I met Foo Fighters for the first time at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on July 20, 1995. A lifetime ago. I was 21 years old and had only been shooting concerts for a couple of years.
That afternoon I nervously waited behind the venue with a few dozen fans, hoping to see the band when they arrived.
Although Dave Grohl had been drumming in the biggest band on the planet less than a year and a half earlier, Foo Fighters were starting from scratch. And as such, they pulled up in a pretty ordinary, used, band van. Pat Smear got out first, opened the rear doors, and William Goldsmith who was fast asleep literally rolled out. He got to his feet and started hauling gear into the club with Nate and Pat.
Dave was talking to a guy from the venue and fans just stood there staring at him. It was awkward. When they were done talking I impulsively walked up to him and said the first three words that came to me: “Hi. I'm Dustin”. “Hi! I'm Dave!” he replied.
We shook hands and I told him I’d be shooting the show and hoped they’d be interested in seeing the pictures someday. He asked for my info and I handed him my card. “We’re playing near Seattle in a couple of days if you want to come hang out.”
As for my time in the photo pit that night in Vancouver, I'll never forget the feeling of Dave and Pat's guitars ripping through my chest while they played This Is A Call. That show left a mark!
Two days later I was in Bremerton, Washington and to my surprise there was an all access pass waiting for me at the ticket window. I walked into the empty venue before the doors opened and heard “Hey! You made it!” It was Dave and he had my card in his hand. “I told you I wouldn't forget!”.
I've since had the pleasure of working with Foo Fighters for over 25 years. And if that wasn't enough, they've directly or indirectly played a part in some of the most incredible and memorable experiences of my career. Paul McCartney, Beastie Boys, Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Billy Talent, St Vincent. They're are all people that I've been able to work with because of the three words uttered by this nervous kid in 1995.
This photo can be seen in the documentary “Foo Fighters: Back and Forth” (2011). My favourite thing about it might be Pat's socks.
The initial owner of this NFT will also receive a special, animated version of the photo.
For those interested, the minting of this NFT is carbon neutral thanks to Gold Standard-certified emission reductions (CERs) offsets purchased on less.ca
