Dave Grohl tempts the wrath of the Swifties by appearing to suggest that Taylor Swift's live music might not be entirely live

Dave Grohl and Taylor Swift in 2008 — "Look! A tape machine!" Dave Grohl and Taylor Swift in happier times (Image credit: Lester Cohen/WireImage via Getty Images)

Dave Grohl has risked the considerable ire of Taylor Swift's notorious "Swiftie" fanbase by appearing to suggest that the singer's band doesn't play live during their shows.

Grohl made the remarks during Foo Fighters' sold-out performance at the London Stadium in east London on Saturday, while Swift was onstage 15 miles away at Wembley Stadium in north London.

“I tell you, man, you don't want to suffer the wrath of Taylor Swift,” Grohl told the crowd. “So we like to call our tour the 'Errors Tour.' We've had more than a few eras and more than a few fucking errors as well. Just a couple. That's because we actually play live. What? Just saying! You guys like raw, live rock'n'roll music, right? You came to the right fucking place."

Swift seemingly responded the following night at her third Wembley show, telling the audience, "Every one of my band members, every single one of our crew, my band, who's gonna be playing live for you for 3.5 hours tonight, they deserve this so much. And so does every one of my fellow performers. And you just gave that to us so generously, we will never forget it."

Swift and Grohl do have something of a history. In 2022 the Foos frontman revealed that Swift had rescued him from embarrassment when he was stoned at a party thrown by Paul McCartney, but earlier this year Grohl's daughter Violet was taken to task by the Swifties after she suggested that the singer could do her bit for the climate by flying less.

Foo Fighters' next show is at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, tomorrow night (Tuesday 25), while Swift begins a three-night run at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, on June 28. Hopefully, this undignified hullabaloo will be settled by then.

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Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.