In September, Apple forcibly uploaded U2's new album, Songs Of Innocence, to the accounts of iTunes customers worldwide, whether they wanted it or not. Speaking to theMusic.com.au’s Bryget Chrisfield in the lead up to the release of their new record Sonic Highways, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins slammed U2's plan, drawing comparisons to Big Brother and 1984.

"I mean, I think they probably thought it was gonna be a great idea, ‘Here’s the deal: everybody who has an iPhone gets your record. And they get it for free!’ And they thought, probably, ‘Well that’s pretty awesome!’ but they didn’t really take into consideration the Big Brother feeling that kinda goes along with like, ‘(In menacing voice) You have the new U2 record’... You couldn’t get rid of it and they actually had to come up with an app to get rid of it, that’s horrible."

On top of that, Hawkins wasn’t too enthused on the direction the band has taken.

"What happened to U2, man? I don’t think people are that hyped on them. I don’t know that any of that new album has anything great on it. I listened to it once, but it’s so marred by that whole sort of, like I said, Orwellian, 1984 extreme that it just kinda sounds like a fart any way you listen to it.”

In a recent interview with ShortList, Ozzy Osbourne comments on U2's controversial marketing manoeuvre.

"I think it’s good in one way, and bad in another. People got so pissed off with it, it was terrific. Trying to find out how to delete it off their fucking phones, or whatever. But U2 can afford to put an album out for free, whereas other bands can’t, so it makes it difficult for up-and-coming bands. It’s fucking selfish, really. They just got a zillion fucking sales from Apple, I suppose. Not everyone is U2, not everyone can get a fucking deal with Apple. There are a thousand bands out there today that aren’t going to get heard by fucking anybody because they can’t afford to do it."

In support of their new album Sonic Highways and the eight-part “docuseries” of the same name, the Foo Fighters recently held residency on the Late Show With David Letterman.

On October 16th, Foo Fighters covered Cheap Trick's "Stiff Competition", from their 1978 album, Heaven Tonight, joined by Cheap Trick's legendary guitarist, Rick Nielsen. Notice that Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins switch places for the performance, Grohl back on drums and Hawkins on the mic.

 

On October 14th, Foo Fighters performed with Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, who also appear in the Sonic Highways series. They performed “Kick It Out” from their  Little Queen album, released in 1977.

 

Foo Fighters covered the Black Sabbath classic “War Pigs” with Zac Brown on October 13th.