Foo Fighters‘ founder Dave Grohl isn’t shy about his political leaning and, in a new interview, revealed he’s had them since he was young.

Speaking to The Independent recently, Grohl recalled the time he attended the “Rock Against Reagan” rally at Washington, D.C., a free concert series held in the 80s featuring Dead Kennedys and Bad Brain.  

The 52-year artist said the mayhem was held “right on the Mall, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, a quarter of a mile from where I would one day be invited to play at Obama’s first big ‘party’ on the South Lawn.”

“They happened each Fourth of July. Hundreds of thousands of people from the suburbs would come to watch the national firework display,” added Grohl. “And right smack in the f****** middle of it was a punk concert.”

Recalling that there were “police on horses” armed with batons, the rocker confessed things became hairy when the two events clashed.

“It was nuts. I’d get beaten by police and rednecks. But it was the right place and the right time for that, under Reagan’s suffocating conservative administration,” Grohl attested, even if it meant disappointing his father who had a habit of “making Reagan sound like Abbie Hoffman.”

Grohl says his father, James Harper Grohl, would punish him by revoking his instruments and music.  The “Learn to Fly” singer says he would resort to playing guitar in his head and clicking his teeth together for drum solos.

Grohl’s “drum” playing, he adds, did not delight his dentist. 

Now that he has a multitude of real drums and guitars to play on, the rocker is preparing for the February 5 launch of Medicine at Midnight.

Foo Fighters most recently released “Waiting on a War,” following “No Son of Mine” and lead single “Shame Shame.”

By Megan Stone
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