Dave Grohl and former enemy/child drummer Nandi Bushell finally perform live together
The 11-year-old Bushell joined Grohl onstage at a Foo Fighters show to play "Everlong"
Music Features Dave Grohl
Last summer, famous musician and adult man Dave Grohl was drawn into a feud with an 11-year-old drummer named Nandi Bushell. Though their beef has long since been squashed, a true, lasting peace never seemed certain until the two sealed their armistice with what sparked Bushell’s attack in the first place: An opportunity to play music with Foo Fighters.
We’re pleased to report that as of last night these terms have been met.
Two videos, including one posted by Bushell, show the wunderkind joining Grohl and Foo Fighters on stage for the end of their set at L.A.’s Forum. We see her waiting backstage as Grohl introduces her to the crowd through a sanitized account of the horrors of their drum war.
He talks about how nice it was to look at his phone last year and see something as cool as a talented kid wailing on the drums and inviting him to battle rather than the endless torrent of terrible shit that filled the headlines. He describes how he was drawn into a challenge that resulted in a child “[whooping] my fucking ass in front of the entire planet.” Then he recounts finally meeting his “arch nemesis” in person that night and brings “the most badass drummer in the world” up on stage to play.
After grinning and basking in the crowd’s applause, Bushell gets behind the kit and the band starts into “Everlong.” She performs the song with them, killing the part and endangering the future career prospects of poor Taylor Hawkins, who watches from behind as his job is stolen in front of his very eyes. It ends, of course, with an extended drum outro. Bushell then waves to the roaring crowd and leaves the stage.
Her conditions fulfilled, the drum war now seems to have totally ended. May this peace last forever.
[via Consequence]
Send Great Job, Internet tips to [email protected]
66 Comments
> Her conditions fulfilled, the drum war now seems not to have totally ended. May this peace last forever.Now that’s a typo.
They fixed it.
I found one error in this article:first place: An opportunity —> first place: an opportunity
Fucking amazing. I think that’s the first time I got teary eyed watching Foo Fighters perform.
Another great momentalthough Gawker posted an article about what an asshole Dave Grohl was for this same moment because Dave used some salty language I guess?
His mom had died the previous week.Here’s the Gawker article:https://www.gawker.com/dave-grohl-accidentally-berates-grieving-son-for-crying-1725145495
Me too. Good for her.
Well there was that time they brought Rick Astley out, but those tears were probably for a different reason.
I keep challenging Dave Grohl to a melodica battle but haven’t heard back yet.
I keep challenging Dave Grohl to a melodica battle but haven’t heard back yet.Perhaps try autoharp or zither?
oh man that made me feel good. awesome
The world needs more of this.
This girl is going places. Eleven years old and playing a song on stage during a real concert with one of the biggest bands in the world?!?! Amazing!
Probably only a matter of time til she gets sued by the Nevermind baby.
Lmfao…
Or this will be the highpoint of her life. The world is littered with young talent that faded into obscurity. Just check out Disney+. Of course I hope to be wrong on this one because she is freaking awesome and it looks like she has really cool and grounded parents.
She may also grow up to have successful, fulfilling life as a doctor or a lawyer or something, and that time she played drums for the Foo Fighters will be one of her most cherished childhood memories. I wouldn’t count that as a failure.
Yeah.
The kids who are pushed into this kind of stuff tend to have an almost haunted look. Bushell just looks like she’s having a blast.
Parents are doing a fine job.
And she wore flannel for the occasion!
This is the best thing I’ve seen on YouTube in a good while.
Nandy is all of us. IF we had talent. 😉
Dammit Dave Grohl how can we stop loving you?(Really really hoping he does not have some shady past as a sexual predator)
Meanwhile my fucking drummer, in his 40’s, can’t seem to get “Everlong” down. Fortunately my 10 year old middle daughter is learning drums and I can toss him out on his ass and replace him with someone clearly much better.
Some of those fills going into the chorus are pretty complex and she didn’t miss a beat (literally)
When you ask if anybody has any requests, does someone shout “Play one the drummer knows!”
I’m waiting for it. At that point I’ll turn to the drummer and say “So I guess that’s the end of the set, huh?”I don’t know if he’s just not that good, won’t practice or can’t learn his parts, but Everlong is the one that just sticks out. This is my ‘friend band’ in that I play much more seriously with my ‘official band’ if that makes any sense.
Put it this way: I would have replaced this fucking guy a while back if I thought this band had any potential. To me it’s more a chance to jam loudly with some buddies.
I take back every last horrible, anger filled, douchebaggy thing I have ever said about Dave Grohl ever and hereby swear not to speak ill of him unless he does something so horrible I have to.I think my heart just grew three sizes.
The camera flashing to Nandi’s face as she is caught up in the absolute joy of playing the drum kit caused a whole crate of cut onions to float through my living room.
Freak dust storms around here, I swear!
That’s the main thing I take from her videos. She’s clearly having a total blast in all of them and that stuff is infectious. Hell, it looks as like Pat Smear enjoyed it almost as much as she did.
If there’s anyone who milks more enjoyment out of being a rock star more than Grohl, I haven’t seem him.
Ahem… or *her*?
Nandi’s videos were part of my lockdown regimen of viewing, where I had a virtual pile of videos that made feel something like joy, and hers were the most joyous of all. Hell, seeing sooooo much exuberance made me envious actually… anyway, so glad this concert happened! And, TGIFF!
Jack Black and Kyle Gass maybe, but they aren’t what I’d call rock stars in the traditional sense.
Since he’s not done any thing douchebaggy, then why tf were you saying those things about the most genuine rock star out there??
How could you have anger-filled anything against Grohl? Like the worst thing you could say would be “Meh, his music isn’t for me.”
bUt He MaDe PeOpLe GeT a VaCcInE wItHoUt DeWoRmEr In It!!!111
He made a whole documentary about saving Sound City and then scrapped the sound board instead of saving the room. That’s the most prominent thought.
Having not seen the documentary, it seems he bought the soundboard after the studio closed and put it in his home studio, and that purchase inspired him to make the documentary – per my reading of its Wikipedia page. The studio closed in 2011, the movie was made 2 years later. Even if your version is true, it’s hard to find anything about anyone disliking Grohl other than the drummer who couldn’t cut it on their second album, and maybe Courtney Love depending on where her mental health might be at on any particular day. Beyond that, the Foos are what they are. They’re not as important as Nirvana, as experimental as Radiohead, or as awful as Imagine Dragons. They seem pretty easy to like or pretty easy to ignore if they’re not your thing.
So the thing is that I like Foo Fighters, like, alot, but something about Grohl comes off to me as disingenuous. I don’t know what it is but some of his early interviews with FF, the documentaries, etc just all come off like he’s trying to cover for something. I can’t explain it any better than that. I just had a bad feeling about the guy.
And like I said, I take it all back. I was wrong. I hope.
He made a whole documentary about saving Sound City and then scrapped the sound board instead of saving the room. That’s the most prominent thought.
Grohl has been known as one of the nicest guys in rock for decades.
Yeah, I wasn’t buying it. But now I am. /shrug I was wrong.
Yeah well I’m gonna continue on, fuck Dave Grohl
I have never been that into the Foo Fighters, but this event justifies their existence.
I still really like the first few records, and then… eh, diminishing returns.
But the wife n’ i saw them in ‘19, and it was for real one of the best shows ever. The band is so tight, and the songs are all anthemic, and it’s just… fun.
But not as much fun as it would’ve been to be there when they brought Nandi on. I think i would’ve shit my pants.
You shouldn’t be shitting your pants. You should seriously get that checked out.
I suspect what makes them such a good live act is that they’re all essentially “greatest hits” shows.
On most Foos albums there’s a lot of filler, but usually one or two tracks that absolutely bang. In concert they might play one or two new ones, but otherwise they concentrate on the stuff they know is popular. The band is having fun, the audience is having fun. It just works.
I love that she threw one stick into the crowd, then couldn’t bring herself to toss the other, and clung to it as she walked offstage, like the magic goddamn wand it will forever be to her.
I just fought my way through a Kinja login to star this. Well observed!
Badass 🤟
At this point, Everlong deserves to be the new National Anthem. Everyone, regardless of race, creed, age, or political persuasion, knows it and loves it. It may be- fuck that, it is- the most iconic rock song of the last twenty five years. Between this rendition and the absolutely gorgeous performance of it on Letterman’s final show, I can say without hesitation it is one of the greatest songs of all time. Love these guys and the Big Feels they graciously give to the world.
Dave’s performance on this isn’t actually very good. Probably because he was intimidated, having her on the stage.
But, holy shit. I really must be getting old, ‘cause i was for real on the edge of tears, just appreciating the joy they were all experiencing, and how freakin’ good she was (even though it’s a punishing hi-hat-heavy song).
Seriously, in the second clip the sound is a bit better, at least with her more upfront, and you can hear how rock solid she is on that hi-hat, including the crescendo into the first refrain without screwing up the tempo. She’s legit freaky-good, even in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Show some respect whenever you say the name Nandi, is all i’m saying.
And then – somehow, the writeup doesn’t even mention this – she takes the end-o-show bows with the band!
It’s so goddamn heartwarming it hurts.
Naw, you’re not old. Just old enough to have lived through the last utterly miserable year and a half. We needed this.
I don’t know what’s cuter; the kid who smashes better on drums than every drummer in every band I ever had or the tiny little drumset that she’s walloping.
JESUS CHRIST, I wish so much that I wasn’t completely indifferent to everything the Foo Fighters have recorded since their first two albums. Dave Grohl is the ultimate pop culture babyface, he is just the most wholesome, awesome dude on the planet. PLEASE MAKE BETTER MUSIC, DAVE.
He can’t, he’s too nice. Much like Phil Collins who can only make decent music when he’s in a personal hell.
Dave Grohl has sensible realised that he can’t afford to fight against children on two fronts, so he has sued for peace with Nandi Bushell and will now concentrate his forces on the Nevermind baby.
The Nevermind baby is in his 30’s. All gloves are off.
This is awesome; rock on, Nandi.
Between Nandi and that little Japanese drummer girl who can do Rush’s “YYZ”, there may be hope for this world after all.
They got me through the pandemic thus far
Man, was that her mum screaming from the side of the stage? That gave me a lump in my throat, just imagine how proud you’d be.
I didn’t know Brian May and Rick Wakeman were BFF’s until I saw this.
Ta.
Gawd dang this kid can play. Prodigy!