By DONNA BALANCIA
We’re going to be seeing more of Dave Grohl.
The leader of the Foo Fighters has an unusual new film project where he assumes different musical roles. And then jams with himself.
Grohl directs “Play” a two part mini-documentary with help from his Sound City/Sonic Highways collaborator Mark Monroe, about devoting your life to playing and mastering a musical instrument.
“Play” focuses on the one-man-band instrumental recording on which Grohl plays all seven instruments on the track, all live.
The entire song is played by Grohl, each time on a different instrument, live for 23 minutes. Darrell Thorp, the engineer on Concrete and Gold recorded sound.
Filmed in black and white by Brandon Trost (The Disaster Artist, This is The End), “Play” was then edited to feature the seven Grohls recording together.
“Watching my kids start to play music and learn to sing or play drums, it brings me back to the time when I was their age listening to albums, learning from listening,” Grohl said. “And when I take my kids to the place where they take their lessons, I see these rooms full of children that are really pushing themselves to figure this out.
“And even now, as a 49-year-old man, I’m still trying to figure it out… it’s not something that you ever truly master. You’re always chasing the next challenge, and you’re always trying to find a way to improve on what you’ve learned.”
The “Play” online interactive experience offers viewer/listener/participants the options of taking in the mini-doc and Grohl performance as is, focusing on one instrument, and/or downloading “Play” sheet music.
The online version of “Play” also includes a list of groups where time, money and instruments can be donated to the cause—and places where musicians can have the opportunity to play live music. Pre order here.
Watch a snippet from “Play” here:
