The greatest drummer alive, according to Jack Black: “The fucing thunder that came out of his kit”
He’s one of the most dynamic comedic figures on screen today, and an increasingly intricate drumbeat is the perfect metaphor for Jack Black’s presence in Hollywood. From the hi-hat hilarity of his early performances, through the indie boom-bap of his formative years, to the steady tom-tom comfort of his roles in children’s films, Black’s career has been a rhythm of its own. He’s an actor who rarely stands on ceremony, delivering an unfiltered energy that makes each performance unforgettable.
Black is one of the rare performers to successfully balance a thriving Hollywood acting career with a prominent presence in the music world as part of his band, Tenacious D. The group perfected a comedic rock sound that showcases Black’s dual talents as a hilarious performer and a powerful vocalist. This unique combination is perhaps best demonstrated in music videos, a medium where Black’s charisma truly shines. Tenacious D first displayed this knack in the Foo Fighters’ iconic video for ‘Learning to Fly’.
Tenacious D and Dave Grohl was a pairing that we didn’t know we needed until it happened on numerous occasions. As well as the band starring in the video, Grohl has played on all of the rock duo’s albums to date and even starred as the Devil in the video for ‘Tribute’.
The band, who seem somewhat destined to the dustbin after their social snafu with President Donald Trump, looked back at the impact of Nirvana and their long friendship with Dave Grohl. They told Heavy Consequence that Nirvana “exploded like an atom bomb”. Speaking of the game-changing impact Nevermind had, Black said: “Nirvana simultaneously created a genre and destroyed a genre with one powerful album.”
Black even claimed that the pair were “heavily influenced” by the grunge trio. Speaking of one of their shows in San Francisco in 1991, he explained: “It was the best concert I ever saw…and little did I know ten years later, we would be rocking with that drummer.”
Grohl’s position as drummer for Nirvana is, today, a little more foggy than as the frontman for the Foo Fighters. However, it cannot be denied that without Grohl as the group’s percussionist, Nirvana simply would not have reached the heights they did. His powerhouse performances and unique deliveries would set the group up for success and a game-changing tenure as the leaders of the grunge movement. Black remembers thinking to himself, “Who’s that drummer… there’s no question, he’s the best drummer alive right now.”
He added, “The fucking thunder that came out of his kit was second to none.”
It wouldn’t be long after that show that Tenacious D would finally meet Grohl. Black cast his mind back: “He fuckin’ somehow popped his head through the curtain when we were playing the Viper Room in the early ’90s and said, ‘Hey, I heard you guys were great. Looking forward to checking you guys out. Have a good show tonight.'”
Even though the pair were aware that Grohl was a fan, they never thought it was a possibility that he would play on their first record, let alone all of its follow-ups. Grohl was one of the biggest names in alternative rock music, and Tenacious D were a little-known group with a fledgling actor as its singer. But they would eventually connect in the studio.
Black admitted: “We didn’t even want to ask him to play drums for us on that first album, because it just seemed too stupid a question. But (producers) the Dust Brothers actually convinced us, (saying), “Are you fuckin’ crazy? He said he liked you? You’re going to try to get him on the album!”
Considering this was around the time the Foo Fighters really dominated the rock scene, it was a huge gamble for the band to try and snag Grohl. However, after asking the percussionist to join up with the group for the first record, they would work with him time and again. It might have taken them ten years, but eventually, Jack Black and Kyle Gass would work with that phenomenal drummer they saw on stage that night.
