Formed by ex-NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl, who adopted a frontman's role in this new venture, FOO FIGHTERS were named after the term given to UFO's by wartime pilots. Grohl was joined by ex-THE GERMS guitarist Pat Smear (real name George Ruthenberg) who had toured with NIRVANA on the group's 'In Utero' trek in order to bolster the sound. Rounding off the band was former DIDDLY SQUAT and CHRIST ON A CRUTCH bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith (both still active members of the Sub Pop signed SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.

Having recorded a four track demo tape, on which Grohl had played all instruments), FOO FIGHTERS made their live debut on March 3rd, 1995 with a show at The Satyricon in Portland. They followed that up with a show at the Velvet Elvis in Seattle on 4th March (this one witnessed by a mere 150 people, although over 500 were left outside). The first show had been part of a benefit gig to aid the finances of the investigation into the rape and murder of ex-THE GITS singer Mia Zapata.

The debut album sold well on both sides of the Atlantic as FOO FIGHTERS backed up the record with a series of festival dates and lengthy touring.

The B side to the 'I'll Stick Around' single sees a cover version of the KISS track 'Ozone'.

During recording of 'The Colour And The Shape' the band shifted recording sessions from Seattle to Los Angeles. During this relocation Goldsmith was to depart and in came Taylor Hawkins, fresh from an extremely lengthy road stint drumming for ALANIS MORISSETTE.

FOO FIGHTERS put in European festival performances towards the tail end of summer '97, including a special guest inclusion at Köln's Bizarre festival, before TV work in America. It here, after an MTV awards show in September, that Smear announced live on air he was quitting. Rumours had been surrounding the band members alleged personal strains for many months. Smears last recorded legacy with FOO FIGHTERS was a rendition of the '70's hit by GERRY RAFFERTY 'Baker Street' laid down for the EMI anniversary compilation 'Come Again'.

Pat Smear was quickly supplanted by Franz Stahl, previously a member of Grohl's act SCREAM before creating WOOL. Smear, meantime, copped a job with MTV and was caught by the cameras interviewing the SPICE GIRLS whilst on a shopping trip, chatting about clothes and nail varnish! Perhaps more noteworthy was the FOO FIGHTERS brace of suppot slots to the ROLLING STONES at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey that October.

As 1997 rounded off Grohl busied himself in the studio cutting Rock mixs for Rap star PUFF DADDY. The track 'It's All About The Benjamin's' sees Grohl handling guitars, bass and drums with backing vocals from WHITE ZOMBIE's Rob Zombie.

1998 found the FOO FIGHTERS fortunes on the ascendant yet again as the second album, after a steady run of 44 weeks in the American charts shipping platinum in the process, started another upward surge in sales. The band were also added to the European 'Ozzfest' dates settling in amongst heavyweights such as BLACK SABBATH, PANTERA and SLAYER. During August of 1999 the band would induct Chris Shiflett as second guitarist. Shiflett, then a member of NO USE FOR A NAME, held a track record with acts such as ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMIES, SILVER JET, TEN FOOT POLE and SWINGIN' UTTERS. Shiflett had also acted as a touring member for 22 JACKS and for LAGWAGON. The 2000 'Breakout' single formats see live B sides of Stoner legends THE OBSESSED's 'Iron & Stone'.

The summer of 2001 would find Grohl busying himself with his 'Heavy Metal elite' project PROBOT. Contributors to the PROBOT cause came from the cream of the Metal underground and would include Snake of VOIVOD, Cronos of VENOM, Eric Wagner of TROUBLE, Wino of THE OBSESSED, Tom G. Warrior of CELTIC FROST and APOLLYON SUN, Lee Dorrian of CATHEDRAL, KING DIAMOND and Mike Dean from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.

As if the PROBOT venture was not enough to occupy Grohl it would also be revealed that he had laid down drums on a session basis for the 'Songs For The Deaf' album from Stoners QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE. Word also filtered through that Grohl's songwriting services were hired for OZZY OSBOURNE's 'Down To Earth' record, none of these contributions making the final product though, and with Ozzy guitarist ZAKK WYLDE being particularly scathing in his opinions of Grohl's participation.

Grohl would not be the only one embarking on outside activities.Toward the close of 2001 bassist Nate Mendel founded THE FIRE THEFT, reunited with his former SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE colleagues drummer William Goldsmith, himself an erstwhile FOO FIGHTER, and vocalist Jeremy Enigk.

FOO FIGHTERS themselves kept themselves in the public eye with a re-worked version of 'Win Or Lose' donated to the snowboard movie 'Out Cold' soundtrack. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE commenced touring to promote 'Songs For The Deaf' in Atlanta on May 27th, the touring line-up seeing Dave Grohl on drums although both parties were stressing the temporary nature of this arrangement, the FOO FIGHTERS man's last show with being on July 28th at the Fuji Rock Festival in Nigata, Japan. Getting back onto the live circuit the FOO FIGHTERS were announced as the headline act for the 2002 annual 'T In The Park' festival in Scotland during June.

Grohl would be announced as contributing in a guest capacity to DAVID BOWIE's 2002 'Heathen' album, contribiting guitar to the NEIL YOUNG cover version 'I've Been Waiting for You'. Meantime, FOO FIGHTERS guitarist Chris Shiflett would remain active, assembling a project band in league with A PERFECT CIRCLE drummer Josh Freece and two FACE TO FACE members in vocalist Trevor Keith and sibling bassist Scott Shiflett dubbed VIVA DEATH.

The FOO FIGHTERS appeased collectors with their single 'All My Life', releasing a vinyl version through Sessions Records, the flip side of which featured a rendition of the RAMONES 'Danny Says' with Chris Shiflett taking on lead vocals. During late October the band's new album 'One By One' crashed into the US Billboard charts at no. 3, shifting in excess of 120'000 copies in its first week.

The band's April 2003 single 'Times Like These' sported a cover version of the B-52's 'Planet Claire', complete with guest appearance from Fred Schneider, as well as a rendition of JOE WALSH's 'Life Of Illusion'. Norwegian fans were treated with a unique quickfire re-release of 'One By One' boasting an extra disc made up of five live tracks recorded at the Oslo Spektrum in November of 2002.

Dave Grohl busied himself in 2003 with getting his all star Metal project PROBOT, the album surfacing on Southern Lord Records. Grohl also took time out to add session drums to the track 'Bad Boyfriend' on GARBAGE's 2004 album. In July the drummer also sessioned for NINE INCH NAILS new record 'Bleedthrough'. Some unwelcome news for Grohl came when he learned in August that President George W. Bush had used the FOO FIGHTERS track 'Times Like These' at an electoral campaign rally. A staunch Democrat supporter, Grohl responded by performing for Bush's rival John Kerry in Iowa, the band performing 'My Hero', 'Times Like These' and 'Learn To Fly'.

In 2003 Dave Grohl seemingly repaid his debt of honour to KILLING JOKE in regard to the NIRVANA 'Come As You Are' / 'Eighties' controversy by not only recording KILLING JOKE's 'Requiem' with FOO FIGHTERS but also sessionong on KILLING JOKE's eponymous album of that year. KILLING JOKE frontman Jaz Coleman also guested onstage with the FOO FIGHTERS in New Zealand.

In early 2005 it would be revealed that former LED ZEPPELIN bassist JOHN PAUL JONES had put down piano tracks for a new FOO FIGHTERS album 'In Your Honor'. The album, a double affair featuring a second disc of acoustic material also witnessed the surprising inclusion of NORAH JONES. Lead single, 'Best Of You', included a surprise cover of 'I'm In Love With A German Film Star' originally recorded by Post-Punk act THE PASSIONS plus a version of JAWBREAKER's 'Kiss The Bottle'. 'In Your Honor' shifted over 310,000 copies in its first week of US sales to land at no. 2 on the Billboard charts. The album also hit no. 2 in both the UK and Ireland.

The September 'DOA' single was notable not only for the inclusion of a cover version of CREAM's 'I Feel Free' but also a new original, 'Skin And Bones', recorded backstage at Glasgow 'T-In-The-Park' festival for Radio 1 and only written 30 minutes prior to going on stage. A notable guest for the FOO FIGHTERS 14th October gig at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey would be QUEEN drummer ROGER TAYLOR, sitting on on a version of QUEEN's 'Tie Your Mother Down'.

FOO FIGHTERS performed at the first annual VH1 'Rock Honors' televised show, held on May 26th 2006 at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Events Center to pay tribute to the achievements of KISS, QUEEN, DEF LEPPARD and JUDAS PRIEST. On October 22nd FOO FIGHTERS performed as part of an all-star San Francisco Bridge School Benefit event, a aid a Bay Area educational facility for students with severe speech and physical impairments, organised by NEIL YOUNG. The day beforehand Dave Grohl and PEARL JAM's Eddie Vedder had joined Young to jam 'Rockin' In The Free World'.

LED ZEPPELIN's Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones joined the FOO FIGHTERS onstage on Saturday June 7th 2008 during the final encore of the band's concert at Wembley Stadium in London. The ZEPPELIN duo joined the FOO FIGHTERS to play 'Rock And Roll', with Dave Grohl on drums and drummer Taylor Hawkins on vocals. Grohl and Hawkins then switched places for 'Ramble On'.