This Is A Call: The Life And Times Of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan

This Is A Call charts the rise and rise of Dave Grohl, from fledgling punk rocker to drummer of grunge superstars Nirvana to lead singer of his current band Foo Fighters. This biography is an interesting insight into one of music’s most successful and talented rock stars of the last twenty years. One of the things I liked about the book is that the author, Paul Brannigan, has walked the walk, rather than being a general music fan who decides to do some research into Dave Grohl and write a book about him. It is obvious that Brannigan has followed punk rock and grunge from his early years and his passionate and dedication comes across in his writing. He builds up a good picture of the punk rock/grunge scene of the 1980’s and 90’s, describing and referencing bands that influenced and played a part in Dave Grohl’s developing music taste and career. The book struck a personal note on more than one occasion. I was a big Nirvana fan in the mid 1990’s and I remember well the importance of this type of music as an expression of my teenage angst and confusion. Since then my musical tastes and hormones have mellowed considerably but reading This Is A Call made me wonder about all the bands and fans who didn’t make it, either in terms of commercial success or just personal happiness and growth. It’s obviously better for people to channel their alienation and hurt into music than get involved in violence or crime or drugs but in saying that music, especially that kind of music, is not enough to heal and console – Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is a prime example. He seemed like a nice guy but ultimately damaged and very fragile. I remember the feelings well and grunge music served its purpose in its own strange way for a time but I am glad that I am no longer part of that scene. But not all rockers are like Cobain or destined to share his fate. Dave Grohl, in the interviews I have seen on YouTube and in this biography, comes across as a very down to earth, likable guy with his head firmly screwed on. He has had his trials and tribulations like everyone else; his experience in Nirvana was pretty challenging and ended in the suicide of Kurt Cobain, and even Foo Fighters had personnel problems in its first few years. But despite this there is a sense that Grohl manages to maintain a positive outlook on life and not let all the group dynamics weigh him down. In all of this his passion for music and his own musical integrity shine through brightly. 7/10