Had Krist Novoselic accepted Dave Grohl’s offer to join Foo Fighters in 1995, the world would be very different. Novoselic might’ve been right about the public seeing Foo Fighters as a reheated Nirvana; the band might never have taken off. Dave Grohl wouldn’t have turned into the smiley, elbow-rubbing polymath that he is today. Novoselic might not have twice campaigned against Washington’s Erotic Music Law, a proposition which would’ve allowed a panel of musty creeps to decide on the sexual nature of any given record, then deny the more raunchy tunes to kids under 18. That law might have passed, and young Seattleites wouldn’t have been able to hear Prince until they were old enough to drown themselves in Olympia beer.
You may think about all of this as you watch the video of Novoselic joining Foo Fighters onstage in Eugene, Oregon last night to perform “Big Me.” Grohl and Pat Smear, the bassist’s old Nirvana pals, smile their way through the track (as they did in the original, slightly uncanny video). Novoselic gets a few notes wrong, turning to Chris Shiflett for reassurance.
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But if you wanted to hear a good version of “Big Me,” you’d go back to the original version, from Foo Fighters’ 1995 self-titled debut album. So, instead, watch the video at the top of the page and ponder the butterfly effect. Or just enjoy these very chill old rock dudes, who just love playing their chill rock music.
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