There have been plenty of mishaps onstage through the years. Most result in nothing more than a bruised ego. Occasionally, the outcome is more serious. In 1977, Patti Smith fell from the stage and broke several vertebrae. In 2009, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith suffered head, neck, and shoulder injuries in a fall from the stage in Sturgis, South Dakota. In 2010, Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom broke his arm onstage in London. In 2022, Chad Gray of Mudvayne fell off the front of the stage—while the frontman was performing the song “Not Falling.” But let’s return to the night Foo Fighter Dave Grohl fell off the stage.
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Sonic Highways World Tour
June 12, 2015; Gothenburg, Sweden.
52,000 were in attendance to see Foo Fighters at Ullevi, the sports stadium that has hosted World Cup matches, hockey games, and boxing matches. The venue has also hosted some of the biggest names in music. Michael Jackson, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, and Elton John have all graced the stage. Foo Fighters opened with “Everlong,” and the concert was progressing the same as every other night until the band went into “Monkey Wrench.” About a third of the way into the song, frontman Dave Grohl fell off the front of the stage, and the show was delayed for several minutes.
The Show Must Go On
The band was not sure of the severity of the injury. Grohl addressed the anxious crowd from the front of the stage, “I think I really broke my leg. You have my promise, right now, that the Foo Fighters… we gonna come back and finish this show. I’m gonna go to the hospital, and then I’m gonna come back, and we’re gonna play for you again.”
Drummer Taylor Hawkins led the band into “Cold Day in the Sun” and “Stay with Me.” The band then went into their cover of the Queen classic “Under Pressure.” It was during this song that Grohl was brought back onstage.
His leg was wrapped, and he announced, “I may not be able to walk or run, but I can still play guitar and scream.” This announcement was met with massive approval from the capacity crowd.
“Can I Go Back Onstage Now?”
Grohl later recounted to Entertainment Weekly what happened between the fall and his return, “They pulled me to the side of the stage, and the doctor said, your ankle’s dislocated, and I have to put it back into place right now. They put this roll of gauze in my mouth, and I screamed and bit down on it. And they put my ankle back into place, and then everyone was quiet for a minute. I looked down and said, ‘OK, can I go back on stage now?’ Because it didn’t hurt. My paramedic doctor said ‘I have to hold your ankle in place,’ and I said, ‘Well, then you’re coming on fucking stage with me right now.’ And he did.”
Playing Through the Pain
It was later confirmed that Grohl’s fibula was snapped. He was accompanied by the doctor onstage as the crowd cheered. He sat in a chair with his right leg extended and wrapped in gauze. The band continued through their standard set, including originals and covers by The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, and another Queen song.
The Runway
As the band performed “My Hero,” Grohl stood up on one leg with the aid of crutches.
He addressed the crowd in the middle of the song, “Lemme tell you something. Here’s what I think. This might seem like a bad thing. But, you know what? I think this might be the best night of the whole fucking tour. I’ll tell you what, tomorrow morning is gonna be the worst fucking day of the tour. But, you know what? These are fucking cool,” as he held up his crutches and aimed them at the sky.
He continued, “I wanna sing this song for those nice people that took care of me over there,” and then finished the show.
Back to the Chair
The following six shows were postponed or canceled, including Wembley Stadium in London and their Glastonbury Festival spot. Grohl had a vision of how he could return to the stage, even though his band members didn’t necessarily believe it would work. As the singer knew he would have to be seated during the performances, he enlisted the help of a roadie to build a throne constructed of guitars and a giant Foo Fighters logo. That logo would be switched out a year later when Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose injured his left foot while on tour.
Grohl told Classic Rock, “Axl took it out with Guns N’ Roses, then he took it out with AC/DC, and then all of a sudden, I became the guy you come to if you break a limb on tour, like Thrones R Us.” Rose sent Grohl an early 1960s Gibson 335 guitar as a thank-you.
The Prank
In 2018, when Foo Fighters returned to Gothenburg, Sweden, they played in the same stadium. The band planned an elaborate prank on the audience. The group came on stage, but Grohl remained backstage. Instead, a “stunt double” ran out and waved wildly to the audience. He then ran out the middle runway and tripped over the side, falling into a giant cushion. As the audience gasped, the real Grohl strutted out onstage and began the concert.
Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
