LIVE: Foo Fighters with Weezer – Perth, 20 Jan 2018

Shane | 22 January 2018 | Reply

LIVE: Foo Fighters with Weezer – Perth, 20 Jan 2018
NIB Stadium, Perth – Saturday, 20 January, 2018
Reviewed by Kevin Curran
Photography by Peter Gardner

Foo Fighters were back in town to support their latest release Concrete & Gold, and this time it was Perth getting the first leg of the tour instead of the last as on their previous tour. Massive support came in the form of the legendary Weezer.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to catch opener Cosmic Kahuna due to the early start. I did, however, arrive just in time to catch In The Garage as Weezer opened with this gem from their classic Blue Album, followed by Surf Wax America, also from the debut.

With as many hits as Foo Fighters, Weezer must have known going in that they had to bring out the best from their catalogue if they were going to win over any of those that may not have been previously been familiar with them.

Set list wise, Weezer nailed it: Pork & Beans, El Scorcho, My Name Is Jonas, Undone – The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe, Beverly Hills, Buddy Holly, Say It Ain’t So and Island In The Sun, along with Pixies cover Where Is My Mind, and a couple of new tracks off latest record Pacific Daydream, did the trick nicely.

I have to add the new tracks Happy Hour and Feels Like Summer were supremely hooky and definitely worth checking out.

[Show picture list]

Although Weezer were let down with the sound being a little muddy, they did perform a great highly enjoyable set and as far as a support for Foo Fighters goes – you couldn’t ask for much better.

After a lengthily break Foo Fighters finally came out to huge pop from the audience, breaking into Run, which sound-wise was amazing. Whoever was running sound with so many different instruments and vocals onstage, they did an outstanding job.

Grohl is a magician with his crowd interaction, his natural ability and charisma to get the crowd fired up is something he does with absolute ease. The visuals on the big screens were really awesome, this time around tying with the visual theme of the latest record.

[Show picture list]

The big hits were fluttered through this lengthy set including Learn to Fly, The Pretender, All My Life, and more – they just kept coming all night. It was refreshing to hear tracks like Dirty Water from the new record and This Is A Call from the very first record. After seeing Foo Fighters so many times, it’s good to hear some different tracks to the standard must-have set list songs.

An absolute highlight for the band must have been when the house lights were shut off and Dave asked the crowd to shine. An entire arena went from blackness to lit up, with majority getting their phones or lighters out, making a pretty cool sight indeed.

Besides Dave Grohl the next most recognisable guy in Foo Fighters is Taylor Hawkins, and he was given his chance to shine with, a) his amazing Japanese inspired drum kit, and b) singing an awesome rendition of Under Pressure by Queen with Dave going behind the kit and Taylor being the front man for this one.

There were so many little moments that made this gig, from Dave making his way up the stage ramp singing My Hero to a kid in the crowd with his dad; To the in-between song stories: it was almost more than just a standard rock gig. You kind of feel with the Foo’s that you’re along for the ride with them and they are like longtime friends visiting town and you are catching up. Cheesy as that may sound, it’s kind of what Grohl puts across when he is out there.

Eventually, The Foos left the stage, but instead of doing the encore thing they played a comedic video of them talking backstage about how many songs they were going to play last, with a bit of funny back and forth between Hawkins and Grohl.

Dave came out and played a couple more including the Beatles’ Blackbird, before being joined by his band mates. Grohl and Hawkins may get most of the attention, but kudos to Pat Smear, Nate Mendel, Chris Shifflet and newest member Rami Jaffee who are all vital pieces in the operation.

Everlong finished the night’s proceedings in fine fashion and as far as a rock show is concerned: this is how it’s done folks!