10 things you didn't know about Foo Fighters

American rockers the Foo Fighters.

The Foo Fighters' new album Sonic Highways will be released next Monday but you can hear it first - for free - right here on the Herald site.

Our exclusive free stream will be active from 6pm this Saturday and continue throughout the weekend.

In preparation for this awesome event, here are 10 facts you probably didn't know about the Foo Fighters.

What's in a name?

During World War II, Foo Fighters was a term used to identify unidentified flying objects. The theme continues with the group's record company - Roswell - which is the New Mexico town where a flying saucer is said to have crashed.

Late's early Foo records

Nirvana's Nevermind was released in 1992. A year later a cassette called Pocketwatch by someone called Late! was released. Late! was Grohl, and this was the start of the Foo Fighters.

The Foo Fighters and Alanis Morisette

There is a link between this iconic rock band from Seattle and Canada's Alanis Morisette - drummer Taylor Hawkins. During Alanis Morisette's highly successful Jagged Little Pill tour, Hawkins was the drummer. He joined the Foo Fighters in 1997.

Singer Alanis Morisette. Photo / Getty Images

Nearly a Heartbreaker

When Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played on Saturday Night Live, Grohl joined in. Petty offered him the full-time part, but Grohl declined.

Wasting Light includes tape master

If you bought the Wasting Light CD, you may also possess a piece of the original analog tape the album was recorded on. According to Grohl, the album's master was sliced into a million pieces and distributed to the masses.

The blue Gibson

Grohl has a custom-made Gibson Trini Lopez guitar in Pelham Blue. According to Gibson Grohl went as far as calling the guitar "the sound of the Foo Fighters."

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl his custom-made Gibson Trini Lopez guitar. Photo / NZPA

The famous colouring book

In 2011, the Foo Fighters released their tour rider as a colouring book. One page asks the reader to circle items that belong in a salad. Hint: A hammer, a UFO, Richard Pryor and a tooth are some items that do not belong in a salad.

The cover page of the Foo Fighters' colouring book.

Nothing like a good jam

Dave Grohl is a busy man. But he still likes to unwind by jamming with other bands. He has played drums for Tenacious D, Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Garbage and Killing Joke.

Killing Joke and the Foo Fighters

The famous opening riff of Nirvana's Come as You Are is said to have been stolen from Killing Joke's 1984 song Eighties. However, there seems to be no beef between Grohl and Killing Joke. In 2003, Grohl played the drums on Killing Joke's self-titled album and The Foo Fighters often cover Killing Joke's Requiem. In 2003, Killing Joke singer and New Zealand resident, Jaz Coleman, joined the Foo Fighters on stage in New Zealand.

Mummy's boy

Dave Grohl's mum, Virginia, appears in the Foo Fighers' Breakout video. About a minute in, Virginia appears flipping the bird at Grohl for driving too slow.

* TimeOut has 10 copies of Sonic Highways to giveaway. To enter, head to our Facebook page and tell us why Dave Grohl thinks Kiwi audiences are the best in the world.

- nzherald.co.nz