In the latest Hot Press, Tim Wheeler looks forward to playing Slane and reminisces about his old pal Dave Grohl, who happens to be heading up the bill with little-known beat combo Foo Fighters.
"We got to know Dave Grohl really well when we were recording the follow-up to Free All Angels, Meltdown, in Los Angeles, recalls the Ash frontman. "He’d just finished the One By One tour and was really good friends with the producer on that record, Nick Raskulinecz, so he was round the studio a lot. Looking through the control-room window and seeing Dave Grohl air drumming along to ‘Clones’ was too fucking weird! You start off saying, ‘I’m not going to bring Nirvana up’, but of course you can’t help yourself! As it turns out, he doesn’t have any problems talking about Kurt.
"Nirvana were a big deal here, but in the States they’re a religion. I told him how we’d hung around the Europa to get their autographs after Nirvana played in Belfast. He remembered the show – but not us! – because it was the morning after that Kurt was taken ill and left the hotel in a wheel chair."
As for that Nicest Guy In Rock tag?
"It's become a cliche but he really is one of the nicest men in rock. Taylor's great too – there's a real cool surfer dude vibe off him and, boy, does he know his Queen albums!"
It will be a big weekend for Ash, as the trio's new album Kablammo! lands on Friday May 29.
Also in the interview, we hear about a Grohl Hallowe'en party with Jack Black dressed as The Incredible Hulk, as well as Ash's first Slane, where they replaced Foo Fighters as support to U2 and witnessed Ardal O'Hanlon sang 'My Lovely Horse' with Moby.
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