Featured Image Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Topics: Music, Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, Celebrity, Health
Greg Harris
Topics: Music, Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, Celebrity, Health
Dave Grohl has an unexpected health hack, and yes, it involves whiskey.
The 57-year-old rock star has been the frontman of Foo Fighters since founding the band in 1994. Before stepping into the spotlight as a singer, he was a drummer for Nirvana.
Known for his high-energy performances, he has spoken in the past about the physical demands of touring, which means he must maintain his voice over long stretches of time especially when he’s on the road.
With tour dates scheduled for later this year, Grohl has revealed how he maintains his voice, including the method his doctor approved.
Advert
While speaking on the Dish podcast, he said there was a time ‘maybe eight years ago’ where he had to ‘go get my vocal cords checked out’, something he had ‘never done’ before.
Grohl remembers feeling concerned about what they’d find. “And I was like, ‘Oh, Jesus. It’s going to look like string cheese’,” he quipped. “And I thought, ‘Okay, this is it. They’re gonna tell me that I’ve thrashed my vocal cords, and I’ll never be able to sing again’.”
But to his surprise, his vocal cords were in top shape.
“And the guy sticks the camera down into my throat and he goes, ‘Just relax.’ And he’d say, ‘Okay, now say ‘eee’.’ And I’m going, ‘Eee.’ And then he looks at my vocal cords and he goes, ‘Wow, they look great.’ And I said, ‘You’re kidding’.”
This was when Grohl revealed his pre-show ritual.
“He said, ‘No, they look amazing. Do you do vocal warmups?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ And he goes, ‘Okay, do you do like vocal cool downs after a show?’ I said, ‘No.’ And he said, ‘Well, what do you do before a gig?’ I said, ‘Honestly? An hour before the show, I’ll open a beer and I’ll start drinking the beer. I might take an Advil because my knees hurt, my ankles hurt, whatever, I’m old.
“Then I have a shot of whiskey. And then once the beer is done, I’ll open another beer. Then we’ll maybe have a group shot of whiskey. Which we call ‘band prayer’ and then someone will say 15 minutes and I open one more beer and have one more shot. And then hit the stage’.
“And my doctor said, ‘Just don’t change what you’re doing. It’s working!’ And I was like, ‘Ok, great!’ And that’s it!”
Foo Fighters will release their new album My Favorite Toy on Friday before embarking on a European tour this summer.
They’re scheduled to play North American shows this summer and fall, with an Australian and New Zealand leg set for 2026 and 2027.