202o was supposed to be a huge year for Dave Grohl and his rock band Foo Fighters the group was going to celebrate their 25th anniversary with The Van Tour, a trek that would take them across North America old school style in a beat up van. Once COVID-19 hit, the Foos, like so many other bands, were forced to scrap their touring plans and wait out the pandemic indoors like everybody else.
Instead of moping about, Grohl turned the camera on himself and created a documentary called What Drives Us, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. The doc features interviews with band members of Metallica, Slayer, No Doubt, and Guns N’ Roses, among others. There are some pretty interesting tidbits throughout the movie, and these are the revelations that were the most interesting to hear directly from the horse’s mouth.
10 No Doubt Once Played A Show For Nobody
In What Drive Us, viewers learn that No Doubt, the Orange County, California band fronted by The Voice judge Gwen Stefani, once played a show with zero fans in attendance. As guitarist Tony Kanal explains, the band was in Mississippi but weren’t able to sell any tickets to the show. Since the band was comprised of seven members at the time, the band members took turns switching between playing onstage and on the floor in order to even out the setting.
Of course, No Doubt became immensely popular after the release of their 1996 album Tragic Kingdom, and everything changed from there. Stefani became a global superstar and is engaged to Blake Shelton. Kanal says No Doubt quickly went from sharing vans to sharing larger buses and, in the end, each member was eventually able to travel in their own bus.
9 Radkey’s Dad Is Their Van Driver and Manager
Radkey is a relatively new band hailing from St. Joseph, Missouri that consists of brothers Dee, Solomon, and Isaiah Radke. The band’s exciting blend of punk rock landed them their first gig ever opening for Fishbone in 2011, a revelation the brothers revealed in What Drives Us.
The most interesting part of their appearance in the film though is that their dad Matt is actually their manager and van driver. In the doc, Matt Radke explains that he quit his job nine years ago to drive the boys around, and he can’t believe that they are still doing the rock ‘n’ roll thing. Not surprisingly, Radke will be opening for Foo Fighters on some tour dates in summer 2021.
8 U2’s The Edge Used To Be A Pyromaniac
U2 guitar player The Edge—real name David Howell Evans—grew up in a small town outside of Dublin, Ireland. In What Drives Us, he reveals that he used to be a pyromaniac, setting off firecrackers because there was nothing else to do. Things changed, however, once he met drummer and future U2 bandmate Larry Mullen Jr.
The Edge goes on to explain that he met Mullen after answering an ad for musicians at school in 1976. He hit it off with Mullen fairly quickly, and the rest is history.
7 Metallica’s Lars Ulrich Never Toured In A Van
Early on in What Drives Us, Dave Grohl sits down with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. Before the interview gets started, Ulrich clarifies that he has never actually toured in a van. Ulrich was born in Denmark and moved to the United States on a whim.
Growing up listening to heavy bands like Y&T and Diamond Head inspired Ulrich to be a musician. When he saw an ad posted for musicians wanted in California, Ulrich jumped on a plane and met up with future Metallica frontman James Hetfield. Metallica started jamming and took off right away, hence the lack of travel in a van to help build up an audience.
6 Drugs Nearly Killed Dead Kennedys Drummer D.H. Peligro
D.H. Peligro is a musican who has been around the rock world for decades but never seems to get his due. As the drummer for Dead Kennedys, Peligro helped build the infamous Washington D.C. punk rock scene in the 80s, a movement that included legendary groups like Black Flag, The Misfits, and Minor Threat. He finally tells his story in What Drives Us, and it’s not all wine and roses.
Early in his career, Peligro got caught up with all of the partying in the scene and even got addicted to drugs. It’s been a lifelong battle for the drummer, who opens up in the film about going to the hospital because his needle infections were so bad at times. Luckily, Peligro was able to get clean, but talking about his experiences still brings him to tears.
5 Foo Fighters Debuted “My Hero” in Vancouver
Many Foo Fighters fans cite “My Hero” from 1997’s The Color And The Shape as one of their favorite songs, but the tune is actually much older than it seems. In What Drives Us, the Foos are seen creating a setlist for a show at the legendary Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver in 1995. They decide to play a brand new song called “My Hero” to see how the crowd reacts.
Viewers then get to see a clip of Foo Fighters performing “My Hero” at the Vancouver show. It seems to go over well, with the crowd bouncing up and down and being generally excited to be there. “My Hero” is a song that is actually two years older than originally thought.
4 Even The Beatles Farted In Their Tour Van
One of the more disgusting parts of What Drives Us is when band members talk about how to handle when other passengers fart in the van. AC/DC’s Brian Johnston, St. Vincent—real name Annie Clark—and The Beatle’s Ringo Starr all chime in on the topic, with Ringo admitting that even The Beatles farted in the van while on the road.
The consensus seemed to be that bodily functions are a part of life, and that, when you’re traveling in close quarters with a band, you tend to live with it. Still, it’s pretty gross to think even 60s bands let it rip once in while. At least it didn’t stop The Beatles from making some great movie songs.
3 Flea Became A Musician To Help Him Deal With His Psycho Stepdad
As the original bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea has made a name for himself with his unique slapping style and chilled-out persona. Things weren’t always chill for Flea growing up though; born in Australia and moved to the USA at a young age, the musician lived with his Mom and stepdad, a man who was prone to psychotic episodes and fits of rage.
Flea loved the jazz music his stepdad listened to, even going so far as to have aspirations of being a famous trumpet player. Flea felt something when he played music, and his switch to bass helped him deal with his stepdad’s more chaotic moments. Fans of What Drives Us should also check out Flea’s memoir Acid For The Children, where he details his childhood and all its bizarre ups and down
2 Radkey Couldn’t Get Shows Because Of Their Looks
In their early days, some venue booking agents wouldn’t book Radkey because they thought they were a hip-hop group. The band explains that they would send their CDs to bookers in their hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri, but, when they called to follow up, the venue would tell them they “don’t book hip-hop acts.” Radkey would have to travel to neighboring cities to grow their audience before finally being able to get shows at home.
Everything worked out for the band in the end. They’ve since been able to tour the USA, playing at big festivals like SXSW and Riot Fest. They’ve also toured with artists like Jack White and The Damned, so it’s not all bad for the Radkey boys.
1 Ben Harper Lived Next To A Death Metal Band
What Drives Us shows viewers a lengthy interview with singer-songwriter Ben Harper. He talks about how he used to listen to mellow music until he lived next to a death metal band called Christian Death. The band would practice right next door, and Harper could hear their music thumping through his walls. One day, the band came over and gave Harper a bunch of records that were much heavier than he was used to. His musical tastes changed, and it inspired him to hit the road with his own band.
Harper goes on to explain that touring in a crowded van is how bands learn to get better and how to build an audience from the ground up. He’s since gone on to earn three Grammy nominations and has toured the world as one of the country’s finest folk, roots, and rock singers.
About The Author
