Okay, I must admit: my expectations of the Foo Fighters concert on Anzac Day were very high. I had been counting down the months until they set foot onto our shores to blow us away once again with their guitar-fuelled rock tunes. I am thrilled to say that any pre-conceived thoughts I had dreamt up were surpassed by the reality of being in the band’s presence.
With an 8.30pm start, many fans were left scrambling to get to their seats and best vantage point on the floor. It was obvious to the crowd (in the capacity filled Rod Laver Arena) that the Foo Fighters were here for the long haul and we the audience were prepared to go the distance.
The main stage was well designed and guaranteed every audience member a great view of the band (even those high up in the bleachers). It had a long catwalk down the centre, which connected to a second stage that dropped down from the ceiling. There were four large screens positioned behind the band which alternated with footage of the concert as well as popular video clips.
Stepping onto the stage, dressed in black jeans and t-shirt, Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters were welcomed to Melbourne by a deafening roar from the masses. They kicked off their set with Let it Die. Ever the entertainer, Grohl made use of the whole stage, making every fan feel as though he were singing to them. His guitar skills are extraordinary, and his stage presence powerful. Next was the first single released off their new album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. Pretender saw the moshpit erupt with jumping bodies, pumping fists and the occasional crowd surfer who was quickly ushered away by stocky security guards (of which there were many tonight in anticipation of the dangerous act).
Old favourites Times Like These, Breakout, Learn to Fly, Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running) followed in steady succession. The run of songs was only broken by short breaks in which Grohl addressed the crowd with some light banter. The funniest interlude came when he announced to the attentive audience, “I don’t know what the fuck you expected when you came here tonight. Did you expect a fucking hour and 15 minutes of shit? No, cause that’s what a new fucking band does. It takes the old fucking geezers to give you a nice two hours or some more of that shit.” And boy, did they prove that these old geezers have the endurance to rival any new up and coming band of today (the show went for two hours 10 minutes).
A highlight of the evening was Taylor Hawkins’ drum solo in Stacked Actors. Man, it was impressive. His solo drum performance demonstrated exactly why he is one of the best drummers going round, and it also gave the other members of the band, as well as the crowd, an opportunity for a short breather and a slug of beer before starting up again.
The second part of the evening’s show was a stripped-back version of the first. After performing Skin and Bones, Grohl was joined once again by the other members for Marigold and My Hero. The addition of a handful of extra musicians (another guitarist, violinist, percussionist and triangle player) intensified the acoustic sound. What followed were Cold Day and But Honestly before a short pause in which Dave introduced a special guest, Kaki King, to help him with Beaconsfield Miners – the song he wrote in ode to Brant and Todd, the two survivors of the gold mine collapse.
The tempo picked up soon after with Everlong, Monkeywrench and the crowd sing along favourite All My Life. With that, the band thanked the crowd and proceeded off stage.
It wasn’t long before they returned with an agreed three-song encore (even though Hawkins initially suggested five). We were happy nonetheless to grab one last glimpse of this awesome band. Big Me, Road to Ruin and finally Best of You rounded off the evening – and what an awesome evening it was. The Foo Fighters are the quintessential rock band, and from tonight’s performance it is obvious why they have a huge fan base in Australia. We love them and their music. Rock on!
