Dave Grohl's 5 Favourite Music Documentaries

Mojo



Dave Grohl

1. The Decline Of Western Civilization
"You can see how reckless those musicians were. When Kurt said Pat Smear was going to be the next guitar player in Nirvana, I said 'Isn't he dead? He was in The Decline...' Penelope Spheeris coaxed all these unwilling punk rockers - misfits, fuck-ups and junkies - into documenting what was everybody's best kept secret. There wasn't a lot of mainstream documentation or footage of that time, because no one was allowed in. The Decline... is one of the greatest rock'n'roll documentaries of all time, the only one that captured the essence of that early-'80s hardcore scene."

2. Dig!
"The Dandy Warhols had the same romantic notion as Nirvana did: that now their music was accepted, all of their friends music would be as well. Unfortunately Anton Newcombe the singer of Brian Jonestown massacre was a schizophrenic mess who beat the shit out of his entire band at their showcase gig! No one has ever tapped into the train wreck like that movie. It made Anton so iconic, I can understand why people worship him like Charles Manson. I fell in love with Newcombe too. I would be in the guy's band - for a day, and then I'd run for my life"

3. Hype!
"From the early punk rock clubs to the explosion of '91 to Kurt's death and where Seattle had to go from there, I thought Doug Pray summed up that entire era. As someone who didn't grow up in Seattle it made me understand that city a lot more... and the people involved. I'd never hung out with Jack Endino but after watching that movie I felt like I knew him a little better - such a beautiful interview and such a great man. The section in the film where they talk about Kurt dying was so moving - it was maybe the first time I really broke down and cried hard about it."

4. Woodstock
"I saw it as a nine-year-old child and was so blown away that the live versions of these classic rock songs by Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills and Nash or The Who sounded different from the studio versions. Watching Jimi Hendrix drowning in feedback - that's better than the album! Seeing these people slacking and gritting their teeth, it was such a raw vision of live music. More than watching any sports, or science fiction, watching the Woodstock movie as a kid took me to another place"

5. The Song Remains The Same
"A coming of age movie for me. My friends and I had just discovered drugs, and I remember watching it for the first time and seeing Jimmy Page play as if it were his last day on Earth. He's barely hanging on, but it's so emotive. It definitely made a huge impression on me. John Paul Jones's hair - you can't go wrong with that. Seeing Robert Plant's balls pulled to one side on his jeans. It's wonderful that they captured both of those moments."