Phoenix Festival
August 1996

Jo Whiley caught up with Dave just after the Foos set.

Jo Whiley I'm joined now by Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters. Thanks a lot for taking the time.
Dave Grohl It's OK.
JW So you just played. What was it like?
DG It was wonderful...
JW It was the last night of your world domination tour.
DG Yeah, actually we get to go home and relax. We've been on tour for like a year and a half, so the Phoenix festival show was the last show of...I suppose maybe 250 shows...or more, that we've done. And you always expect the last show to be the biggest party, celebration, some sort of climax or something.
JW And was it?
DG No it was boring. (laughs)
JW Oh no!
DG Well it wasn't boring, I'd just expected it to be something so special and I think that was one of the reasons it turned out to be so......uh?
JW Was there a problem with the crowd?
DG No, not at all. I think it was us. We just figured this is our last show. We put on our shoes, walked out on stage, played the show, walked off again and that was it!
JW So what are your plans then now?
DG I'm going home.
JW What are you desperate to do?
DG Relax. Not play shows. That's all I wanna do. We're gonna record in September, so that's what I'm most excited about. I'm going home, and I'm scoring a movie when I get home.
JW What's that? What film?
DG It's a movie called Touch. That's directed by a man called Paul Schrader
JW So there's no big holiday?
DG Then after that there will be a very long holiday!
JW Just briefly what was it like the last year? The reception to the Foo Fighters?
DG It was amazing.
JW You were embraced.
DG Yeah. None of us expected it and it was just an incredible surprise.
JW The gig at Reading. I managed to squeeze in the tent. How come you played in the tent?
DG Because that's where we were booked. We were booked to play the tent before we even played our first show in England. It's one of the few shows that I remember every single minute of, so it was nice.
JW Have you been to see any of the bands here?
DG I haven't seen anybody. We've played a few festivals on this tour and we played a few shows with David Bowie and every night I'd sit and watch David Bowie, just drooling!
JW Is he your idol?
DG He's just a rock god
JW He had to follow the Prodigy on Thursday night which I thought was tough.
DG Yeah. And then the Prodigy. I'd never saw the Prodigy before.
JW Are you a fan of theirs?
DG I love them more than any other band right now. I just want to have a show with the Prodigy just so we can tell people...
JW That's what will happen. You'll be on holiday and someone will come along and say 'Do you want to play with the Prodigy?'
DG The only band that could come along and say 'I want you to get up and play a show' would be the Prodigy and I would do it. Anyone one else I wouldn't give a crap I wouldn't do it! If the Prodigy call I'll do it.
JW They'll be listening to this. Your booked.
DG Wonderful
JW Thanks for talking to us.
DG Thanks