Dave Grohl has always been a passionate and fastidious student of rock history, so it should come as no surprise that he paid tribute to one of the genre’s titans with an off-the-cuff cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” during a recent performance.
The bandleader busted out the iconic song during Foo Fighters’ Oct. 1 headlining set at the Ohana Festival, using it to fill time as an audience member reportedly received medical attention.
You can watch the performance below.
“Should I stop playing while you take care of that?” Grohl asked from the stage. “Go take care of that. I’ll play something while you do that.”
READ MORE: Top 50 Led Zeppelin Songs
The Foo Fighter-in-chief then began plucking the intro to “Stairway to Heaven,” which earned applause from the crowd. “Did you figure that shit out or do I have to play fucking ‘Stairway to Heaven’?” Grohl goaded the audience. “‘Cause I’ll fucking play this motherfucker, you know that, right?”
Grohl made his way through the first verse and a round of “ohh-ohh-ohh’s” before halting the song. “Is that situation figured out? Great. Thank God, ’cause that’s a fucking long-ass song,” he joked. “It gets awkward when it speeds up. Like you’re making out, and all of a sudden it speeds up and you’re like, ‘What do I do with my girlfriend at this fucking dance now?'” Foo Fighters then ended their set with “Best of You” and “Everlong.”
Foo Fighters weren’t the only band to bust out a classic rock cover at Ohana Festival. Fellow headliners the Killers put their spin on Van Halen’s “Why Can’t This Be Love” with help from Sammy Hagar.
Dave Grohl Has Played ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Before
Ohana Festival wasn’t Grohl’s first time performing “Stairway to Heaven” for an audience. He goofed his way through a riotous, mostly acoustic rendition of the song on The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn in 2000. Backed by Taylor Hawkins on drums, Grohl scat-sang a version of Jimmy Page’s guitar solo.
Foo Fighters’ 2024 Plans
Foo Fighters recently announced a run of North American stadium shows as part of their Everything or Nothing at All 2024 tour. The trek will commence on July 17 in New York and conclude on Aug. 18 in Seattle. The Pretenders, Mammoth WVH, L7, the Hives, Amyl and the Sniffers and Alex G will provide support on various dates.
Foo Fighters Albums Ranked
From the one-man-band debut to their sprawling, chart-topping classics, a look at the studio releases by Dave Grohl and band.
Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin
