Dave Grohl Just Gave a Fan the Coolest 18th Birthday Present Ever

Culture

At a Foo Fighters tour stop in Toronto last Thursday, Dave Grohl spotted a fan holding a sign that read: "It's my birthday, can I play drums?" He decided to grant his fan's wish. From his guitar-covered rock throne supporting his broken leg, Grohl warned: "If you suck on the drums, I will personally tar and feather your ass." 

They launched into "Big Me." The birthday boy nailed it.

Mic/YouTube

The video is going viral on Reddit, under two separate posts. In one, the 18-year-old drummer himself has answered questions.

"I was just thinking don't drop your stick please don't drop your stick" Reddit user gooosseeeyy wrote while climbing on stage, "thank god I didn't."

Mic/YouTube

It's not the first time Foo Fighters have made dreams come true. Grohl invited an 8-year-old to sing with him earlier this June. He brought a fan on stage who painted a portrait of the singer at a stop in Hamburg, Germany. But bringing up a drummer may be the biggest risk the band has taken in terms of fan participation. And playing in front of Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters drummer, and Dave Grohl, who was previously drummer for Nirvana, is no easy task — even if the kid was only playing "Big Me," which Grohl described as the "easiest one." "If you fuck this up, you're going to look like a total fucking asshole," Grohl said

The 18-year-old's few tiny mistakes are easily overlooked. He did not suck.

Mic/YouTube

Though sucking is a part of rock 'n' roll for Grohl. For all the grief Grohl gave the drummer onstage, he has previously stressed making mistakes is a major part the pursuit of rock 'n' roll glory.

"Musicians should go to a yard sale and buy an old fucking drum set and get in their garage and just suck. And get their friends to come in and they'll suck, too. And then they'll fucking start playing and they'll have the best time they've ever had in their lives and then all of a sudden they'll become Nirvana," Grohl told Sky magazine. "Because that's exactly what happened with Nirvana. That can happen again! You don't need a fucking computer or the Internet or The Voice or American Idol."

There are still badasses in rock 'n' roll. Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters have been chief among them for 20 years. Despite broken legs and waning interest in guitar rock, they just keep getting more and more awesome. And checking that performance, the next generation doesn't look so bad either: