UPDATED: Dave Grohl fills in for Cage The Elephant drummer

Grohl

Grohl

© RICK NEDERSTIGT/epa/Corbis

When Cage The Elephant drummer Jared Champion was struck down with a burst appendix days before a show support Foo Fighters things looked pretty bleak. That is until uber drum god Dave Grohl offered to fill in.

Lincoln Parish, the band's guitarist, explained the situation to Spin.com, "Dave somehow heard what had happened and called our tour manager. He said, 'Hey, so do you think the guys would go for it?' Our manager was like… 'Um, yeah!!!'"

And so Grohl, true to his word, stepped in, playing the final five songs of the band's set at the Salt Lake City show (after one of Cage's crew had sat in for the first part of the set).

Parish adds: "I had to pinch myself. I turned around and Dave Grohl is playing the drums. It's an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nobody can replace Jared. But…it's Dave f***ing Grohl. If you're going to be replaced by anybody, it might as well be the best."

Not a bad guy to fill-in, right? You can see a video of Grohl smashing the tubs for Cage The Elephant below.

Rich Chamberlain

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).