Foo Fighters jammed with a random drummer from the crowd in Croatia, performing an impressively tight version of “Wheels” despite the lack of preparation. At the band’s show at Pula Arena, Foos fan Richard Greenbury held up a sign saying “Taylor if you need a break, I can drum?” and frontman Dave Grohl picked him out of the crowd to play.
The English drummer’s rocksteady groove on the Foo’s single “Wheels” amazed even Grohl, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. As you can see in the clip below, Grohl was perhaps a bit tipsy that night as the veteran rock star’s stage banter was littered with cussing during the performance.
Grohl introduced the song by saying he hopes Greenbury, who hails from Manchester, knows how to play drums. The frontman then couldn’t help but laugh when he realized Greenbury was the real deal, saying “See, you never know if they can actually play the drums. This mother****** can play the drums.
Grohl then jested that he was not gonna give Greenbury a drum solo spot tonight, before bringing the band into the lowkey verse of “Wheels”, which is the band’s take on a heartland rock song. Greenbury displayed refined taste in keeping the slow verse cooking without overplaying, before kicking into gear for the heavier chorus. Check out Taylor Hawkins’ drumming on the original studio recording of the song below to see how it compares.
As the band progressed through the song Grohl was clearly impressed with Greenbury’s playing throughout, exclaiming “he’s pretty f****** good right now.” The singer called out the changes in dynamics throughout the song, which Greenbury kept track of without missing a beat. Grohl later admitted that his directions were unnecessary, shouting “he knows the song!”
The frontman then changed his mind about giving Greenbury a solo. In a singalong section in the bridge, Grohl signaled to the drummer to give the crowd a bit of a show in between the lyrics, which Greenbury nailed before bringing the intensity even higher for the final chorus.
Greenbury later told RadioX he was inspired by the experience of playing with Foo Fighters to start his own band, Dead Air, immediately after getting back to England. The band have since gone from strength to strength and recently completed a tour across England and Ireland.
While speaking to RadioX Greenbury also commented on the passing of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins last year, saying “I had always wanted to one day talk about how they were the catalyst for me to really pursue music but in light of what has happened it is just so bittersweet.”
“All I would like to say is that he was and always will be to me the pinnacle of a rock drummer. Groove, style, impeccable timing, fills… the lot. I wish I had met him for longer than the 10 mins I stole his drums!” If you would like to see more from Foo Fighters, you can subscribe to their YouTube channel. You can also visit their official website for more information.