Foo Fighters Drummer Rates Tommy Lee: 'More To Him Than Just Pamela'

When we spoke the Foo Fighters' drummer Taylor Hawkins recently ahead of the release of their latest LP Sonic Highways, talk soon turned to another famous rock drummer, Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee.

Chatting with The Music's Bryget Chrisfield, Hawkins said he felt like the media circus that has surrounded Lee for most of his career, in particular his relationship with actress, model and celebrity tabloid fave Pamela Anderson, had tainted his rep as a muso.

“I’ve met him a coupla times. See, the cool thing about him is he’s literally 15 still. I mean, when you see him he’s like, ‘Bro! Dude! Oh, my god, bro, how are you, dude? Bro, oh my god’ – and that’s it. I love ‘im, he’s great. And you know what? Unfortunately, I feel like reality TV and all that kinda shit –  sometimes it kind of taints what was awesome about something. Like, in Tommy Lee’s case, when you mention Tommy Lee to someone they think Pamela Anderson and they think, you know, sex tapes and all this other kinda stuff. That’s all well and fine, but the best thing about Tommy Lee is his fuckin’ drumming, he’s a great rock’n’roll fuckin’ drummer. End of story.”

Hawkins fessed to being a fan not just of Lee, but of Mötley Crüe as a whole... but mainly just their earlier music.

“With Mötley Crüe all you need is the first two albums, darlin’, that’s all you need,” he said. Clearly they don't remind Hawkins of a "fart" like a certain U2 record does...

Sonic Highways is out now. The Foo Fighters are touring Australia next February/March — head to theGuide and The Music App for more details.