Not long after making their debut with Bleach in 1989, budding grunge outfit Nirvana were presented with a problem. The dawn of a new decade brought with it the loss of a drummer, as creative differences caused Chad Channing to depart from the band. Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic needed to find a player who could match up to the loud, heavy sound they were honing. Enter Dave Grohl.
The drummer joined Nirvana for their iconic 1991 sophomore record, Nevermind, providing percussion for some of the greatest grunge tracks of all time. From his dance-inspired drumming on the iconic ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to his understated playing on ‘Come As You Are’, Grohl infused the band with new life and began to forge his own reputation as one of the most well-known and well-respected drummers in the alternative scene.
Fast-forward three decades, and Grohl has well and truly cemented that reputation. Since Nirvana came to an end, Grohl has drummed for some of the biggest names in the business, from David Bowie to Paul McCartney. He’s now taken his rightful place among the greatest drummers of all time, up there with some of his own idols. Take, for example, John Bonham.
Predating Grohl’s first ventures into the world of rock music by over a decade, Bonham found his own legacy as one of the greatest drummers of all time through Led Zeppelin. Sitting behind the kit for future all-time classics like the thumping ‘Immigrant Song’ and the swerving ‘Whole Lotta Love’, he provided the beat for innumerable hard rock hits.
Along the way, he inspired countless others to pick up a pair of drumsticks, and Grohl was no exception. Although the future Nirvana drummer had begun practising the instrument before he learned of Led Zeppelin, Bonham would have a particularly formative influence on his early playing, so much so that Grohl would fashion himself a DIY tattoo in honour of him.
As the drummer recalled during a conversation with The Guardian, Grohl progressed from faux pillow drum kits to recording and gigging in his teens, when he would stumble upon the work of Led Zeppelin for the first time. “We discovered Led Zeppelin just as I started progressing as a drummer,” he remembered, “and I became obsessed with John Bonham: what he played and why.”
Grohl went on to describe Bonham’s style as “unmistakeable” and, almost paradoxically, “undefineable”. It’s certainly true that Bonham honed one of the most recognisable drumming techniques in music history, one that many have tried and failed to emulate. The budding drummer found his unique playing style addictive, likening himself to a monk in his absolute devotion to Bonham.
“I became so obsessed that I gave myself a three-interlocked-circles John Bonham tattoo on my arm with a fucking sewing needle and some ink,” he remembered, “I was branded for life.” Despite his all-encompassing love for Bonham, though, Grohl never tried to imitate his teenage idol. Knowing that it was impossible to replicate, he set out to create his own style instead.
As a result, Grohl has earned his own place alongside Bonham as one of the most famous drummers in music history. He, in turn, has influenced countless other budding musicians to play the drums, and perhaps he’s even inspired a few homemade tats of his own.
