Fans of the renowned band Foo Fighters, led by Nirvana’s Dave Grohl, are just now discovering the extraterrestrial origins of the band’s name.
Foo Fighters, known for hits like Everlong, The Pretender, and My Hero, began as a solo project by Grohl in 1994, following the disbandment of Nirvana that same year.
Grohl created the debut self-titled album of Foo Fighters in roughly six days, playing most of the instruments himself. In February 1995, the band performed its first gig, and the rest, as they say, is history.
However, some might be unaware of the story behind the band’s name, which Grohl has revealed is linked to the cover of the group’s first album.
Many of the songs on Foo Fighters’ albums were penned by Grohl during his time with Nirvana, but he was too “in awe” of the late Kurt Cobain’s songwriting to share them. Nirvana disbanded in 1994 following Cobain’s death.
Cobain’s passing led to the creation of Foo Fighters, which initially served as a moniker under which Grohl could release his solo work.
Around the time he was recording the self-titled album, Grohl says he was inspired by otherworldly sources, although he no longer likes the name he chose for his band.
He explained: “Around the time that I recorded the first FF tape (that became the first record), I was reading a lot of books on UFOs. Not only is it a fascinating subject, but there’s a treasure trove of band names in those UFO books.
“So, since I had recorded the first record by myself, playing all the instruments, but I wanted people to think that it was a group, I figured that FOO FIGHTERS (WW2 term for UFOs) might lead people to believe that it was more than just one guy. Silly, huh?”.
Though the name is now legendary in rock history, Grohl is not that big a fan of his selection. He added that, had he been given the chance, he would have “called it something else”.
He added: “Had I actually considered this to be a career, I probably would have called it something else, because it’s the stupidest f**king band name in the world.”
Despite the naming woes from Grohl, fans are thrilled by the choice. In a post to the r/FooFighters subreddit, one fan wrote: “Dave’s a huge nerd and definitely named the band after Foo Fighters. He was even in an episode of The X-Files (kinda… he is a background character that walks by in a scene).”
It is believed Grohl named the band Foo Fighters to escape attention and trick listeners into believing the debut album was a group already, rather than just a Grohl solo project.
Foo Fighters may not have happened at all, either, with Grohl linked with other bands Pearl Jam and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, the latter of which he very nearly joined.
He said: “I was supposed to just join another band and be a drummer the rest of my life. I thought that I would rather do what no one expected me to do.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
