Ian Astbury from the Cult doesn't seem to be too fond of Dave's singing style.  I thought this was kind of funny and initially was offended on behalf of my good friend Dave.  Upon further reflection, I kind of know what he's saying.  Dave Grohl is an entertainer.  In fact, he is great at it.  Part of being a good entertainer is getting the crowd involved and making a connection with them.  Ian Astbury says he's influenced by Jim Morrison (obviously - he's a dead ringer if you look at the pictures in the video) and Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols.  These are guys who had charisma and therefore were entertaining to watch, but they didn't necessarily try to create a connection or build a relationship with the audience, at least not in the "come rock with me and let's have a great time" way that Dave does.   In fact more often than not they could be more confrontational than anything.   Ian views this as having humility and integrity.  And I can see what he means.  Kurt Cobain had this way about him and Eddie Vedder is like this too, and I admire that about them.  It goes with their personalities.

However, I don't think that Dave having enthusiasm and a good time and wanting the audience to do the same means he's lacking integrity or not being humble.  In fact, I find it hard to find someone in his position who takes themselves less seriously than he does.  And I find that it goes completely with his personality, which for him IS integrity, right? 

Ian’s rant actually reminds me of some feelings I had when I went to see Green Day on their American Idiot tour.  The album of the same name is a rock opera and a politically charged work; both critically and popularly acclaimed.  Because of the angry nature of the album and the “courage” they had of taking on some tough political issues that very few other popular artists would at the time, I went to the concert expecting something.  Something historical even.  I expected there to be a depth or gravity to it.  I expected the seriousness and anger to come out, similar to when I saw them in Detroit when they first became popular.  There was even an almost dangerous element to the things they said and did back then, but without the maturity; typical snarling punk stuff.  But when I got to this concert, it was a very different band.  It was like they had been to a “how to perform like an arena rock band” seminar, complete with getting the audience to wave our hands like we just didn’t care.  What the?!  I remember the thirteen year old girl in the row ahead of me texting “JUST SAW THE MOST AMAZING CONCERT OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!” to her friends when the show was over.  Yeah…it was a good show I guess, but I was disappointed.  The show didn’t match the music or the persona I had come to expect from the band.  It lacked integrity.

And so while I can understand what Ian Astbury is saying on the one hand, the way he went about saying it was just dumb.

I hate Ian Astbury.  For reals.
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So my wife asked me the other day if there's been any news about Dave Grohl that I can post about.  The only thing showing up in my Google alerts lately are concert reviews of Them Crooked Vultures and how great the shows are and how awesome of a drummer Dave Grohl is.  So that settles that.  Them Crooked Vultures are coming to Windsor, Ontario on Sunday May 16th and I am going to go.  I can resist no longer.  Any one up for keeping me company on the four hour trip there and back?  Still up for it Candor?  Nathan?  Let me know.  I'll have to buy tickets soon (~$50) and I think a passport is now required. 

Once again Dave is reaching his grubby hands deep into my pockets, making me poorer and in this case sleep deprived. 

I hate Dave Grohl.
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Sometimes I can’t even believe it.  I just read the New York Daily News review of Slash’s new album, in which Slash plays guitar and has a bunch of guest stars singing and playing with him.  The reviewer talks about how some of it works really well (especially Lemmy and Chris Cornell – yea!), and some of it doesn’t.  Being the Dave Grohl hater that I am, I know he contributed by playing drums on one track.  In fact, he turned Slash down when asked to sing, but said he’d love to play drums.  As I'm reading the review, I’m waiting for the bombshell about what really DIDN’T work and that was the Dave Grohl collaboration because I can tell it's building to something, but what get’s saved for the final paragraph of the review is this:

Ironically, the track that works best offers no guest vocalist at all.

"Watch This” reunites Slash with GNR alum Duff, and adds Dave Grohl on drums, to create a teeth-melting instrumental. The result proves that Slash could have gone the Jeff Beck route, letting his brilliant guitar work assume the fullness of a human voice for an entire CD.

One day let's hope he works up the nerve to do so.

I guess it’s a good thing Dave refused to sing!  That guy has got amazing instincts.  I keep waiting for the time when Dave Grohl does something that falls flat; the day when he does something that not only isn’t good/great, but maybe even sucks a little bit.  Until then, my hate continues to grow…

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/04/07/2010-04-07_slashs_brilliant_guitar_work_takes_a_backseat_to_showy_collaborations_on_his_fir.html#ixzz0kT6x5Jdu
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Dave Grohl, who is in the process of recording the new Them Crooked Vultures album, was recently asked what the new album sounds like.  This was his response:

“When people ask what it sounds like, it sounds like Josh singing and playing guitar, it sounds like me playing the drums, it sounds like John Paul Jones playing bass.  But the way it was recorded…it sounds cool.  I don’t know how to explain it.  There’s sounds that you’ve probably never really heard before.”

Sounds that I’ve probably never really heard before?  What sort of magical noises are they coming up with?  Maybe they’ve discovered a real life leprechaun and recorded it singing Monkey Wrench.  Or perhaps, they captured Sasquatch and recorded its guttural language.  I can’t wait to hear these sounds.  How exciting!

Seriously, with Josh Homme in the band, you never know what you’re going to hear. I was listening to an Eagles of Death Metal album today (which he is part of) and there are some really interesting things going on.  Things that make you say, “You know, I’ve probably never really heard that before…” :)

Have a good one!!!
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Please see the following video.  Be forewarned that it contains alarming footage of Dave under the influence of addictive chemicals.  Parent/Work warning: there is adult language near the end.
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Yeah, I’ve heard that before.  Like every time they release an album.  I love Dave and all, er, I mean hate him and all, but I don’t know why he has this goal of “Heaviest Album Yet.” What does that even MEAN?  I wrote a review of In Your Honour, the double album they released.  The first disc was supposedly their “Heaviest Album Yet” and the second disc was all acoustic (I’ll give them “Lightest Album Yet” for the second disc).  However, I felt in making their H.A.Y., it came across that they were just trying too hard.  In fact, I wrote then and I’ll write now that they have yet to match Weenie Beenie and Wattershed off their debut album for sheer intensity, raw power and I’ll even say, “heavy-ness.”

It’s an exaggeration that Dave makes this statement before EVERY album.  He didn’t before their last one.  Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace was a great album.  Their best in years really (although I love/hate them all).  And one of the main reasons it is so good is because it has a great balance between slow and fast, soft and hard, quite often within the same song. 

So Dave, you can go ahead and make your “Heaviest Album Yet”, I just ask that you please just make it “good.” 

Otherwise I’ll hate you more.
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Just read on Yahoo news that the Foo Fighters have begun writing songs for their next album and they plan to start recording in September.  Not only that,  but another Them Crooked Vultures album is coming out by the end of the summer according to bassist John Paul Jones.  Yet another way Dave Grohl is costing me money since I'll have to buy both. 

However, I have been meaning to comment on this other band, Them Crooked Vultures and how they are taking all of Dave's time, which means it will be that much longer until I can enjoy another Foo Fighters fix (how's that for alliteration?).  I was going to go on and on about it too and end with how I hate Dave Grohl.  But now, somehow, magically, despite touring, writing songs and recording another album with TCV, there is another FF album in the works.  It does make you wonder, though, exactly WHEN is he doing this?  Are they sharing songs online, emailing bits and pieces back and forth?  Does this man sleep?  He is one productive dude, I'll tell you that.  It was all I could to do release a four song EP recently.  I really think he is super-human.  Or an alien. 

I hate Dave Grohl.

How do you think he does it?  Write your comments below.  Remember, comments are fun.
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In a recent interview my nemesis, Dave Grohl, proved Reason #8 of why I hate him, which is that he is the stand up comedian of rock.  When asked who should play him in an upcoming Kurt Cobain biopic, he said Shelley Duvall. Funny guy.  I hate Dave Grohl.

What do you think?

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Do you think Shelley Duval should play Dave Grohl?

This poll is now closed, here are the results:

Strangely I do = 40%
No = 25%
He should play himself = 20%
I hate Dave Grohl = 15%
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We get to see the man we hate the most behind the drums two weeks in a row as Them Crooked Vultures will be on Austin City Limits on February 13th (following the Feb 6 performances on Saturday Night Live) on your favorite PBS affiliate.  The episode actually taped on Sep 30 last year, after they only had a few shows under their belts, so it should prove interesting.  Watch a preview video of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin bass player), Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and some other dude playing slide guitar performing New Fang off their new album:
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That's right ladies and gents, the critically acclaimed group, Them Crooked Vultures,  featuring Dave Grohl on drums, John Paul Jones on bass and Josh Homme on guitar and vocals is going to be on SNL a week from this Saturday.  So set your VCR's, DVR's, catch it later on the interweb or just stay up late to check them out.  Apparently this will be the first time that John Paul Jones (from Led Zeppelin) will have been on the show.  It will be Dave Grohl's seventh.

I hate Dave Grohl.
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