WATCH: Dave Grohl accepts 10-year-old girl’s drum-off challenge, plays ‘Dead End Friends’
Dave Grohl drumming to “Dead End Friends” as answer to Nandi Bushell’s challenge. Image: screengrab from Twitter/@foofighters
Rock star Dave Grohl treated fans to a virtual drum performance of Them Crooked Vultures’ hit “Dead End Friends” while also fulfilling a 10-year-old rocker’s wish for a drum battle.
Rock prodigy Nandi Bushell, a young girl from the United Kingdom, issued the challenge to Grohl on Aug.18 as she covered the Foo Fighters hit “Everlong” with drums.
“My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, @taylorhawkins and all the @foofighters! [Mr.] Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you! I LOVE Everlong it’s really hard to play as it’s so fast but so much FUN!” Bushell said on Twitter.
My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, @taylorhawkins and all the @foofighters! Mr Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you! I LOVE Everlong it’s really hard to play as it’s so fast but so much FUN! #foofighters pic.twitter.com/Pmdhvl57uu
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 17, 2020
Bushell rocked hard as she played Grohl’s “Everlong” stick work in the video, which gained well-deserved attention online, having been retweeted over 23,000 times and liked by more than 113,000 people, as of writing.
The young girl’s talent did not go unnoticed by Grohl, of course, who took to the Foo Fighters’ official Twitter account to share his response to Bushell’s challenge as her “friend in rock.”
“Hey @Nandi_Bushell! Challenge accepted. Haven’t played these songs in a loooooong time…..thanks for the inspiration!!! Your move!!!” he said.
Hey @Nandi_Bushell!
Challenge accepted.
Haven’t played these songs in a loooooong time…..thanks for the inspiration!!!
Your move!!!
Your friend in rock,
Dave(Thanks to my daughter, Harper for letting me borrow her drum set) pic.twitter.com/Ytq47CcZRC
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 29, 2020
Grohl started the video by playing a few seconds of “Everlong” before revealing that he has not played that song “since the day I recorded it in 1997. Our drummer, Taylor Hawkins, plays that song, ‘Everlong’, for us every night.”
“But Nandi, in the last week, I’ve gotten at least a hundred texts from people all over the world saying ‘this girl is challenging you to a drum-off. What are you gonna do?'” Grohl said.
“Now look, I’ve seen all your videos, I’ve seen you on TV, you’re an incredible drummer. I’m really flattered that you picked some of my songs to do for your videos and you’ve done ’em all perfectly,” he added.
Grohl then proceeded to tell Bushell that he is going to challenge her by playing a song she may not have heard before, called “Dead End Friends”, before he went to town on the drums.
The said song also features Grohl’s stick work as part of the American-English supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures.
Bushell on the same day replied to Grohl’s video and likewise accepted the new challenge, tweeting, “Challenge Accepted! [Mr.] Grohl you are amazing! Thank you so much.”
Challenge Accepted! Mr Grohl you are amazing! Thank you so much 🙏🏽❤️🤟🏽
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 29, 2020
Bushell also posted her reaction to Grohl’s video via her YouTube channel and social media accounts, where she appeared ecstatic, of course, over her idol’s response.
“This is UNREAL! I can’t believe Dave Grohl actually accepted my drum battle, [thank] you! Now it’s my turn to learn [‘Dead End Friends’] by @crookedvultures! I am going to checkmate this one too!” the young musician said.
This is UNREAL! I can’t believe Dave Grohl actually accepted my drum battle, Thank you! Now it’s my turn to learn ‘dead end friends’ by @crookedvultures! I am going to checkmate this one too! Thank you Harper for lending your Dad the kit! @foofighters #davegrohl #foofighters pic.twitter.com/gAyoVYSySM
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 29, 2020
At such a young age, Bushell rose to fame online for her energetic covers of various rock songs using several instruments besides drums, such as the electric guitar and bass.
Enter Sandman by @metallica! This song is so EPIC! Hope you enjoy my tribute to the AWESOME @larsulrich @KirkHammett @RobTrujilloRT and #jameshetfield! thank you for supporting me @roland_uk @roland_us @fender! I love my new electric #vad503 pic.twitter.com/jTGWkAWtbF
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) August 22, 2020
Bushell has also been featured in several television shows and news outlets, as well as having been invited on “Ellen” as a guest last year when she was only 9 years old. She turned 10 years old last April. JB
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