My Week

The Telegraph

Friday

 
Dave Grohl

My band, Foo Fighters, were headlining an outdoor festival in Austria. We don't go on until 11.30 at night. I like the attention, but it feels like an eternity to get out there. I don't like days off on the road just sitting around in hotel rooms. It gets quite boring. I just want to play. Last week we had two days off in a row and I wanted to jump out the window because I was losing my mind. I would rather do 20 shows in 20 days and go home than be in Europe for the whole summer. I've been touring since I was 18 years old. That's half of my life hanging around at festivals.

Saturday

We played another festival in Germany. Right now I have my wife, my mother and my mother-in-law with me. Everyone has this image of touring as partying and taking cocaine every night. At one point maybe it was, but when you hit your late thirties you start to think about turning it into some form of family trip. I haven't done drugs since I was 20 years old. I might have a couple of whiskies before I go on stage, but it takes a lot to get me going all night. I lose about 10lb when I'm on tour so I can get back into my skinny jeans.

Sunday

Another festival, in Holland. Festival tours have a large sense of déjà vu where you go from one muddy field to another. The upside is having 40,000 people singing your songs back to you. It feels like you are doing some good, helping people express the feelings they have.

The only festival that really stands out as a special experience is Reading. Being able to perform at Reading is like winning a Grammy for me. Since I first came with Nirvana this will be the seventh time I've played here.

Monday

We arrived in London on our way to Reading. I love London. I love drinking Guinness and English breakfasts although they send me to sleep. Walking around with my wife it was so hard to believe that terrorists attacked such a beautiful city. It took me a while to even remember that it had happened here. Everything seems unaffected.

Tuesday

In the morning we recorded a live radio session for Jo Whiley at Radio 1. She was responsible for the first time Nirvana played on British television in 1991. I feel embarrassed because I swore by accident.

She played this weird, rock version of a Destiny's Child song and I thought we were off-air so I said "What the fuck is that?" I was quick to apologise.