My Year - Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters

Kerrang! January 2000

What did 1999 mean to you?
"1999 was the final realisation of a dream that I've had for a long time - which was to build a home studio, record an album in the basement and have it turn out exactly the way I wanted. It's been a good year. I actually got fat while we were in the studio eating, drinking and sitting on our asses. I became a gross little scrub with cellulite. Taylor ( Hawkins, Foos drummer ) said: 'Hey Dave, if you had to go to the beach now and take off your shirt, would you be embarrassed?'. What was my answer? 'Fuck you!'."

Album of the year?
"I think the general consensus will select Rage Against the Machine's record because it was so anticipated, plus it's powerful and meaningful. I say that because rap/metal fusion has become devoid of meaning, and it was time for Rage to come back and offer their perspective again. They needed to prove to people that the genre is valid and not just Las Vegas entertainment."

Film of the year?
"I just saw a film called 'Boy's Don't Cry' which was pretty great. It just came out."

Person of the year?
"I'd say Jack Black from Tenacious D. He was a huge inspiration to me and the band in making the last record. He was in our video, he was in Beck's video, and he's the most insane and hilarious person in the world."

Wanker of the year?
"I don't really pay attention to wankers, to be honest. Our tour manager Gus says Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit, but I don't really want to say him even though I'd already thought the same thing. I don't know - I guess everyone kinda sucks. Can I say everyone else? Cool."

This year I have mostly been drinking?
"My favourite drink this year was Crown Royal, which is a blended whisky from Canada. It's smooth and tasty on ice, or as shots followed by an ice-cold beer. Definitely Crown Royal."

Who was the sexiest person you met this year?
"My girlfriend, because she definitely is the sexiest person I've met this year. Actually, I met her last year, but we started getting sexier this year."

Who was the biggest tosser you met this year?
"I honestly couldn't say because I usually forget. I'm sure there were many, but they shall remain nameless."

Where did you go on holiday this year?
"Away from the band, I haven't really been away for a break. I had 3 days off in Australia, which was cool. I drove up the coast to see some kangaroos, koala bears, parrots and shit like that."

Personal high point of 1999?
"Finishing the new album and signing a record deal with RCA. Most people say they couldn't care what people think of their album because it's the record they always wanted to make. I've said the same myself in the past and never really meant it. This time, though, I really couldn't fucking give a shit. I couldn't give two fucks, because making the record in my house by ourselves we really did pull off the album that we wanted to make. Anyway, the reaction to the album has been pretty good all the same."

Personal low point of 1999?
"My level of exhaustion by the time that I got to Australia on the promo trip that we did. I'd never been so tired in my life."

Best band you've seen all year?
"Queens of the Stone Age. It was at CBGB's in New York City earlier this year. I was right down in the front row. I had my own bottle of my whisky in my hand, and by the end of the show the bottle was gone and it was the best feeling in the world."

Best song you wrote this year?
"I'd have to say 'Aurora', from our new album."

Weirdest fan experience of the year?
"Someone broke into my house in Virginia and accosted my family. Some drunk fuckin' teenage kid broke in when I was away, but my Mom and sister were there. My sister was sleeping in my bed with the TV on and she woke up with some kid standing over the bed flicking the light on and off and going ( in whispered voice ), 'Where's Dave?, Where's Dave's room?'. My sister was like, 'How the f**k did you get in here? Who are you?'. She kicked him out and called the cops. That was a freaky experience, and a day later I had the full alarm system installed. If you step in my garden it's like, 'You have violated a secure area! The police have been notified! Leave immediately!'. Dude, that kid was so fucking lucky me and my friend Jimmy weren't there, because we would have kicked his little ass, and then probably ended up in jail ourselves."

Most famous person you me this year?
"Oh God, I'm not so sure that I met anyone new. Actually I met (comedian ) Eddie Izzard. I got pissed with him in fucking Los Angeles and it was great. He was absolutely hilarious - I think he'd actually just taken his first snowboarding trip and the guy was addicted already."

Most extravagant thing you bought this year?
"That would be the studio that I built in my house in Virginia. It certainly was not cheap. Also, I just got an apartment in New York. That's probably the most extravagant thing that I've ever done."

Most trouble you got yourself into this year?
"The most trouble was having to run from the neighbourhood police when I was drunk and driving across people's lawns back in Virginia. Did I get caught? No, I got away."

Most outrageous thing you did this year?
"I joined a skeet shooting league. We just go around shooting shotguns and aiming at targets that are flying through the air. It's something that I'd like to pursue, but it's probably not a good idea to take a shotgun away with you on tour."

Favourite new insult of 1999?
"The new one is, 'What a hoax!'. If you see a band that sucks you say, 'God, that band is a fucking hoax!'. It can be applied to many different things."

Favourite chat-up line of 1999?
"I don't have any to be honest. You'd have to ask Taylor that question, I'm afraid."

The moment I most felt like a prize donut in 1999 was..
"That would have to be when Taylor humiliated me in front of a 'Saturday Night Live' audience. I'd joked about his face being up on the screen during the commercial break and he commented on the shirt I was wearing. It was nothing too major, but the whole audience laughed at me all the same."

'The Phantom Menace' - ace or arse?
"What's that? The Star Wars thing? No, I blew that one off. Any movie that relies on digital effects kinda turns me off. They just don't seem like films."

What will you be drinking on Christmas Day?
"I would say probably Crown Royal on ice."

What will you be doing on New Years Eve?
"I hope to be out in the countryside somewhere. Shots of Crown Royal again, followed by Crown Royal on ice chasers."

The year 2000 will include..
"Let's see. I hope for comfortable touring, decent catering, and maybe some time off if I can get it. There's some personal goals that have to do with my relationship as well, but that isn't something I want to share with a bunch of heavy metal fans!."