Dave Grohl and Pat Smear surprised a fan singing ‘Monkey Wrench’ at Foo Fighters‘ album launch party. Watch the moment below.
The band’s new album ‘Your Favorite Toy’ is out today (April 24), featuring the previously-released singles ‘Asking For A Friend’, ‘Caught In The Echo’ and ‘Of All People’, as well as the record’s title track.
To celebrate the occasion, they threw a listening party in London last night. Fans who attended were treated to a surprise appearance from Grohl and Smear, who walked into the event while one fan was performing a karaoke version of their 1997 track ‘Monkey Wrench’.
“No pressure, Dave Grohl’s here, fucking hell,” he joked when he noticed the famous face in the crowd.
Check out the footage below.
NME gave ‘Your Favorite Toy’ 3.5 stars in a review which read: “Vocally, Grohl has rediscovered his roar, but lyricism has never been his strongest suit, and much of it here is throwaway; those looking for signs of where his head is at after his infidelity scandal two years ago will be largely disappointed.
“But a fascinating exception is ‘Child Actor’, on which Grohl – who’s come to relish the spotlight after 30 years as the Foos’ frontman – unflinchingly examines his need for validation; it is the sound of somebody who has knocked themselves off their own perch searching for answers in the mirror.
“‘Your Favorite Toy’ is a few more tracks of that depth away from being the most vital Foo Fighters record since 1997’s ‘The Colour and the Shape’. For now, at least, they have remembered that no-frills punk, played fast and loud, suits them much better than middle-of-the-road dad-rock.”
The band will appear on SNL UK on Saturday, where they’ll debut as the show’s first non-British music guests.
In other news, Grohl recently recalled the time he accidentally insulted David Bowie, saying that he “backpedalled so fast”, and has revealed the boozy secret to keeping his vocal cords in a healthy condition.
Meanwhile, he has made a rare political statement about the “deeply divided” America, saying: “There needs to be change.”
The group played a run of intimate UK and Ireland gigs in Dublin, London and Manchester earlier this year. They’ll head out on their European ‘Take Cover’ tour this summer, including two shows at Liverpool’s Anfield (find any remaining tickets here). Their European festival dates feature stops at Mad Cool, Nos Alive, Pinkpop and more.
The Foos are set to play some North American dates over the summer and autumn, too, and have announced an Australia and New Zealand leg for 2026 and 2027.