Dakota Johnson is ready to mosh like it’s 1999.
The Fifty Shades star is returning to the Saturday Night Live set this weekend, with Turnstile on board as the musical guest.
Johnson, who previously hosted SNL in 2015 and again in 2020, appears in a playful new promo with the five-piece Baltimore hardcore band and comedian Ben Marshall. In it, she leaves no doubt that she’s ready to go hard with the two-time Grammy Award-winners.
In one take, Johnson, staring down the barrel of the camera, insists she’ll “form a wall of death” to celebrate the performance. Marshall would too, he explains, but his doctor said he’s “not allowed to mosh.” Apparently he tips over too easily, a center-of-gravity problem he shares with Ikea lamps.
Turnstile is the first hardcore band to appear on SNL since Fear’s famously chaotic performance back in 1981. “Yeah, they completely trashed the set,” Johnson remarks. “They threw stuff around and said things you cannot say on TV. It was a mess. You aren’t planning to do that, right, Turnstile.” Cue sheepish looks from the bandmates: Brendan Yates (vocals/synth/keys ), Franz Lyons (bass), Pat McCrory (guitar), Daniel Fang (drums), and Meg Mills (guitar).
In another take, Marshall dishes out some awkward hugs (and lands one particularly well-received cuddle), and gives the rockers a shoutout for their Grammys success. To which the bandmates speak as one. “Wow, do you guys always speak in unison like that,” notes Johnson. “Because that would be weird.” Actually, yes. Yes they do.
Weird or not, Turnstile are winners. At the 68th Grammy Awards, presented in February of this year, the band converted two of four nominations, winning for best rock album (for Never Enough) and best metal performance (for album track “Birds”).
Johnson’s latest stint on SNL hosting duties comes as she promotes Verity, the film adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel. She also co-starred in Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” music video, alongside fellow actor Colin Farrell, which premiered on the MTV Video Music Awards.
The new episode of SNL airs Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Watch the latest promo below.
