The Drum Battle That Won The Internet: Grohl vs 10 Year Old!
With so much negativity and junk populating the internet lately, it was such a welcome relief to stumbled upon the online "back-and-forth" between 10-year-old UK musical prodigy, Nandi Bushell, and her idol, Dave Grohl. Yeah, that Dave Grohl, from the Foo Fighters and Nirvana.
I know, I was just as surprised to learn that this kid was not only gutsy enough to cover one of the Foo Fighters' songs "Everlong" and put it up on YouTube--but then she challenged Grohl himself to a drum-off! And not in a bratty or self-important kind of way, but with a genuine sense of humility and excitement that can only be captured by a true fan-- no matter how small in stature or young in years.
Nandi covered "Everlong" and posted it on her YouTube page. And then something really cool happened...people loved it, and shared it...with her idol.
Grohl caught wind of Nandi's challenge, and responded in true "Dave Grohl" form, by meeting the young lady's challenge, playing Everlong himself, and then raising her challenge by offering her a different song to cover--one he had done with super group Them Crooked Vultures, called "Dead End Friends."
I can't even imagine how I would feel if one of my idols would have acknowledged my existence when I was 10, let alone recognized me and called me out by name--with a challenge of their own! Her response to his video is priceless.
Nandi took about a week to learn the new tune, and then, sporting a matching outfit to Grohl's red and black plaid shirt and black jeans, this little lady laid the groundwork for what will undoubtedly be an amazing career as a drummer (if she wants it) and rose to the occasion splendidly with her own version of his song.
Complete with split screens of her drumming alongside Grohl, while making some of the most amazing faces, this kid puts to rest any doubters or haters with some pretty skilled beating of the skins.
Responding online, Grohl did the only thing he really could, having been met with a worthy opponent, regardless of her size or age; He conceded the battle to her, but not before doing her the most epic of honors and creating a custom song and dedicating it to the pint-sized rocker.
Will this be the finale to the finest and most fun drum challenge of the last decade? It might be the end of the battle, but in true rock n roll warrior fashion, I have a feeling this is definitely NOT the last time we will hear from Nandi Bushell. She's only 10, after all, which means she has decades of rock ahead of her.
It's an amazing story that's far from over. And I, for one, can't wait to watch what else Miss Bushell has in store!
Rock on, Nandi! Rock on!