This post has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can create a post or quiz. Try making your own!
We often see headlines talking about the actions of the "former members of Nirvana", and I like to think that everyone can recognize Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, but does everyone out there know who this third former member is?
Well it's Pat fucking Smear and he is wonderful
To fully understand how great this human is, we need to go back in time to 1977 when Pat and Darby Crash formed The Germs.
The Germs are cited as influential by many artists. They're kinda a big deal.
Following some turmoil within the band, the Germs met an unfortunate end when singer Darby Crash committed suicide. This is a little-known fact, however, since John Lennon was killed the next day.
Now, Pat was out of the public eye for a while after this. I'm sure he was doing things, but the world continued. Within this time, a little band called Nirvana was formed. Perhaps you've heard of them.
So, Nirvana was doing their thing. Dave Grohl joined the band and Nevermind and In Utero were released with great success. But three people just weren't enough for Kurt Cobain and the band decided to add an additional guitarist for their In Utero tour.
So, Pat gets a call from Kurt asking if he wants to join.
Pat is now a member of the band. You might recognize him here playing during Nirvana's famous MTV Unplugged set.
The new foursome even got fancy new band pictures taken together!
When Nirvana came to an end following Kurt Cobain's suicide in 1994, Dave Grohl started the Foo Fighters. Smear immediately joined.
Great times were had by all. I mean just look at the music video for "Big Me"
View this video on YouTube
One might think that Dave Grohl in pigtails is the main attraction of this video
But clearly Pat in a sparkly baby blue shirt is the star
But then, this iconic moment happened...
View this video on YouTube
Pat Smear announced he was leaving the band in the middle of the Foo Fighter's Radio City Music Hall performance with this memorable speech:
"That last song we played was my last song with the band. I would like to introduce you to Franz Stahl, who will be taking over. Thank you. ROCK ON GUYS! FOO FIGHTERS!"
And he went out in style. Check out that trench coat.
Pat disappeared for a while. He helped create a movie about the Germs and played some reunion shows with the band. But a friendship like Dave and Pat's was not going to end right there.
They were clearly #friendshipgoals because Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett was starting to get a little uneasy when murmurs of Pat's possible return started to surface. I mean, he was clearly getting replaced, right?
In 2006, the Foo Fighters went on an acoustic tour and needed some supporting members. Naturally, it was announced that Pat would be joining them.
Basically Pat became a de facto member of the band, joining them on virtually all their tours from 2006 onward. Still, he wasn't technically a member, and he wasn't included in any of the band's music videos.
View this video on YouTube
See, only 4 dudes in "The Pretender"!
But then, in 2011, the band released "Wasting Light"
Clearly all was right with the world once again, and Pat was seen in music videos such as this one for "Rope"
View this video on YouTube
So majestic.
And he's been fighting foo ever since!
Now if only he would bring back his killer 90s style.
So next time someone asks who that third former Nirvana member or fifth Foo Fighters member is, you tell em it's Pat fucking Smear.
Share This Article
