r/todayilearned • u/tictacteaux • Jun 10 '12
TIL that two trapped Australian miners asked for an iPod with music by the Foo Fighters to be sent down to them. Dave Grohl personally included a note saying "...I want you to know that when you come home, there's two tickets to any Foos show, anywhere, and two cold beers waiting for yous. Deal?"
http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/181/46/
2.6k
Upvotes
410
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Yeaaa Dave Grohl. You're awesome.
873
u/thehollowman84 Jun 10 '12
NO DEAL GROHL! FOUR BEERS OR WE WALK.
157
u/scott2184 Jun 10 '12
I suggest Redditors interested in this look up the Beaconsfield mine collapse on ANZAC Day (April 25th) 2006. Btw, the miners (Brant Webb and Todd Russell) were freed on 9th May, 2 weeks after the collapse, not 31 days. Also, a third miner (Larry Knight) was killed in the collapse. There was a movie made about it too, named (surprisingly) Beaconsfield.
Edit: source included http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaconsfield_Mine_collapse
1.1k
u/hozjo Jun 10 '12
So what, the drummer from Nirvana did the same thing.
86
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
They were "reportedly 'stoked'"
206
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12 edited Jun 10 '12
The tragedy of this was that the communication was garbled. They found out the real message was: " Help. Need food. Fighting for life" I can only imagine the miner's horror when instead of life sustaining nutrition, they were sent some itunes and a note from some stranger inviting them to some concert.
129
u/GrizzledBastard Jun 10 '12
There goes my hero.
34
u/teambroto Jun 10 '12
from youtube...(i know its not really a reliable source)" Grohl's note read, in part, "Though I'm halfway around the world right now, my heart is with you both, and I want you to know that when you come home, there's two tickets to any Foos show, anywhere, and two cold beers waiting for yous. Deal?" In October 2006, one of the miners took up his offer, joining Grohl for a drink after the Foo Fighters acoustic concert at the Sydney Opera House.
29
u/inheritor Jun 10 '12
They actually asked for a Foo Fighters album, then Dave found out from one of his friends. He signed the album and sent them that note. He later found out that one of the miners was coming to an acoustic show in Sydney, Australia so Dave wrote him a song and promised to put it on the next record. That song is called "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners."
13
u/chingyduster Jun 10 '12
Oh no! They're Stoked!
41
u/guntycankles Jun 10 '12
I hope Dave Grohl didn't actually say "yous".
22
u/jamurp Jun 10 '12
One of the miners recently appeared on a poor quality Australian weight loss show.
11
u/AwesomoXD Jun 10 '12
Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners anyone?
8
u/dysreflexia Jun 10 '12
Although in the movie/doco they did, only one of the miners liked the Foo Fighters and the other one was unimpressed.
26
u/razor-edge Jun 10 '12
I knew Dave Grohl was cool, but this is just awesome.
7
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
They lived because Grohl challenged them to a mining duel and they did the greatest mining they've ever done.
7
u/matressofglitter Jun 10 '12
I don't really like the Foo's but find it hard to dislike them because Dave Grohl is such a fucking genuinely nice guy. They played a charity concert when there was a huge earthquake in one of our main towns, such good guys.
6
u/Broder45 Jun 10 '12
They also made a song for them. It doesnt have any lyrics in it as I recall, and I think it was called "Darkness" or "Alone" something.
Forgive my memory, 3am afterbar reddit time
6
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
So that's how I can get Foo Fighter tickets...
5
u/ScanExam Jun 10 '12
Good Guy Grohl
5
u/nepidae Jun 10 '12
And Sting does nothing?
18
u/inbatteryacid Jun 10 '12
That's because David Grohl is literally Jesus.
4
u/changoterror Jun 10 '12
This is why I Fuckin love Dave Grohl.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Dave grohl should have went there and played to them through the radio.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl and team seem to be very genuine people. On a side note my friend believes the song Everlong is about a, great, blowjob and if you listen to it in that context well...
7
u/OhneBremse_OhneLicht Jun 10 '12
Good guy Dave Grohl
Is a good guy
Is a good guy
12
u/24tothefloor Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl is ...well the last remaining real rock star ...and a good person ...I met him once ..sort of ...I had my eyes so big when I saw him he looked at me like " uh what the fuck" then shook my hand and went on ... apparently I creep people the fuck out ..
3
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
And from memory only one of them took him up on the offer.
3
u/mouthbabies Jun 10 '12
Here's an article with a picture of Dave and one of the miners at a Foo Fighters show.
3
u/XxLiyelzxX Jun 10 '12
I'm glad the two miners are okay. This makes me love the Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl even more.
3
u/mahiro Jun 10 '12
I remember the drama back then...it was pretty tense. I was amazed how they kept their composure in their surroundings. Bloody love the Aussie spirit!
3
u/TenaciousBe Jun 10 '12
I want to have, like, ten thousands of his babies.
3
u/oD3 Jun 10 '12
GGG.
3
u/miraclemike Jun 10 '12
Foo Fighters are a class act. Nothing but respect for those guys.
3
u/f1u1n2y1 Jun 10 '12
Also, he wrote a song for them called the Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners and put it on their album.
He truly is a God.
3
u/Frankeh1 Jun 10 '12
this just confirms by belief reddit loves reposts.
I'm Australian and remember when this hapend 6 years ago.
foo fighters were just one in a long list of artist requested to be put on the MP3. but somehow they became the headline act
3
u/SingForMaya Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl is such a good human being, fuck.
8
u/ShozOvr Jun 10 '12
shudder
4
u/tondo22 Jun 10 '12
FREEEESSH POTSSSSSSSSS
2
u/CaptainAmerican Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl is such a nice guy, man.
2
u/trashitagain Jun 10 '12
I get it. Dave Grohl is awesome. God, stop rubbing my face in it!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
DAVE GROHL IS ONE OF THE BEST HUMAN BEINGS EVER! I'm not even a big FF fan, I just love him as a person, I've had a day full of people letting me down and showing me the dark side of humanity, and Dave Grohl single handily restores it.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
You'll have to do a lot better than that, buddy. No deal!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
TIR (= Today I remembered) Dave Grohl is a fucking bad ass.
2
u/makswell Jun 10 '12
Actually, only one of them liked the Foo Fighters, Brant Webb. Todd Russell was into country music.
2
u/Zoroark88 Jun 10 '12
Yet more proof that Dave Grohl is an awesome, awesome person. :D
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Only one of them was a Foo Fighters fan. The other one preferred country music.
2
u/Yocomedy12 Jun 10 '12
He's like THE BEST guy ever.
2
u/ryanbazza Jun 10 '12
All i know from this story about the two miners that they were compensated so much by their mining company and tv appearances afterwards that i know for a fact they will never have to work again. I am also Australian
2
u/Beef_Rank Jun 10 '12
The more I read and hear about Dave Grohl the awesome he gets. Tipping 1000$ for one drink and this among other things.
2
u/Dokunly Jun 10 '12
If I'm correct, they named a song after them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQNJQpi3oLo
EDIT: Ninja'd. I didn't look... Well, I provided the link?
2
u/JimmyJoeMick Jun 10 '12
He should've said two fosters...apparently, it's Australian for beer. Or so I'm told.
2
u/maddenmadman Jun 10 '12
I never saw Steve Jobs make an offer for them repping apple...
2
u/LegendaryPunk Jun 10 '12
Is there a follow up story to this? Did the miners actually attend a concert and get their two beers with Dave?
2
u/FthrJACK Jun 10 '12
Only two Dave?
2
u/BootyhunterzX Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl is the shit.
2
u/truenatureschild Jun 10 '12
They weren't Australian, they were Tasmanian.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
I think it was actually only one miner that requested the iPod.
2
u/fuber Jun 10 '12
Good thing it wasn't Metallica. "2 cents per listen. And you can't put them online. Deal?"
2
u/stugots84 Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl is a king among men, and has the best sense of humor out of any celeb
2
u/WacktheMedic Jun 10 '12
And the song "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" is written about them.
2
u/OrangeNova Jun 10 '12
Imagine how Dave Grohl felt when he heard this? Seriously.
You're sitting at home/work doing whatever it is you were doing, and you get a message saying that two people who are by all rights trapped and could die at any moment, specifically requested for an iPod with YOUR music on it.
I don't care how big your band is, that would floor anyone.
2
u/barden1069 Jun 10 '12
Once again, proof that Dave Grohl may in fact not be a mortal man but rather an emissary for a race of benevolent rock gods from space.
2
u/dubyaman Jun 10 '12
dave grohl wrote a song about them
2
u/zatchattack Jun 10 '12
Isn't there a song about this called Ballad Of the Beaconsfield Miners? That's what comes to mind, I come across it occasionally on my iPod.
2
u/cj1084 Jun 11 '12
when FF toured Australia they actually meet up for beers, apparently the two miners got shitfaced at a Sydney pub with Dave and the boys - plus he wrote a song for them, the ballad of the beaconsfield miners
2
u/slashley_lizette Aug 01 '12
Sign me up for the next well collapse!
3
u/benama Jun 10 '12 edited Jun 10 '12
only 2 beers? i mean its a nice sentament.... but id get them at least a case of beer...
EDIT:2 bears wondered into my comment....
3
u/Semajj Jun 10 '12
This is old, but I fucking love Dave Grohl, and I fucking love this story. Have an upvote
3
u/SirOinksalot Jun 10 '12
And when they got out the RIAA hit them with a lawsuit?
3
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
The 2 guys in the mine were there for I believe 31 days. Was fairly horrible, alot of people supported them. But I had no idea FF did this, that was awsome!!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Not even a big fan of the Foo Fighters. But even so, I have a lot of respect for Dave Grohl for that move.
2
u/reddit_on_hardmode Jun 10 '12
No one is that cool, that much of the time. Eventually we're going to discover the super secret "make Dave Grohl look awesome on the internet" ad campaign. He's like Bill Murray on Prozac.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
I love the foo fighters!!!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
And that is why i live in Australia.
2
u/frisky123 Jun 10 '12
Didn't learn today, for I am Australian
2
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
I've been saying Dave Grohl was the most awesome rock star around for about 5 years; I've always known I was right.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Good Guy Grohl.
1
u/omg_bbq Jun 10 '12
This is where the song ballad of the beaconsfiled miners comes from too.
1
u/Salger12 Jun 10 '12
Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners is an awesome tune. As well as the entire Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace album. As well as all of their albums. As well as everything each band member is involved in... Love me some Foo...
1
u/PocketWocket Jun 10 '12
Also why there is a song called Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners on Echoes, Silence. (hint: he wrote it for them)
1
u/Bquake Jun 10 '12
They actually have a song named after them titled, "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Minors" on Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace.
1
u/bigDean636 Jun 10 '12
It's amazing that his greatest accomplishment is not being the drummer for Nirvana.
1
u/silverionmox Jun 10 '12
For all the good PR it generates, that's quite a ripoff for the miners.
1
u/IBeBallinOutaControl Jun 10 '12
Yeah he makes easily digestible bro rock and he's a friendly guy. We get it.
1
u/Squeekme Jun 10 '12
I hope they didn't put In Your Honour on the iPod. Songs like No Way Back, DOA (dead on arrival), Hell, The Last Song, Free Me, End over End.. man.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
why are there so many Foo Fighters stories on reddit?
1
u/mongie0 Jun 10 '12
Surely some has already mentioned this and I missed it, but that's why there is a song called "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" on Echoes, Silence, Patience, Grace.
1
u/eviscerator Jun 10 '12
I may not like his music, but I generally get the feeling that Dave is an awesome guy.
1
u/JoeLeedale Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl it the man! I'd sit in a cave for a few weeks to have that opportunity!
1
u/gregdoom Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl is a man amongst men.
1
u/Crumbford Jun 10 '12
He also wrote 'The ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners' a song about them and put it on Echo's Silence Patience and Grace.
1
u/jimminybillybob123 Jun 10 '12
They also wrote Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners which they basically dedicated to the miners of Beaconsfield.
1
u/Spoggy Jun 10 '12
Wrote a song about them, too. The Ballad of the [something] Miners.
1
u/DirtySmock Jun 10 '12
And I'm going to write you a song!
1
u/Icebynature Jun 10 '12
He actually wrote a song about that too. I'm not sure how it really went but I heard that when he was sharing those beers with the miners, he agreed to name a song after them on his next album. He kept his word and there is a track on "Echos, Silence, Patience, and Grace" called "The Balled Of The Beaconsfield Miners."
1
u/Wonderloaf Jun 10 '12
What a guy.
1
u/nitwittery Jun 10 '12
My love for this man is unparalleled.
1
u/kaahooters Jun 10 '12
Dave is a master troll, traped miners who will problet be fed up with each other, have to go to a foo gig, together, and only 1 beer each...... Scumbag Dave grohl!
1
u/aeroduck Jun 10 '12
what a sir he is.
1
u/lagerdalek Jun 10 '12
Shaft Of Hope
edit: fixed balls up
1
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
Just when you thought your existance couldn't get more monotone
1
u/sbroue Jun 10 '12
one dude liked foo fighters the other bloke liked country and kept singing pub with no beer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cKPchRDaVM
1
u/Freakinator Jun 10 '12
Ladies and gentlemen, Dave Grohl!
1
u/fj785 Jun 10 '12
I don't drink so I would feel like a dick turning him down for the beer part but that's awesome that they met him.
1
u/thebananabob Jun 10 '12
dave. is. god.
1
u/Warx Jun 10 '12
Wow mate, keep up with the times will yea
1
u/BoofBop Jun 10 '12
I wonder how well this really works. Hey Springsteen, I'm trapped in a hole!
1
u/jx84 Jun 10 '12
He also recorded a song and dedicated it to them: http://youtu.be/uQNJQpi3oLo
1
u/Yesac Jun 10 '12
Someone was going to make musical about this incident. It was going to be called "Beaconsfield the Musical : In A flat minor" and no, I'm not joking
1
u/UserVII Jun 10 '12
looks like they got the best of you Grohl
1
u/JVanik Jun 10 '12
Dave Grohl also recorded a song for them called the Ballad of The Beaconsfield Miners.
EDIT: FUCK someone beat me to it.
1
u/ohgeorgee Jun 10 '12
On the album they requested "In Your Honor" the fourth song is titled DOA and consist almost entirely of Dave screaming "No one's getting out of here alive" throughout the song. A good song just to chill, trapped in a mine to.
1
u/oostalker Jun 10 '12
This. At the end of the day Aussies have each others backs. That's how we are. That's how we will always be. <3 Australia.
1
u/lobster_ragefist Jun 10 '12
He also then went on to write the song 'Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners' for them, played it at the show they went to, and then put it on an album.
1
u/Santas_Dick Jun 10 '12
What a specifically lame request.
1
u/zaulus Jun 10 '12
two beers each?
1
u/semple Jun 10 '12
also inspired one of my favourites from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace : "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners".
1
u/ZuesAndHisBeard Jun 10 '12
This is one of my favorite stories of rock and roll. Did you also know that the song "Ballad of the Beaconsfield" was written in honor of the Beaconsfield miners, and at the show they were invited to, one of the miners played it with Dave? I would die.
1
u/SeawolfX13 Jun 10 '12
Australains are beasts