Foo Fighters review – beloved rockers thunder back from trauma with thrilling intensity
Around two years ago, the sudden and devastating death of Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of Foo Fighters, caused great distress and upheaval. But now, Foo Fighters has proven to be masters at getting back up and moving forward, as they delivered an epic performance that lasted over two and a half hours. Dave Grohl energetically shouted out to the crowd, asking if they loved rock and roll music as Monkey Wrench opened the show with an unrelenting intensity that continued throughout the night. And when he sung the lyrics, "In times like these you learn to live again," the extended voice and guitar intro added even more meaning and poignancy to the powerful words.
During their live performance, the band appears to be extremely unified and harmonious, maybe even more so than before. Although the weather is dull and it has rained earlier, the lead singer, who is drenched and windblown, puts all his effort into his singing. Meanwhile, over on the right side of the stage, Pat Smear, the rhythm guitarist who played with Grohl in Nirvana, still wears a grin that stretches from ear to ear, as if he has the greatest career in the world. The vocalist mentions that they still chat about Taylor Hawkins throughout the day before playing Aurora, a song that was cherished by their departed teammate.
Sometimes, the sound quality and weather can be terrible for watching a band perform. However, Grohl, who is 55 years old, appears to possess mystic powers when it comes to the weather. When it stops raining, he shouts, "I made it stop!" causing the crowd to laugh and the rain to continue to hold off. Additionally, the performance includes a setlist of 24 songs, comprising both chart-toppers and unexpected tracks, such as Unconditional, which has not yet been released. During Grohl's first solo acoustic performance of Under You, which appears to be about his bandmate Hawkins, he becomes emotional and unable to complete the line, "This is how I'll always picture you."
All along the set, there is an underlying feeling of sadness that is showcased mostly in the softer tunes like the beautiful Statues and the great singalong track My Hero. However, the tracks All My Life, Walk, and Best of You are just as intense as always. It would be a challenge for many drummers to fill Hawkins' shoes in terms of energy and performance, but Josh Freese, who used to play for both Devo and Nine Inch Nails, does it with ease. There is a heartwarming moment when Grohl introduces him, and the audience applauds his skills while someone in the crowd holds up a sign that says: "You saved our band – thank you."
