Earlier this year, Dave Grohl revealed that Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” was a big part of his routine before Foo Fighters concerts. Things are a little different now, as Grohl revealed while breaking down his current pre-show rituals.
Speaking to Mark Hoppus on his After School Radio podcast (as NME notes), Grohl explained what he likes do to before taking the stage and why it’s not as easy these days:
“It’s like one hour before the show, I open a Coors Light, and I’m like, ‘Oh, hello darkness, my old friend.’ But our dressing rooms are always filled with friends […] I’m going to miss it. We’re not allowed to really have people backstage right now, but one of the things I love before going on is just being happy. You’re surrounded by all your friends. You haven’t seen everyone in a long time, and you’re doing shots of Crown Royal, and you’re like, ‘Yay.’ And everyone’s like… taking pictures with each other, and it’s like a reunion every night.”
As for what happens immediately before taking the stage, Grohl said, “To me, the best way to walk onstage every night is… [tour manager Gus Brandt], he’ll say, ‘OK, dude, do you want house lights yet?’ I’m like, ‘Nah, not yet.’ And I just wait until the entire band is laughing about something, and I’m like, ‘All right, let’s go,’ so you walk onstage laughing. You feel happy when you walk onstage. To me, that’s the best way to do it.”
Find the full After School Radio episode here.
