REVIEW: FOO FIGHTERS @ COOPERS STADIUM

In an epic three-hour showcase on Saturday night, Foo Fighters reminded Adelaide why the band reigns supreme as one of the world's premier stadium rock acts.

Image by Andreas Heuer & Coopers Stadium

We began at 5:30pm, when Body Type took the stage to welcome the first eager punters to the night of delights that Foo Fighters had in store. The energy ramped up with The Chats at 6:30, although it was clear that the Aussie pub rockers faced the challenge of competing with the feverish anticipation for one of the world's biggest bands. Despite the chatter over ‘The Chats’, there were still a few bodies heaving in the mosh. The Chats' finished with their tracks 'Smoko' and 'Pub Feed', neatly reminding everyone to fuel up before the main event.

However, lines were everywhere though, and these were definitely downers, not uppers: whether for toilets, food, bars or smoking spots, it seemed an epic journey mirroring the 3 hour set ahead. Coopers Stadium usually hosts a few thousand soccer fans, not a massive, thirsty, crowd of rockers. But hey, we weren't there for the drinks or food; we were there for Foo Fighters.

Then out comes Grohl, headbanging straight in to 'All My Life’, to get the crowd building with a familiar sound. Then came one of the newer tracks, 'No Son of Mine', from their 2021 album Medicine at Midnight. Heavier than the recorded version, it smacked of Motorhead, showcasing Dave Grohl's diverse influences, but also his collaborations with the likes of Soundgarden, Sepultura and of course Motorhead's own Lemmy. A rock 'n' roll medley followed, weaving iconic snippets that encompassed the very genre Foo Fighters have made their own.

'The Pretender' had the crowd chanting along, stealing vocals from Grohl, prompting him to jest, "Do you mind if I f*cking sing it with you?!" Throughout the performance, the frontmans stage presence and banter showed why the crowds weren’t just eating out of the palm of his hand, but also spanned generations. "We know what our audience look like -- they look like people who have been following us around for 28 years," Grohl remarked. "But Australia is different, there’s a new generation coming through”. While he made sure to cater for all audiences, he made an extra effort with a few tracks for “the old-school mother f*ckers”.

The band paused, all lighting up a ciggie on stage which seemed odd in this day and age, but it did serve a reminder, that Grohl, the man now associated with 'Dad Rock', was instrumental to the growth of punk, grunge and heavy rock from the '90s onward.

When the rest of the band were introduced there were no surprises that they matched the calibre of the frontman, with none other than the newly enlisted drummer, Josh Freese, stealing the spotlight. Armed with a double kick and remarkable fills, the former Devo, Offspring and Nine Inch Nails drummer earned deafening cheers from the audience. Freese had the biggest shoes to fill, joining earlier in 2023 after the passing of the beloved Taylor Hawkins. 

The transition to "My Hero" felt like an unofficial homage to Hawkins, but the official tribute came later with 'Aurora,' the late drummer's favourite song released way back in 1999. Grohl also shared anecdotes about Hawkins, recounting a comical mishap involving a head-on collision with another cyclist, a result of forgetting that Australians drive on the left side of the road.

As the show progressed, the three-hour set began to feel extensive, even for a Foo Fighters spectacle. Grohl humorously acknowledged the endurance test, frequently yelling, "We're in here for a long time together!" The band switched things up with an acoustic rendition 'Statues' for the second time to a live audience, and 'Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners', an ode to the trapped miners who listened to the band through while trapped underground for 14 days.

Things heated up a bit with 'Monkey Wrench'. Then, enter Fiona, Foo Fighters' drum tech hailing from little old Adelaide, who delivered an outstanding performance covering AC/DC's 'Big Balls.' Complete with Port Adelaide footy shorts, Fiona's rendition channelled the spirit of Amy Taylor (Amyl and the Sniffers) and would undoubtedly have made Bon Scott proud.

The set closed out with 'Best of You' before the band left the stage, setting the scene for the encore. The crowd remained surprisingly quiet during this time, perhaps knowing that the band were set to return to the stage. Exiting without a goodbye, their biggest hit unplayed, with half an hour still on the clock, it was clear that we weren’t about to head home.

Grohl re-emerged, wielding a double-neck Gibson identical of Jimmy Page's from 'Stairway to Heaven' fame. However, the resemblance ended there, as they belted out their latest track, 'The Teacher’. It did fall somewhat flat, but hey you need to plug your new stuff.

They concluded the night with the timeless 'Everlong,' transforming the crowd into a chorus of voices and a sea of illuminated torches. Once again, the moment served as a reminder of the band's pedigree, with 'Everlong' alone amassing over one billion streams on Spotify.

Image by Andreas Heuer & Coopers Stadium

With Foo Fighters, you know what you’re going to get and it never disappoints. You strap yourself in to see one of the best shows from one of the best performers in the world. My partner turned to me and said, “Do you think Foo Fighters have ever had a bad review?” "Yeah probably -- but anyone who gave them a bad review wouldn’t be much fun in a mosh anyway."

But the truth is, Dave Grohl steals the show and rightfully so.

I cast back to seeing him introduce the band and thinking, this is a literal Rock God, and he's still not past his prime. He's been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his list of collaborations include Jagger, May, Page, Bowie, and McCartney. He played on 'Nevermind' with Nirvana and 'Songs for the Deaf' with QOTSA. He wrote, played and sung all early Foo Fighters (some of their best work). There was something about watching Grohl chuff a dart on an Adelaide stage struck me with the realisation "This man shouldn’t just be a rock ‘n’ roll hall of famer, he should hold the keys to the hall itself."

Rating: 4/5