FOO FIGHTERS 

+ WEEZER

NIB STADIUM PERTH 

20/01/18 (Live review)

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FOO FIGHTERS – photo by Klowe Photography

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The last time Foo Fighters hit town was to finish out their Sonic Highways tour, and it almost proved to be a shaky affair. Having rescheduled the show already so Dave Grohl could fly home, he then proceeded to get food poisoning on the flight back down under. Even as under the weather as he obviously was, he and the band put on a fantastic show, even if vocally he was a bit rough. So to see them kick off their Concrete and Gold tour here first was an opportunity too good to pass up, and the thousands that piled into Perth’s Nib Stadium certainly seemed to agree.

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FOO FIGHTERS – Photo courtesy Karen Lowe

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But before Messers Grohl and Co. hit the stage the lords of 90’s alt-pop deliciousness Weezer bought their quirky pop gems to the crowd basking in  the afternoon sun. And those who caught their show at the Arena five years ago would have been eagerly anticipating yet another brilliant set. And they band did deliver in most aspects, but faced with a fairly atrocious front of house mix the early part of their set was somewhat reduced to sonic mud. In a set that leaned heavily on songs from their iconic debut the ‘Blue’ album the band took any technical imperfections in their stride and absolutely rocked the house. With frontman Rivers Cuomo looking every bit the rock star in white suit and matching Gibson SG they delivered a set that ran the gamut of their entire career. New songs like Happy Hour went down just as well with older more familiar material like Undone – The Sweater Song, as did their stellar version of The Pixies Where Is My Mind. But they saved the best until last with a trio consisting of Buddy Holly, a huge singalong Say It Ain’t So and Island in The Sun. Still timeless, perfect fuzzy pop that goes off on tangents only to be dragged back by a well timed hook or catchy chorus, Weezer proved that they’re every bit as musically relevant as when they first burst onto the world stage back in 1994.

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WEEZER – photo by Klowe Photography

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“We haven’t been here for a while, so we’ve got some making up to do” Dave Grohl informed the packed crowd as Foo Fighters hit the ground running – literally – with Run from their latest album. This was the sound of a band in peak condition, playing their first show for 2018, and it was clear they were excited about being back in Australia. Lean, powerful, visually spectacular, they set about showing why they’re still, after 10 studio albums, deemed one of the best live drawcards around. Seamlessly powering through All My Life, Learn To Fly and The Pretender almost without pause this was a band that meant business and yet were here to show Perth a rocking good time in the process. As the latter received an extended workout Grohl told the crowd “We can do this shit all night” and for a while it seemed as if he was dead set intent on doing so.

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FOO FIGHTERS – photo courtesy of Klowe Photography

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And the massive songs just kept on coming relentlessly. Rope was followed by drummer Taylor Hawkins, elevated high above the stage on a raised platform, singing lead on new song Sunday Rain and an emotional My Hero with Grohl beginning the song solo on a stage way out in the crowd. One could almost accuse them of blowing their load too early in the set, leaving the next two hours lacklustre, but not so these guys. With such a huge back catalogue of songs to choose from there were plenty of classics still left in the bag. “This one’s for old school Foo Fighters fans” Grohl said by way of introducing Let It Die, one of the best received songs of the night.

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FOO FIGHTERS – photo courtesy of Klowe Photography

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No Foos show would be complete with a round of extended band intros, with a few covers thrown in. Snatches of Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust and The Ramones Bliztkreig Bop were punched out as a means of acknowledging bassist Nate Mendel and guitarist Pat Smear respectively, before Grohl and Hawkins swapped places for the by now obligatory run through Under Pressure, and how ever many times I’ve heard them play it it never disappoints. A ball tearing run through Monkey Wrench and Best of You capped off the main set in true Foos style.

Kicking off the encores with some acoustic, Grohl serenaded the crowd with the rarely played Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners and a touchingly gentle version of The Beatles’ Blackbird that bought to mind a magic night in early December at the same venue when the composer of that song held a similarly large crowd spellbound with his own original version. “We don’t like saying goodbye, so instead we’ll just say this” Grohl farewelled the crowd as he strummed the intro to Everlong, and it’s a song that’s every bit as joyful a tune as it was upon its release all those years ago.

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FOO FIGHTERS – photo by Klowe Photography

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You know it’s always going to be a great show when it comes to the Foo Fighters. Yes there are elements of the band’s show that, if like me you’ve witnessed them a few times before, you can always rely upon them to deliver and yet it doesn’t really matter. The Foos give every ounce of themselves to the crowd and so ultimately that’s really what a live show is about isn’t it.

The audience want to be entertained, and the Foos bring it in spades.

Everlong, until next we meet.

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Check out Karen Lowe’s gallery of this show HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB