Garbage’s Shirley Manson has called Dave Grohl “the most incredible expanse of joy”.
In a new conversation with NME, the frontwoman opened up about her experiences working with Grohl, who contributed drums to the track ‘Bad Boyfriend’ from their fourth studio album ‘Bleed Like Me’ when it was initially recorded in 2004. The album’s 20th anniversary reissue was released earlier this month.
Speaking to NME, Manson said: “Dave Grohl is the most incredible expanse of joy that you can hope to meet as a human being. Him stepping in and playing on ‘Bad Boyfriend’ was a big boost to the male members of the band.
“He was a really good friend with Butch [Vig, drummer], of course, through their work with Nirvana [Vig produced ‘Nevermind’],” she continued. “I had very little to do with it, but I had very little to do with the members of the band at this point. That’s the eternal loneliness of being the only female in a male band, but that’s a whole other story.
“I love Dave Grohl with a passion, as does the world. He’s really something. He came in and bolstered the flagging spirits of my male counterparts and sprinkled his fairy dust on our record. We have that for all eternity.”
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In the same interview, Manson also discussed the moment she found out her label chose to invest in No Doubt over Garbage, calling it “devastating”.
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Manson said she had “a fortunate or unfortunate incident” on a flight from Los Angeles to London, when she was sat next to “a really famous rockstar” who let slip that Interscope had prioritised Gwen Stefani and co. over her band.
“I shan’t name [said rockstar] because I don’t want to cause too many ruptures,” she began. “He’s really gorgeous and I love this person, but we got drunk together and he told me that he’d been present at an Interscope meeting where our future as a band had been discussed and there was a vote taken at the table where they decided if they were going to spend money on No Doubt or on Garbage. They decided to invest in No Doubt.
“No Doubt are friends of ours, we love them dearly and this has no bearing on them whatsoever, but to hear that from a well-known and highly regarded rockstar was devastating. He told me this story, and then it was war. I wasn’t going to do fuck all for that record label ever again.”
In other news, the band are set to embark on a UK and European headline tour which will kick off this summer. Check out the full list of tour dates below and visit here to purchase tickets.
Garbage’s 2024 UK and European tour dates are:
JUNE
26 – Milan, Italy, Magnolia
27 – Lausanne, Switzerland, Les Docks
29 – Tilburg, Netherlands, 013
30 – Luxembourg, Rockhal
JULY
2 – Wiesbaden, Germany, Schlachthof
4 – Berlin, Germany, Uber Eats Music Hall
5 – Cologne, Germany, Palladium
6 – Paris, France, Le Grande Rex
9 – Barcelona, Spain, Razzmatazz
10 – Madrid, Spain, Mad Cool
12 – Glasgow, UK, TRNSMT Festival
14 – Edinburgh, UK, Usher Hall
15 – Bridlington, UK, Bridlington Spa
17 – Wolverhampton, UK, Wolverhampton Civic at The Halls
19 – Manchester, UK, 02 Apollo
20 – London, UK, Wembley OVO Arena