Look what my hero Ian Mackaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi) just found: a letter I wrote to him when I was 14! Haha! pic.twitter.com/Ak8gxZz5m6
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) May 28, 2015
Like many young kids who have a hero or role model to look up to, Dave Grohl idolized Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye, who would go on to form Fugazi and Dischord Records after Minor Threat. He had a huge influence on the DIY punk scene that changed so many young musicians’ lives, including Grohl’s.
Looking for some guidance from his hero, a 14-year-old Grohl wrote MacKaye a postcard, asking if he could help him get in touch with any other musicians, even leaving his phone number with available times for MacKaye to call him back. Not long after sending the post card, Grohl began his musical career with his high school bands Freak Baby and Dain Bramage. A few years later, he drummed in a little band called Nirvana or something, but that’s not a big deal.
The special relationship between Grohl and MacKaye should come as no surprise, as the pair shared a lot of special moments together during the Washington, D.C. episode of Grohl’s Sonic Highways.
The lesson? If you are to contact Dave Grohl, it has to be between the hours of 3 and 10 p.m.
