REVIEW BY GINELLE COCKS / PHOTOS BY DOUG PETERS
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“It’s gonna be a long night, motherf**ckers” – as Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl warned the crowd early on, we were in for an epic night as the Foo Fighters played their first Auckland show since 2018. The Foo Fighters are no strangers to our shores, from their first visit in 1996 supporting Sonic Youth, to a “seismic event inducing” show at Auckland’s Western Springs in 2011 – something Grohl was particularly proud of.
The Foo Fighters, comprised of Dave Grohl (lead vocals, guitar), Nate Mendel (bass guitar), Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear (guitars), Rami Jaffee (keyboards) and new addition Josh Freese (drums) last visited our shores in 2018, with their previously planned 2022 visit being cancelled following the tragic passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The sun was unrelenting as the crowds started making their way towards Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium, a https://momentspassed.com/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=sp_wp_carouselsea of black tshirts the standard uniform for most fans. Much of the crowds took shelter under what shade they could find as Auckland‘s own Dick Move took to the stage.
Led by vocalist Lucy Suttor, the band wasted no time kicking straight into high gear with their high energy punk sound. A far cry from the band’s normal venues such as Whammy, they seemed right at home on the stage as they commanded attention. As they finished Ladies Night, a cry of “UP THE WAHS!” from Suttor, clad in a Warriors jersey, was greeted enthusiastically from the crowd.
Suttor, along with guitarists Hariet Ellis and Justin Randell, bassist Lulu McRae, and drummer Luke Boyes showcased a number of songs from their back catalogue, with Small Man, Big Tweet, Eyes for Christmas and Pissing garnering some of the best responses from the crowd.
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Changing the pace ever so slightly, Ohio Alt-rockers The Breeders tempted some of the crowds out of the shade and towards the stage, as they launched into New Year, quickly followed by Cannonball, perhaps one of their best known and loved tracks. Comprised of former Pixies bassist Kim Deal, her sister Kelley Deal, bassist Josephine Wiggs, and drummer Jim Macpherson, the rockers played a variety of songs from throughout their back catalogue, ranging from 1990’s Doe to 2018’s Walking with a Killer, showing how the band have evolved over the years. Closing out the set with a cover of The Pixies’ Gigantic, which received a standing ovation from many of the fans who had now amassed in the middle of the arena.
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As the sun began to slip behind the West Stand, offering a reprieve from the scorching heat, a steady stream of people began to flood into the arena, empty seats were filled, as we awaited the arrival of the Foos. We didn’t have to wait long, as the Foo Fighters took to the stage and launched straight into All My Life – the entire arena on their feet and singing Grohl’s words back to him, matching his infectious energy.
Grohl addresses the crowd for the first time as they launch into No Son Of Mine, keeping the intensity high as he then goes on to ask the crowd “do you motherf**ckers love rock and roll? I gotta test ya!”. The opening chords of Ozzy Osborne’s Crazy Train ring out as the crowd roars in response, Grohl knowingly saying “I think I know what kind of rock and roll you like!” before launching into Metallica’s Enter Sandman.
Drenched in sweat by the 3rd song, Grohl has the crowd in the palm of his hand as once again, asking them to “sing a song together” on The Pretender, before he stops short and cuts them off with “That’s my line!”, his playful personality gaining a roar of response before launching back in and concluding the track.
To this point, the band has stuck closely to the vibe of the original recordings, albeit with extended versions and additions. Changing it up, gone is the guitar, as the keyboards take over on a softer version of Times Like These, something which the band would repeat later in the set on 1997’s My Hero. Phones light the arena as Grohl sings almost acapella, backed only by the keys, almost reminiscent of an organ. As the familiar guitar riff eventually kicks in, the crowd is reminiscent of a wave of bouncing fans.
Grohl pauses to introduce the band around an hour into the set, as we are treated to guitar and keyboard solos, snippets of the Beastie Boys Sabotage and The Ramones Blitzkreig Bop. Drummer Josh Freese is introduced as “the person who made it possible for us to come out and play rock and roll for you tonight”, showcasing just some of the bands which he has been part of over the years as he plays Devo’s Whip It quickly followed by Nine Inch Nails’ March of the Pigs, changing effortlessly between the distinctly different styles.
Following the interlude, the keyboards start up as the band launches into a hauntingly beautiful rendition of My Hero.
Newer tracks are expertly interspersed with old, meaning no matter when you fell in love with the Foos, it was never long before a song you knew was being belted out. The band covered tracks from all studio albums, the audience putty in their hands. The tempo is slowed for the next few songs, as Grohl switches to an acoustic guitar for Statues and The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners.
Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the night comes as we near the two hour mark. Dedicated to Taylor Hawkins, Grohl and band play Aurora, the first song which Grohl and Hawkins wrote together. Grohl mentions that this is a song they like to play every night, and was one which was a favourite of Hawkins.
An AC/DC cover is on the cards, but Grohl teasingly advises that he wouldn’t be the one signing it. As the band start to play, actor and musician Jack Black appears from backstage, fittingly singing “Big Balls” as he performs numerous roly-polys across the stage. Black’s band Tenacious D has supported the Foos on previous tours, and he is in the country at present for the filming of the new Minecraft movie.
After leaving the stage briefly, the Foo Fighters return to perform an encore of The Teacher and Everlong. Having played for almost 3 hours at this point, Grohl’s voice has held up remarkably well, finishing as strong as they started. Between the cheeky banter, the showmanship, and making us feel all of the things over the course of a night, Grohl has cemented himself as someone we’d love to have a beer with. Or a fresh pot.
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Foo Fighters Setlist:
- All My Life
- No Son of Mine
- Rescued
- The Pretender
- Walk
- Times Like These
- Generator
- La Dee Da
- Breakout
- Band Intros: Guitar Solo / Sabotage / Keyboard Solo / Blitzkrieg Bop / Whip It / March of the Pigs
- My Hero
- The Sky Is a Neighborhood
- Learn to Fly
- Arlandria
- Under You
- These Days
- Statues
- Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners
- Nothing at All
- Monkey Wrench
- Aurora (Dedicated to Taylor Hawkins)
- This Is a Call
- Big Balls (AC/DC cover, special appearance by Jack Black)
- Best of You
Encore:
- The Teacher
- Everlong