UPDATE: Less than a week after accepting Dave Grohl’s challenge, Nandi Bushell has mastered Them Crooked Vultures’ “Dead End Friends.” “You win round one… but it ain’t over yet,” Grohl warned of their drum-off. “Buckle up, cuz I have something special in mind…”
Ok, @Nandi_Bushell ……you win round one….but it ain’t over yet! Buckle up, cuz I have something special in mind…
Stay tuned,
Dave https://t.co/THyApmHHep— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) September 4, 2020
Dave Grohl continues to spend the pandemic virtually jamming with fans as the Foo Fighters frontman accepted a drum challenge issued by a 10-year-old British girl.
On August 17th, in a viral clip viewed over 500,000 times on YouTube and 2 million times on Twitter, 10-year-old Nandi Bushell — who posts videos of her drumming along to rock hits — delivered a note-perfect performance of Foo Fighters’ “Everlong.”
Bushell previously went viral with a cover of Queens of the Stone Age’s “No One Knows” and also played Nirvana’s “In Bloom” on an episode of Ellen earlier this year; both songs feature Grohl’s stick work.
“My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and all the @Foo Fighters! Mr Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you! I LOVE Everlong it’s really hard to play as it’s so fast but so much FUN,” Bushell wrote in the video’s caption.
On Saturday, Grohl responded to the challenge, telling Bushell in a video uploaded onto the Foo Fighters’ Twitter that he was bombarded by hundreds of texts about the young drummer’s challenge:
Hey @Nandi_Bushell!
Challenge accepted.
Haven’t played these songs in a loooooong time…..thanks for the inspiration!!!
Your move!!!
Your friend in rock,
Dave(Thanks to my daughter, Harper for letting me borrow her drum set) pic.twitter.com/Ytq47CcZRC
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 29, 2020
Grohl played about 30 seconds of “Everlong” on his daughter Harper’s kit before noting, “I haven’t played that song since the day I recorded it in 1997. Our drummer Taylor Hawkins plays that song on tour for us almost every night.” Grohl then challenged Bushell to drums on he’s more familiar with, Them Crooked Vultures’ “Dead End Friends.”
“I’ve seen all your videos, I’ve seen you on TV, you’re an incredible drummer. “I’m really flattered you picked some of my songs to do for your videos,” Grohl told Bushell. “This is my response to your challenge. Now the ball is in your court.”
Bushell replied on Twitter soon after, “Challenge Accepted! Mr Grohl you are amazing! Thank you so much.”
This is UNREAL! I can’t believe Dave Grohl actually accepted my drum battle, Thank you! Now it’s my turn to learn ‘dead end friends’ by @crookedvultures! I am going to checkmate this one too! Thank you Harper for lending your Dad the kit! @foofighters #davegrohl #foofighters pic.twitter.com/gAyoVYSySM
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 29, 2020
Earlier this month, Grohl made a surprise appearance during a Philadelphia musician’s virtual “Grohl-A-Thon” to sing Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” with the host.
