Nandi Bushell has joined Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters onstage for a cover of Everlong.
Appearing at the end of the band’s rescheduled show at the LA Forum on August 26, the 11-year-old YouTube star was introduced to the audience by Grohl, who explained their backstory.
“There was this person… One day I pick up my phone and my friends text me and say ‘Have you seen this shit?’ And I pick up my phone and see that somebody has challenged me to a drum-off…” says Grohl.
“I tried to brush it off but all my friends started telling me, ‘No dude. You’ve got to step-up: this is a drum-off!’ So I responded and put out a little thing.
“And then she comes back. And she whips my fucking ass in front of the entire planet. Tonight was the first night that we met and I came face-to-face with my arch nemesis…”
The move represents the conclusion of the pair’s heart-warming collaboration and friendly rivalry.
Their relationship started when the 11 year-old Bushell, who had been making a name for herself with her riotous and joyful YouTube rock covers, initially covered Nirvana’s In Bloom.
However, it was Everlong that Bushell covered when she first challenged Grohl to a drum battle, so saving the song for her guest spot felt particularly poignant.
“This person inspired me last year so much…” said Grohl, as Bushell joined him onstage. “In a time when you would pick up your phone or turn on your computer and all you would have was bad news, for that one day you could pick up the phone and see this connection between two people that have never met, making music together and spreading joy and love all across the world.”
In the time since Bushell issued her first challenge to Grohl, the two musicians have traded drum blows, written songs for each other and been interviewed together in the New York Times.
When Bushell posted her Everlong cover, she wrote in the introduction underneath: “My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and all the Foo Fighters!”
Now she’s done just that, aged 11, in front of an arena full of people chanting her name. Checkmate, indeed...
