Dave Grohl Launching ‘Play’ Documentary Featuring Epic 23-Minute Multi-Instrument Jam
With Nirvana, Dave Grohl became one of the most respected drummers in the rock world. We've also seen him handle frontman and guitar duties with Foo Fighters, but Grohl is set to showcase how far his musical talents can take him in a new two-part mini-documentary titled Play.
It was recently teased that Grohl had created an epic jam in which he performed every single instrument, and that 23-minute instrumental release will be part of the documentary.
Play was directed by Grohl with the help of Sound City and Sonic Highways collaborator Mark Monroe, with the idea of the film being to celebrate the rewards and challenges of dedicating ones life to playing and mastering a musical instrument. The opening portion of the documentary features narration of behind the scenes footage featuring the discussion of the love of playing music and having a lifelong relationship with an instrument. Grohl also delves into the process and challenges of recording and filming his unique performance.
The second part features his epic jam in which he played seven different instruments. The entire song was played by Grohl each time on a different instrument, live for 23 minutes. You'll see him playing the drum track entirely from memory, followed by guitar, bass, keyboards and so on. His dedication to the project saw him having to start over any time he caught a mistake or felt he could get a better take.
The documentary was filmed in black and white by Brandon Trost, with lighting used throughout to modulate the feelings of the peaks and valleys of the instrumental. Viewers are offered the interactive option of taking in the Grohl performance as is, focusing on a sole instrument and/or downloading the Play sheet music. An online version of Play also includes a list of organizations where time, money and instruments can be donated so that musicians can be able to play live music.
In addition to the up-close look at Grohl's instrumental piece, the Foo Fighters frontman also puts a spotlight on young musicians from the Join the Band music school in the San Fernando Valley practicing their craft, with Grohl putting the focus on their dedication.
“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," says Grohl. "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 mini-documentary will be released Aug. 10 as a digital download and for streaming platforms. A limited edition vinyl release will be issued Sept. 28. A trailer for Play can be seen above and you can pre-order the Play mini-documentary here.
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