Video Breakdown: Foo Fighters – Low

Dave Grohl and Jack Black in Foo Fighters' Low video

The video for this 2002 Foo Fighters single features Dave Grohl and Jack Black as blue collar dudes killing time in a down-at-heel motel. The original video idea involved filming Black in drag for five minutes, but director Jesse Peretz had a different idea…

00:00

An establishing shot reveals two trucks pulling up at a shabby motel. There’s vacancies, too. Our protagonists are in luck. Unless they had the foresight to book in advance. There’s websites for that now.

00:10

Their driving suggests they’re agitated or just need the toilet.

00:15

It’s Dave Grohl, who’s wearing a mesh t-shirt which was last vaguely popular in the 80s. It was a different time then. People were consumed by the need to look like a sporty teabag.

00:17

A hefty wad of phlegm from the Foos frontman, there.

00:21

Enter Jack Black. Whatever they have planned, he’s ready to do this. So ready.

00:25

Their characters may be a little intoxicated.

00:33

They enter their motel room. Probably going to crack open a few cold beers, eat some snacks and watch the game – whatever game that is – before getting an early night. Right?

00:38

Our perspective changes to that of an old video camera. Jack turns on the stereo. It’s Foo Fighters’ single Low. Handy, that.

00:50

Why, it’s two guys cutting loose after a long day. We’ve all been a bit boisterous in a motel room. Dressed in mesh shirts.

01:00

Jack shows off the moves that have won him numerous high profile acting roles – and broke the hearts of many.

01:12

Dave is going to break that bed if he’s not careful.

01:22

Look, it’s just two dudes having an arm wrestle. Hope they’ve got licenses for those guns. AMIRITE?

01:33

Dave seems agitated. On edge, like a monkey being cajoled into a drunken prank. He unleashes some sweet karate moves. Everyone turns into a martial arts expert after a couple of cold ones, don’t they?

01:38

No idea what Jack is up to, to be honest.

01:40

Shots of bourbon. Mmm. That’ll sit well on all that beer.

01:53

A consolation hug for Dave. Not sure why.

01:56

That’s enough, Jack. Dave doesn’t like it.

02:03

It’s turned into a slap fight.

02:13

Jack’s popped a video on the telly. It sure as fuck isn’t Top Gun.

02:18

Whatever it is, Dave is having a lovely time. On his own.

02:30

Cue scenes of abject misery and Jack Black’s arse crack.

02:31

#jackblacksarsecrack

02:33

He’s using a framed photo of flowers to waft the smell in his pal’s face. What a gent.

02:35

To be honest, Jack’s looked much better.

02:38

With a thumbs up, Dave swerves the fun bus right into Sexy Town, population 2.

02:40

A case is opened. There’s more wigs than you’d find in Steel Panther’s tour luggage.

02:41

The silly sausage. He’s only gone and packed his girlfriend’s massive shoes by mistake! She’ll be furious.

02:42

Right?

02:48

So has Jack. What were they thinking?

02:57

Just some guys messing about with wigs. We’ve all done it.

03:03

Oh dear God.

03:05

To Dave’s credit, he can still karate kick in heels.

03:11

If you’ve ever wanted to see the fella from King Kong and School Of Rock strut around like a frumpy cheerleader, look at the screen. Look at it.

03:25

A bit of lipstick, there. Don’t overdo it, Dave. You’ll look like a clown.

03:30

Is it us or is the heating on? We’re sweating buckets here.

03:50

The pair are just basically wrecking their motel room in THE SEXIEST MANNER POSSIBLE.

03:58

We can only see what’s happening in the dark thanks to the night vision option on the camcorder. How we wish that wasn’t an invention.

04:15

Lads.

04:24

Grohl posing next to a painting of a horse. In the dark.

04:27

Dave’s crying now and starts to suck his thumb like a baby.

04:40

Jack is now puking into a toilet. Maybe downing a bottle of vodka was a poor decision.

05:05

Maybe it’s time for bed. So that’s how you kill time in a shabby motel.

05:11

Our protagonists emerge in the harsh morning sun. With a fist bump and a nod, they return to their trucks and head off. Job done.

What did we learn from Low?

From re-watching this Foo Fighters video, we’ve discovered that two men can have an entertaining evening without being glued to their mobile phones or laptops. They are, however, appalling at holding a video camera steadily. The whole thing was like a grubby version of Cloverfield.

Simon Young

Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic RockMetal HammerProg, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press.