Thomas Jefferson High School as a freshman and sophomore. He was elected vice president of his freshman class and played bits of songs by bands like the Circle Jerks and Bad Brains over the school intercom before his morning announcements. During his junior year, Grohl and his mother decided that he should transfer to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria because his marijuana usage was affecting his grades.^[8]

While in high school, Grohl played in several local bands, including a stint on guitar in a band called Freak Baby. While playing in Freak Baby, he taught himself to play drums.^[5] When Freak Baby kicked out its bass player, Grohl decided to switch to drums, and the new band called themselves Mission Impossible.^[8] During his developing years as a drummer, Grohl cited John Bonham as his greatest influence, and eventually had Bonham's three-circle logo tattooed on his wrist.^[10] Mission Impossible later rebranded themselves Fast before breaking up, after which Grohl joined the post-punk-influenced hardcore punk band Dain Bramage.^[11][12]

Many of Grohl's early influences were gained at the 9:30 club, a live music venue in Washington D.C.: "I went to the 9:30 club hundreds of times. I was always so excited to get there, and I was always bummed when it closed. I spent my teenage years at the club and saw some shows that changed my life."^[13]

Musical career[link]

Scream (1986–1990)[link]

Dave Grohl with Scream, 1990.

At the age of seventeen, Grohl auditioned with local DC favorites Scream to fill the vacancy left by the departure of drummer Kent Stax. In order to be lined up for the audition, Grohl had lied about his age, claiming he was 20.^[14] To Grohl's surprise, the band asked him to join. After waffling for a brief period, Grohl accepted the offer. Grohl dropped out of high school in his junior year; he said, "I was seventeen and extremely anxious to see the world, so I did it."^[15] Over the next four years, Grohl toured extensively with the band, recording a couple of live albums (their May 4, 1990 show in Alzey, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10) and two studio albums, No More Censorship and Fumble, on which Grohl penned and sang vocals on the song "Gods Look Down".

While playing in Scream, Grohl became a fan of Melvins and eventually befriended the band. During a 1990 tour stop on the west coast, The Melvins' Buzz Osborne took a couple of his friends, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, to see the band.^[16]

Nirvana (1990–1994)[link]

A few months later, Scream unexpectedly disbanded following the departure of its bass player. Grohl called Osborne for advice, and the latter gave Grohl's phone number to Krist Novoselic, who invited Grohl to Seattle. Grohl subsequently auditioned for Nirvana, and soon joined them full-time.^[17]

At the time that Grohl joined Nirvana, the band had already recorded several demos for the follow-up to their debut album Bleach, having spent time recording with producer Butch Vig in Wisconsin. Initially, the plan was to release the album on Sub Pop, but the band received a great deal of major label interest based on the demos. Grohl spent the initial months with Nirvana traveling to various major labels as the band shopped for a deal, eventually signing with DGC Records. In the spring of 1991, the band entered the studio to record the album.

Upon its release, Nevermind exceeded all expectations and became a massive success, catapulting the band to worldwide stardom. At the same time, Grohl was struggling with his status in the band. While his drumming style was a significant element in the band's success, Grohl saw himself as just another in a long line of drummers. In his mind, Nirvana was the band that recorded Bleach; his arrival had altered that sound dramatically, and as he saw it, not necessarily in a positive way. Though Grohl had been writing songs for several years, he declined to introduce his songs to the band for fear of damaging their chemistry. Instead, he compiled and recorded them himself, releasing a cassette called Pocketwatch in 1992 on indie label Simple Machines. Rather than using his own name, Grohl released the cassette under the pseudonym "Late!".

In the later years of Nirvana, Grohl's songwriting contributions increased. In Grohl's initial months in Seattle, Cobain overheard him working on a song called "Color Pictures of a Marigold", and the two ended up working on it. Grohl would later record the song for the Pocketwatch cassette. During the sessions for In Utero, he decided to re-record the song, and the band released this version as a B-side on the "Heart-Shaped Box" single, titled simply "Marigold". Grohl also contributed the main guitar riff for "Scentless Apprentice". Cobain conceded in a late 1993 MTV interview that he initially thought the riff was "kind of boneheaded", but was gratified at how the song developed (a process captured in part in a demo on the Nirvana box set With the Lights Out). Cobain noted that he was excited at the possibility of having Novoselic and Grohl contribute more to the band's songwriting.

Prior to their 1994 European tour, the band scheduled session time at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle to work on demos. For most of the three-day session Cobain was absent, so Novoselic and Grohl worked on demos of their own songs. The duo completed several of Grohl's songs, including future Foo Fighters songs "Exhausted", "Big Me", "February Stars", and "Butterflies". On the third day of the session Cobain finally arrived and the band recorded a demo of a song later named "You Know You're Right". It was the band's final studio recording.

Foo Fighters (1994-present)[link]

Following Cobain's death in April 1994, Grohl retreated, unsure of where to go and what to do with himself. In October 1994, Grohl scheduled studio time, again at Robert Lang's Studio, and quickly recorded a fifteen-track demo. With the exception of a single guitar part on "X-Static" played by Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, Grohl performed all of the instruments himself..

At the same time, Grohl wondered if his future might be in drumming for other bands. In November, Grohl took a brief turn with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including a memorable performance on Saturday Night Live. Petty asked him to join permanently, but Grohl declined. He was also rumored as a possible replacement for Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese and even performed with the band for a song or two at three shows during Pearl Jam's March 1995 Australian tour. However, by then Pearl Jam had already settled on ex- Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons and Grohl had other solo plans in the works.

After passing the demo around, Grohl found himself with considerable major label interest. Nirvana's A&R rep Gary Gersh had subsequently taken over as president of Capitol Records and lured Grohl to sign with the label. Grohl did not want the effort to be considered the start of a solo career so he recruited other band members: former Germs and touring Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear, and two members of the recently disbanded Sunny Day Real Estate, William Goldsmith (drums) and Nate Mendel (bass). Rather than re-record the album, Grohl's demo was given a professional mix by Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock and was released in July 1995 as Foo Fighters' debut album.

During a break between tours, the band entered the studio and recorded a cover of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park". In February 1996, Grohl and his then-wife Jennifer Youngblood made a brief cameo appearance on The X-Files third season episode "Pusher". (The two can be spotted walking in the FBI building, just after the Pusher character has put on his phony pass. Grohl pauses to look at his watch.)

After touring for the self-titled album for more than a year, Grohl returned home and began work on the soundtrack to the 1997 movie Touch. Grohl performed all of the instruments and vocals himself, save for vocals from Veruca Salt singer Louise Post on the title track, keyboards by Barrett Jones (who also co-produced the record) on one track, and vocals and guitar by X's John Doe on "This Loving Thing (Lynn's Song)". Grohl completed the recording in two weeks, and immediately joined Foo Fighters to work on their follow-up.

In the midst of the initial sessions for Foo Fighters' second album, tension emerged between Grohl and Goldsmith. According to Goldsmith, "Dave had me do 96 takes of one song, and I had to do thirteen hours' worth of takes on another one. ... It just seemed that everything I did wasn't good enough for him, or anyone else." Goldsmith also believed that Capitol and producer Gil Norton wanted Grohl to drum on the album.^[18] With the album seemingly complete, Grohl headed home to Virginia with a copy of the rough mixes, and found himself unhappy with the results. Grohl penned a few new songs, recording one of them, "Walking After You", by himself at a studio in Washington, DC. Inspired by the session, Grohl opted to move the band, without Goldsmith's knowledge,^[18] to Los Angeles to re-record most of the album with Grohl behind the kit. After the sessions were complete, Goldsmith officially announced his departure from the band.

Speaking about the tension surrounding the departure of Goldsmith in 2011, Grohl said, "There were a lot of reasons it didn't work out... but there was also a part of me that was like, you know, I don't know if I'm finished playing the drums yet." He would also state, "I wish that I would have handled things differently..."^[19]

Dave Grohl on stage, 2006

The effort was released in May 1997 as the band's second album, The Colour and the Shape, which eventually cemented Foo Fighters as a staple of rock radio. The album spawned several hits, including "Everlong", "My Hero", and "Monkey Wrench". Just prior to the album's release, former Alanis Morissette drummer Taylor Hawkins joined the band on drums. The following September, Smear (a close friend of Jennifer Youngblood) left the band,^[7] citing a need to settle down following a lifetime of touring. Smear was subsequently replaced by Grohl's former Scream bandmate Franz Stahl. (Stahl departed the band prior to recording of Foo Fighters' third album^[7] and was replaced by touring guitarist Chris Shiflett, who later became a full-fledged member during the recording of One by One.)

Grohl's life of non-stop touring and travel continued with Foo Fighters' popularity. During his infrequent pauses he lived in Seattle and Los Angeles before returning to Alexandria, Virginia. It was there that he turned his basement into a recording studio where the 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose was recorded.

In 2000, the band recruited Queen guitarist Brian May to add some guitar flourish to a cover of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar", a song which Foo Fighters previously recorded as a b-side. The friendship between the two bands resulted in Grohl and Taylor Hawkins being asked to induct Queen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Grohl and Hawkins joined May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor to perform "Tie Your Mother Down", with Grohl standing in on vocals for Freddie Mercury. (May later contributed guitar work for the song "Tired of You" on the ensuing Foo Fighters album, as well as on an unreleased Foo Fighters song called "Knucklehead".)

Near the end of 2001, Foo Fighters returned to the studio to work on their fourth album. After four months in the studio, with the sessions finished, Grohl accepted an invitation to join Queens of the Stone Age and helped them to record their 2002 album Songs for the Deaf. (Grohl can be seen drumming for the band in the video for the song "No One Knows".) After a brief tour through North America, Britain and Japan with the band^[7] and feeling rejuvenated by the effort, Grohl recalled the other band members to completely re-record their album at his studio in Virginia. The effort became their fourth album, One by One. While initially pleased with the results, in another 2005 Rolling Stone interview, Dave Grohl admitted to not liking the record: "Four of the songs were good, and the other seven I never played again in my life. We rushed into it, and we rushed out of it."^[20]

On November 23, 2002, Grohl achieved a historical milestone by replacing himself on the top of the Billboard Modern Rock chart, when "You Know You're Right" by Nirvana was replaced by "All My Life" by Foo Fighters. When "All My Life" ended its run, after a one week respite, "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age took the number one spot. Between October 26, 2002 and March 1, 2003 Grohl was in the number one spot on the Modern Rock charts for 17 of 18 successive weeks, as a member of three different groups.

Grohl and Foo Fighters released their fifth album In Your Honor on June 14, 2005. Prior to starting work on the album, the band spent almost a year relocating Grohl's home-based Virginia studio to a brand new facility, dubbed Studio 606, located in a warehouse near Los Angeles. Featuring collaborations with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Norah Jones, the album was a departure from previous efforts, and included one rock and one acoustic disc.

Foo Fighters's sixth studio album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was released on September 25, 2007. It was recorded during a three-month period between March 2007 and June 2007, and its release was preceded by the first single "The Pretender" on September 17. The second single, "Long Road to Ruin", was released on December 3, 2007, followed by the third single, "Let It Die", June 24, 2008.

On November 3, 2009 Foo Fighters released their first Greatest Hits collection, consisting of 16 tracks including a previously unreleased acoustic version of "Everlong" and two new tracks "Wheels" and "Word Forward" which were produced by Nevermind's producer Butch Vig. Grohl has been quoted saying the Greatest Hits is too early and "...can look like an obituary." He does not feel they have written their best hits yet.^[21]

The Foo Fighters' seventh studio album, Wasting Light, was released on April 12, 2011. It is the first Foo Fighters album to reach #1 in the United States.

Other projects[link]

Apart from his main bands, Grohl has been involved in other music projects. In 1992, Grohl played drums on Buzz Osborne's Kiss-styled solo-EP King Buzzo, where he was credited as Dale Nixon, a pseudonym that Greg Ginn adopted to play bass on Black Flag's My War. Grohl also released the music cassette Pocketwatch under the pseudonym Late! on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines.

In 1993, Grohl was recruited to help recreate the music of The Beatles' early years for the movie Backbeat.^[22] Grohl played drums in an "all-star" lineup that included Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, indie producer Don Fleming, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum. A music video was filmed for the song "Money (That's What I Want)" while Grohl was with Nirvana on their 1994 European tour, footage of Grohl was filmed later and included.

Later in 1994, Grohl played drums on two tracks for Mike Watt's Ball-Hog or Tugboat?. In early 1995, Grohl and Foo Fighters played their first US tour opening for Watt, and helped make up Watt's supporting band. Nicknamed the "Ringspiel" tour, Watt's band featured Grohl and William Goldsmith on drums, Eddie Vedder and Pat Smear on guitar, and Watt on bass.

Grohl at the Roskilde Festival in 2005

During the early 2000s, Grohl spent time in his basement studio writing and recording a number of songs for a "metal" project. Over the span of several years, Grohl recruited his favorite metal vocalists from the 1980s, including Lemmy of Motörhead, Conrad "Cronos" Lant from Venom, King Diamond, Scott Weinrich, and Max Cavalera of Sepultura, to perform the vocals for the songs. The project was released in 2004 under the moniker Probot.^[23][24]

Also in 2003, Grohl stepped behind the kit to perform on Killing Joke's second self-titled album. The move surprised some Nirvana fans, given that Nirvana had been accused of stealing the opening riff of "Come as You Are" from Killing Joke's 1984 song "Eighties". However, the controversy failed to create a lasting rift between the bands. Foo Fighters covered Killing Joke's "Requiem" during the late 1990s, and were even joined by Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman for a performance of the song at a show in New Zealand in 2003.

Grohl lent his drumming skills to other artists during the early 2000s. In 2000, Dave played drums and sang on a track, "Goodbye Lament", from Tony Iommi's album Iommi. In 2001, Grohl performed on Tenacious D's debut album, and appeared in the video for lead single "Tribute" as a demon. He later appeared in the duo's 2006 movie Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny as the devil in the song Beelzeboss, and performed on its soundtrack. In 2002, Grohl helped Chan Marshall of Cat Power on the album You Are Free and played with Queens of the Stone Age on their album Songs for the Deaf. Grohl also toured with the band in support of the album, delaying work on the Foo Fighters' album One by One. In 2004, Grohl drummed on several tracks for Nine Inch Nails' 2005 album With Teeth. He also drummed on the song "Bad Boyfriend" on Garbage's 2005 album Bleed Like Me. Most recently, he recorded all the drums on Juliette and the Licks's 2006 album Four on the Floor^[25] and the song "For Us" from Pete Yorn's 2006 album Nightcrawler. Beyond drumming, Grohl contributed guitar to a cover of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting For You" on David Bowie's 2002 album Heathen.

In June 2008, Grohl was Paul McCartney's special guest for a concert at the Anfield football stadium in Liverpool, in one of the central events of the English city's year as European Capital of Culture.^[26] Grohl joined McCartney's band singing backup vocals and playing guitar on "Band on the Run" and drums on "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "I Saw Her Standing There".^[27] Grohl also performed with McCartney at the 51st Grammy Awards, again playing drums on "I Saw Her Standing There". Grohl also helped pay tribute to McCartney at the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors along with No Doubt, Norah Jones, Steven Tyler, James Taylor, and Mavis Staples. He sang a duet version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" with Norah Jones on Dec. 5 2010.^[28]

Grohl played drums on the tracks 'Run With The Wolves' and 'Stand Up' on The Prodigy's^[29] 2009 album Invaders Must Die.

In July 2009, it was revealed that Grohl was recording with Josh Homme and John Paul Jones as Them Crooked Vultures.^[30] The trio performed their first show together on August 9, 2009 at Metro in Chicago.^[31] The band played their first UK gig on August 26, 2009, with a surprise appearance at Brixton Academy in London, supporting the Arctic Monkeys. The band released their debut album Them Crooked Vultures on November 16, 2009 in the UK and November 17, 2009 in the US. Grohl has recently^[when?] been involved in producing emerging Brit-rock outift A Band Called Bert, notably on the track "It's Over Now".

On February 6, 2010, Grohl performed with his band Them Crooked Vultures the songs "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" and "New Fang" as musical guests on Saturday Night Live. Dave Grohl appeared as an old punk rock drummer reuniting the group "Crisis of Conformity" after 25 years in a skit later on in the episode.^[32]

On October 23, 2010, Grohl performed with Tenacious D at Blizzcon. He appeared as the drummer for the entire concert, and a year later he returned with Foo Fighters and played a another set there, this time as guitarist and vocalist.^[33][34]

Also in 2010, Grohl helped write and performed on drums for "Watch This" with guitarist Slash and Duff McKagan on Slash's self titled album that also included many other famous artists.

In October 2011, Grohl temporarily joined Cage the Elephant as a replacement on tour after drummer Jared Champion's appendix burst.^[35]

Grohl is directing a documentary about Sound City Studios, the Van Nuys studio where Nevermind was recorded that shut down its music operations in 2011.^[36]

Equipment[link]

With Them Crooked Vultures[link]

Drums[link]

DW Jazz Series in Lazer Blue Lacquer with Chrome hardware.

• 5" X 8" Concert tom
• 5" X 10" Concert tom
• 16" X 24" Bass drum
• 9" X 13" Rack tom
• 16" X 16" Floor tom
• 16" X 18" Floor tom
• 16" X 20" Gong Drum
• 6.5" X 14" Aluminum Snare drum

Cymbals[link]

Zildjian

• 15" K Light Hi-hats
• 20" A Custom EFX
• 24" ZHT Ride
• 20" A Custom Crash
• 19" K Custom Hybrid China
• 20" A Custom Rezo Crash

Sticks[link]

Zildjian

• Dave Grohl Artist Series (16 3/4" X 0.600")

Percussion[link]

LP

• LP hi hat tambourine
• LP drum kit tambourine

Drumheads[link]

Remo

• Coated Emperor (on Toms)
• Clear Powerstroke 3 (on Bass)
• Coated Emperor X Black Dot (on Snare)

Hardware[link]

DW 9000 Series including:

• 9000 Floating Rotor Single Pedal
• 9500D 3-Leg Rotating Hi-hat Stand
• 9100AL Air Lift Drum Throne

With Foo Fighters[link]

Guitars[link]

• 2006 Gibson DG335 (x2) - Grohl's main guitars for almost all Foo Fighters shows. The one in "Pelham Blue" is tuned to E standard, while the black one is tuned to drop D.
• 2005 Gibson Firebird Studio - Main guitar used during the In Your Honor era. Pelham Blue and Black models. Used for Stacked Actors, Grohl owns many more Firebirds.
• 1965 Gibson Trini Lopez - Used during the One By One era
• 1967 Gibson Trini Lopez - Used for Walk video, Finished in rare "Pelham Blue".
• 1990 Gibson Les Paul Custom (x2) - Used from 1995–1999, two black, one white.
• 1994 Gibson SG (x4) - Used from 1995–2000, two white, one black, one sunburst.
• 1992 Gibson Explorer (x4) - Used from 1994–2001, three in black, one in white.
• 2002 Ampeg Lucite "Clear" Dan Armstrong (x4) - Main guitar used during the One By One era.^[37]

Amps[link]

• Fender Tonemaster (x2)
• Custom Audio Electronics 100 watt Custom (x2)
• Hiwatt Custom 100
• Mesa Boogie Road King (x2)
• Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (x2)
• Vox AC-30

Cabinets[link]

• Fender Tonemaster 4x12 (x2)
• Mesa Road King 4x12 (x2)

Effects[link]

• Boss DD3 Delay
• Boss TU2 Tuner (x2)
• MXR Phase 90
• MXR Smart Gate (x2)
• Voodoo Labs PedalPower
• Voodoo Labs Amp Switcher
• Shure UR4 Wireless
• ProCo Rat Distortion

Personal life[link]

Grohl has been married twice. He was first married to photographer Jennifer Youngblood from 1993 to 1997. After their divorce, Grohl had relationships with Winona Ryder, Louise Post from Veruca Salt, and solo artist and Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur. There have also been claims of having a relationship with Christina Aguilera. Grohl has denied this however.^[38]

He then went on to marry Long Island native Jordyn Blum on August 2, 2003, at their home in Los Angeles. Guests included Clive Davis, Jack Black, and former Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic. On April 15, 2006, their daughter Violet Maye was born in Los Angeles, being named after Grohl's maternal grandmother. Earlier that year, Foo Fighters bandmate Taylor Hawkins told MTV, "We're going to be touring Europe in January and February, but we've got to be home by March, because Dave and his wife are having a baby," he said, adding, "but I probably wasn't supposed to tell you that." Grohl said that he had been playing music to his unborn child, saying "she 'likes' The Beatles. Doesn't really get down to The Beach Boys. Digs Mozart." On April 17, 2009, Grohl's second child, daughter Harper Willow, was born.^[39]

Grohl has been vocal in his views on drug misuse, contributing to a 2009 anti-drug video for the BBC. "I have never done cocaine, ever in my life. I have never done heroin, I have never done speed," he said in a 2008 interview, adding that he had stopped smoking marijuana and taking acid at the age of 20. In the BBC video he said "I've seen people die. It ain't easy being young, but that stuff doesn't make it any easier".^[40]

In May 2006, Grohl sent a note of support to the two trapped miners in the Beaconsfield mine collapse in Tasmania, Australia. In the initial days following the collapse, one of the men requested an iPod with Foo Fighters album In Your Honor, to be sent down to them through a small hole. Grohl's note read, in part, "Though I'm halfway around the world right now, my heart is with you both, and I want you to know that when you come home, there's two tickets to any Foos show, anywhere, and two cold beers waiting for yous. Deal?"^[41] In October 2006, one of the miners took up his offer, joining Grohl for a drink after Foo Fighters acoustic concert at the Sydney Opera House.^[42] Grohl wrote an instrumental piece for the meeting, which Grohl pledged he would include on the band's next album.^[43] The song, titled "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners," appears on Foo Fighters' 2007 release Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and features Kaki King.

In August 2009 Grohl was given the key to the city of Warren, Ohio and performed the songs "Everlong", "Times Like These", and "My Hero". A roadway in downtown Warren named "David Grohl Alley" has been dedicated to him with murals by local artists.^[44][45]

In 2000 while on tour with Foo Fighters in Australia, Grohl was arrested by Australian police while driving a scooter for driving under the influence following a concert on the Gold Coast in Queensland. He was fined $400 and had his Australian driving permit revoked for three months. Following the incident Grohl stated: "So, people, I guess if there's anything to learn here, it's: don't drive after a few beers, even if you feel entirely capable like I did."^[46][47]

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Azzerrad, Michael (1993). Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-47199-8. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dave Grohl

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dave Grohl

• Official website (Foo Fighters)
• Dave Grohl at the Internet Movie Database
• Dave Grohl Band Discography
• Courtney Love crazy accusations on what-music.com
• Live Review at ArtistDirect.com