Earlier this week, Foo Fighters played a secret, last-minute gig at Brighton's Concorde 2. Part way through their set, and without warning him beforehand, they pulled Jay Apperley - lead singer of tribute band UK Foo Fighters - onto the stage, pointed him towards the mic, and blasted out the opening riff of 'White Limo'. Despite being thrown in at the deep end, Apperley rose to the occasion, and sang vocals for the entire song, while the real Dave Grohl took a "vacaton for three and a half minutes."
We caught up with Jay, who, despite currently battling a "stinking cold", is still riding high on the memory of his Foo Fighters performance, and he summed up the experience for Gigwise in his own words:
Being on stage with Foo Fighters was like a dream that I've had, that I never thought could happen, but I kept working hard at the possibility. It was a bit of a coincidence that we were playing there on the 27th September, so we knew that Dave was going to see the posters at the venue and probably ask questions - so it seemed like a good idea to make the 350 mile trip from Harrogate. Then the owners said, "Oh you're on the guest list so you don't have to buy a ticket or try and get a ticket."
I had no idea at all that we were going to be brought onstage. I told the venue owner that I'd bring my guitar just in case. Dave doesn't know yet, but he signed it. I believe he gave it away when The Edge from U2 was doing an auction in New York for Hurricane Katrina victims a few years ago, and I managed to get that guitar, so instead of putting it in a glass box I put it to better use. I don't think I've ever played anything on it other than a Foo Fighters song.
Five songs in, he started talking about us, saying, "I don't want to shit the bed in front of the UK Foo Fighters", and I remember thinking it was amazing that he'd even mentioned us. Then he looked at me and pointed and beckoned his finger at me, and said something like, "Hey you, Motherfucker. I wanna see what you got." The only pressure that I had was wondering which song he would pick and whether or not he would hand me his guitar and just sit in the audience and watch.
It was a big relief when I heard the intro to 'White Limo.' I was so relieved that he picked that. I know from doing the circuit that people generally comment, "How can you do that one?" and I don't know, I just tried it when they made the song, and it came out. I knew he was testing me with that type of a vocal, but I also knew that it was one that I could nail. Dave's last words were, "That was fucking awesome. Can we do this every night?" I've already sent him a tweet saying, "Call me."
I didn't get to meet Dave afterwards but he asked for a bunch of posters and flyers so maybe he's got an idea in his head about some other tribute things. If you're reading this Dave, and you need some props or something for a music video or some little weird twist, one of those goofy music videos you're known for, I'm available!
I didn't know how he'd feel about tribute bands, I thought he might say to me, "Just get your fucking mates together and write some shit and it's yours." He's a big fan of that. He's the biggest thing in rock music on the planet, but everybody said to me, "He's not just the nicest guy in rock, he's just a seriously nice guy, he won't have an issue with it." Clearly he doesn't, because he wouldn't have let me take his place on a song on the first ever secret gig in the UK after nearly three years of silence otherwise.
As the days pass I ask myself, did he do it to say something to the world or did he just do it because he knew I was out there and somebody had told him what it would mean to me? The last 24 hours, I mean christ, what's next?
For more information on UK Foo Fighters, visit their website here.
Foo Fighters will play their final UK secret show at London's Islington Assembly Hall tonight (Friday 12 September), before headlining the Invictus Games Closing Ceremony on Sunday 14 September. For tickets and more information visit here.
Below: 17 photos of Foo Fighters rocking London's House Of Vans
