Dave Grohl stepped in to play for his support band when their drummer's appendix burst.

Cage The Elephant musician Jared Champion was rushed to hospital in Utah in chronic pain on Monday (10.10.11), leaving them without a drummer for that night's show, but they were saved when the Foo Fighters frontman - and former Nirvana sticksman - volunteered to help them out.

Guitarist Lincoln Parish told Spin magazine: "Jared had an ulcer for a couple days, then at one AM it was just unbearable, so he went to the emergency room. He was rushed straight into surgery.

"Dave somehow heard what had happened and called our tour manager. He said, 'Hey, so do you think the guys would go for it? Our manager was like - 'Um, yeah!"

While the band started their set off with the tour's monitor engineer on drums, Dave joined for the last five songs of the band's set.

Lincoln added: "I had to pinch myself. I turned around and Dave Grohl is playing The Drums. It's an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nobody can replace Jared. But - it's Dave f***ing Grohl.

"If you're going to be replaced by anybody, it might as well be the best."

The guitarist - who is also joined in the band by Jared, Matthew Shultz, Brad Shultz and Daniel Tichenor - added they have been bonding well with Foo Fighters throughout their US tour.

He said: "I've never met a group of more humble musicians. We sat down and had dinner with Dave last night. He's like a friend you've had for 20 years.

"The first night of the tour, as soon as we got offstage, Dave had shots of whiskey. Last night he came into the dressing room with moonshine."

The bands are scheduled to tour the US together for the rest of October.