We weren't going to write a post about it because it seems silly to give Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters any attention, but word is out that the band is butthurt that the Donald Trump campaign played one of their songs at a campaign rally without permission. Every contemporary musical act that has a song played at a Trump rally feels it has to make a statement that they didn't authorize it. 

Hey @foofighters, did you let Trump use "My Hero" to welcome RFK Jr. on stage pic.twitter.com/HivdG8ypxM

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 23, 2024

This editor is old enough to remember when the Foo Fighters were butthurt because presidential candidate John McCain (whom all the Democrats love and respect now) used "My Hero" as his theme song.

No

— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 24, 2024

NEWS

A spokesperson for the Foo Fighters has confirmed the band was not asked for permission by the Trump campaign to use their song at the rally today.

The spokesperson confirms that had they been asked for permission they would have denied authorization.

Further, the band… pic.twitter.com/fgHXwouQc3

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 24, 2024

Further, the band will be taking legal action and any royalties that it’s paid on the song will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign by members of the band.

The band will be taking legal action … not. Why do they keep doing this? Because no one understands how licensing works. Bands partner with BMI and ASCAP to collect royalties on their music. If the venue or campaign has paid whichever company the Foo Fighters are signed with, they have a right to play anything they want. They've paid the royalties.

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Let us be clear. pic.twitter.com/gexHWjPMYh

— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 24, 2024

Let Dana Loesch be clear:

#PROTIP: Dear bands: Don’t license your music if you don’t want it used.

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 24, 2024

How many years will it take for people to learn how ascap works. These statements are stupid and unnecessary. https://t.co/JrqH9MOtIg

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 24, 2024

The bands think the statements are necessary, but they have no legal standing. They gave their permission when they sold licensing rights to BMI or ASCAP.

It’s not really your call due to having licensed your work

— Jay (@OneFineJay) August 24, 2024

How is it not common knowledge that VENUES have licenses to play music. Political rallies don’t have to ask permission if the venue has that song in the catalog.
This is just political posturing by musicians.

— MaverickPilgrim (@MavPilgrim) August 24, 2024

I heard their song at Chili’s too.

Are they coming for my baby back ribs?

— The Right Voice (@therightvoice) August 24, 2024

They might want to take it up with their performing rights organization, ASCAP or BMI. If the venue is paying licensing fees....which most likely they are, then they don't have a case.

— Fresh Peach (@FreshPeachLife) August 24, 2024

This is literally circular news. Someone put out a bogus story just to get them to say they don’t support Trump. Too many games are played on the Dem side.

— Glory Holz (@_GloryHolz) August 24, 2024

The Dave Grohl just blowing smoke. Like everyone else in the industry their music can be licensed without their knowledge or explicit consent because they contractually agreed to let a performance rights organization handle that for them.

The end.

— OSRDwarf (@OSRDwarf) August 24, 2024

I’ve seen a million posts like this over the years

— UnwokeThoughts (@UnwokeThoughts) August 24, 2024

This editor has too; that's why he thought he'd write a post. You gave permission when you signed over performance rights in exchange for royalties. No one's suing anyone. It's all theater.

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