Dave Grohl Fills In For Injured Cage the Elephant Drummer
Grohl saves the day, fills-in for Cage the Elephant set as drummer recoups from health scare
Dave Grohl might just be considered the Caped Crusader of Rock for 2011.
On Monday night, Jared Champion, drummer for Cage the Elephant, burst his appendix during his live set at the band’s show in Salt Lake City at the Maverick Center. Luckily, Dave Grohl, lead singer and founder of the Foo Fighters, was nearby to save the day.
Cage the Elephant, whose 2011 success is highly acredited to their rock hit “Shake Me Down,” is currently the opening act for the Foo Fighters.
“He had an ulcer for a couple days, then at 1 A.M. it was just unbearable, so he went to the emergency room,” guitarist Lincoln Parish told SPIN magazine. “He was rushed straight into surgery.”
Grohl may be the front guitarist for the Foos, but he cut his teeth on the drums for Nirvana. Grohl agreed to join Cage the Elephant on several of the songs he was most familiar with. With no rehearsal.
According to SPIN, Grohl played “In One Ear,” “Shake Me Down” “Sell Yourself” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” A fill-in-sticksman played the first half of Cage the Elephant’s set, while Grohl hit the stage to complete their set. The audience, according to reports, went berserk over Grohl’s early entrance.
“I had to pinch myself,” says Parish. “I turned around and Dave Grohl is playing the drums. It’s an amazing, once-in-lifetime experience. Nobody can replace Jared. But… it’s Dave fucking Grohl. If you’re going to be replaced by anybody, it might as well be the best.”
Grohl also plans to play with Cage the Elephant for their October 13 gig at The Forum in Los Angeles.
Not the first time Grohl has saved the day.
After a nutty fan started a scuffle in the audience at his iTunes Festival gig, Grohl stopped the show and used his superhero kick-ass antics to save the day. Grohl even offered a sweet ‘Save Rock Music’ speech at the MTV Music Video Awards, which pointed the music network back to its roots. Grohl and the Foos also hit the streets to protest against the gravy train of consertative gay-bashing protesters known as Westboro Baptist Church while dressed in their ‘Keep It Clean’ gay-friendly get-up, singing “Keep It Clean (Hot Buns)” on a rig truck (see video above). Even in their funny Southern-inspired, spoofy get-up, their message was heard loud and clear: “It takes all kinds; I don’t care if you’re black or white or purple or green, whether you’re Pennsylvanian or Transylvanian, Lady Gaga or Lady Antebellum. Men loving women and women loving men and men loving men and women loving women. You all know we like to watch that. But what I’d like to say is, God Bless America, y’all!” Luckily, there was no nudity involved on this occasion.
Good news for Jared. “He’s getting released from the hospital today,” says Parish. “He’ll stay in Salt Lake tonight and then fly into L.A. tomorrow, when he’ll jump back on the bus with us. He’ll probably be back onstage by San Diego [on October 17]. He’s a trooper.”
So what do you think?
Grohl for sainthood?
Are “bad boys” the new good guys?
Speak your thoughts.
