Dave Grohl releases extended live version of 23-minute instrumental, ‘Play’

Dave Grohl has released an extended live version of his 23-minute long instrumental, ‘Play’.

• READ MORE: Dave Grohl’s ‘Play’ – 23 things we learned from his new 23-minute song performance

Released last week (December 1), the performance was taken from a recording of Warren Haynes’ 30th Annual Christmas Jam benefit concerts, which took place on December 7 and 8, 2018 in Asheville, North Carolina. Clocking in at a whopping 36 minutes, the release documents the track’s live debut, and serves as the first-ever official live recording of the instrumental.

The live version of ‘Play’ finds the Foo Fighters frontman back behind the drum kit and joined by multi-platinum producer Greg Kurstin on keyboards, Beck sessionist Jason Falkner, Them Crooked Vultures’ Alain Johannes, Barrett Jones, Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney on bass, Drew Hester on percussion, and Asheville-based busker and street-performance advocate Abby the Spoon Lady. The recording also features extended solos from Kurstin and guitarists Falkner and Johannes.

Watch the full video of ‘Play’ below:

‘Play’ is the first preview of Warren Haynes’ upcoming release, ‘The Benefit Concert Volume 20’, a live album compiling highlights from his 30th Annual Christmas Jam, and will feature a host of guests including Haynes’ Southern rock band Gov’t Mule, country singer Eric Church, Joe Bonamassa, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and many more.

‘The Benefit Concert Volume 20’ will be released digitally on December 8 in various physical formats: four differently-coloured 2-LP vinyl volumes, a 2-CD-plus-DVD package, or a 3-CD-2-Blu-Ray package. The album can be pre-ordered through Haynes’ official webstore.

Meanwhile, Haynes will be throwing his 32nd Annual Christmas Jam concert on December 9, 2023, featuring a star-studded lineup including Slash and Myles Kennedy, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, and many others. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

‘Play’ was originally released as part of a mini-documentary in August 2018, which Grohl also directed. The documentary, which “celebrates the rewards and challenges of dedicating a life to playing music”, depicted Grohl performing all seven of the song’s instruments in a studio simultaneously.

Preceding the performance, Grohl commented extensively on his creative process, stating: “It’s not something that you ever truly master. You’re always chasing the next challenge, and you’re always trying to find a way to improve on what you’ve learned.”

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