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Foo Fighters
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Here come our heroes. Watch them rock the studio with an exclusive set - only on Soundcheck.
You've arrived at Soundcheck...
Walmart’s original performance series where you get up close and personal with your favorite artists. Check out live performances and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from original in-studio sets – all filmed exclusively in HD. Soundcheck is broadcast in Walmart stores nationwide – or catch us online 24/7.
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You won't need to download any additional video players or downloads. The Soundcheck performances play right inside the site itself, making it quick and easy to access.
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PC
• Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional, Vista or Windows 7 in 32bit and 64bit
• Intel Pentium 4 2.33GHz, AMD Athlon™ 64 2800+ processor (or equivalent)
• At least 256 MB RAM
• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Internet Explorer 6.0 to 8.0 (IE 8.0 recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Flash Version 9.0.115 and up.
MAC
• Mac OS X v10.4 or later
• PowerPC G5 1.8GHz, Intel Core Duo 1.33GHz or faster processor
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If you have the minimum system requirements, reinstall your Flash Player by clicking here
We have a top-notch music label relations team that helps us book acts. They are constantly on the phone with music labels around the country trying to get the best bands on Soundcheck.
Soundcheck is an original performance series created by the Wal-Mart Music team, giving you the opportunity to go behind the scenes and get an in-studio look at some of your favorite artists. Soundcheck plays right here on Walmart.com, or, for the full high definition experience, visit any Walmart store and head to the Electronics department to watch it on the Walmart TV Network.
We'll be adding new performances on a regular basis throughout the year, so please check back regularly at Walmart.com/soundcheck for more information.
We'll have artists from all genres; some old, some new, some huge, some more emerging - but all will be presented in the same intimate studio environment. So be on the lookout!
Check in regularly at Walmart.com/soundcheck, or visit your local Walmart store and watch the Walmart TV Network.
No. Just visit Walmart.com/soundcheck and watch for free!
Once the performances launch, you can play it anytime you want, 24 hours a day. We'll keep all artists up on the site under "The Performances" tab.
We recommend broadband DSL or Cable to anyone who wants to truly enjoy video and audio on the Internet. However, we have made available a smaller dial-up version so you don't miss out.
If you are reading this page right now, you likely have everything you need. However, watching the Soundcheck performances requires at least the following in order to properly stream media content:
PC
• Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional, Vista or Windows 7 in 32bit and 64bit
• Intel Pentium 4 2.33GHz, AMD Athlon™ 64 2800+ processor (or equivalent)
• At least 256 MB RAM
• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Internet Explorer 6.0 to 8.0 (IE 8.0 recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Flash Version 9.0.115 and up.
MAC
• Mac OS X v10.4 or later
• PowerPC G5 1.8GHz, Intel Core Duo 1.33GHz or faster processor
• At least 256 MB RAM
• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Safari 3.0
If you have the minimum system requirements, reinstall your Flash Player by clicking here
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About The Artist
The Set List
On the Inspiration of Zombies
Who inspires the Foo Fighters? We asked members of the band who they've been listening to lately. Interestingly, Grohl credits an album from the '60s as main inspiration for the band's new record: "One thing I've been listening to a lot over the past year is this album from a band called The Zombies. They were around in the '60s with a record called 'Odessey & Oracle,' which, to me, is kind of the greatest record I've ever heard in my life. I was late in the game discovering it - it came out 40 or so years ago. That's what inspired a lot of this album. There's also a band called Neurosis that I think is really great. I think their new album is killer." Adds Taylor: "I like The Shins' new record a lot." And Chris? "I just got the new Sinead O'Connor album. It's great."
On Making Echoes
Unlike previous efforts, the Foo Fighters recorded their new album in record time. We asked the band how the conceptualization and creative process differed from previous albums. Explains Grohl: "We jumped right into making this record. Usually we take a little bit of time off. Rather than come home from the last tour and take a year off and relax, we figured we had all this music ready to go. At this point, we've been a band for 12 or 13 years. To us, it's all about being as musical as we could possibly be. Going into this album, we didn't really have any specific concept; we just started writing music. The demos we were making ranged from really beautiful acoustic music to really loud rock stuff. It was just a matter of choosing which songs were the best. It didn't matter if it was a harpsichord and a harmonica or a stack of amplifiers blaring. That was the motivation. Just to go in and do something a little more sophisticated than we've ever done."
The Closing
How does a band that emerged from the ashes of '90s grunge rock become one of this year's defining rock acts? Look no further than Foo Fighters as one of the music industry's finest examples of longevity and talent. Almost 15 years after they formed, the Nirvana spin-off act is still releasing albums that matter - and music that shatters critics' and listeners' expectations. On their new record, they've managed to preserve a classic signature sound with a contemporary brand of cutting-edge rock 'n' roll. Go pick up a copy of 'Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace' - in Wal-Mart stores nationwide.
-The Crew at Wal-Mart Soundcheck
- The Foo Fighters are: Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett.
- They have a famous history. The Foo Fighters were formed in 1995 by ex-Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl. Grohl formed the band a year after the passing of Nirvana's lead man, Kurt Cobain.
- During his stint in Nirvana, Grohl wrote a series of songs that would later resurface on Foo Fighters albums. At the time, he was too insecure to share his music with the other members of the band.
- David Letterman's a big fan. Following his much-hyped heart bypass surgery in 2000, Foo Fighters were the first band to play Letterman's late night show. Before launching into their hit "Everlong," Dave introduced them as "My favorite band, playing my favorite song."
- Foo Fighters once played a show at the Roswell Industrial Air Center in Roswell, New Mexico. Grohl even named his record label, Roswell Records, as a tribute.
- They support Australian miners. During last year's Beaconsfield mine collapse in Tasmania, Australia, Grohl discovered that two of the surviving miners, who remained trapped below the earth, had requested the band's music. He immediately faxed the miners a message, advising that when they eventually escaped, there was a personal invitation that included "tickets to any Foos show... and two cold beers waiting for you."
The guys lead off their spirited set with an exclusive cut from their new album, 'Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.' Perhaps the most radio-friendly, 'pop' sounding track from the new disc, 'Cheer Up, Boys' has a contagious chorus with a not-so-upbeat message about the regrets and recriminations of a relationship gone rocky: "It was meant to be... but all along it never meant a thing. Was it just that I wasn't hard enough on you?"
Big Me
Walking through their Northridge studio, you can see the Foo Fighters know how to have a good time. Placards and party shots with famous rockers line the walls, band members take breaks playing ping-pong; there's even an Addams Family arcade game in the hallway. It's this youthfulness, perhaps, that keeps the band current - and playing to audiences of all ages. Written by Dave Grohl, 'Big Me' may have been released 11 years ago, but it still sounds as fresh as it did in 1996.
The Pretender
"What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?" growls Grohl. The first single from the new album is a slick affair. It's also become one of the most added alternative radio tracks of 2007 and looks set to become a Foo Fighters classic.
My Hero
"Let's show Wal-Mart how it's done!" announces Grohl before launching into a stripped-down rendition of one of the band's signature tunes, 'My Hero,' from 'The Colour and the Shape'. Grohl has explained in the past that the song is about looking to regular folk as heroes, though many have interpreted the song as a cryptic tribute to Grohl's fallen former band member, Kurt Cobain. Sings Grohl: "Too alarming now to talk about. Take your pictures down and shake it out. Truth or consequences, say it aloud. Use that evidence, race it around."
Home
Closing the set, Grohl takes to the piano for a beautiful new song - one that also closes the new record. 'Home' is a stirring and affecting piano ballad that laments the pain of homesickness. An accomplished pianist, Grohl sings as drums play faintly in the background: "Every direction leads me away. Pray for tomorrow but for today... All I want is to be home."
-The Crew at Wal-Mart Soundcheck
