Foo Fighters Olympic Stadium 23-6-18

Our third yearly trip to the Olympic Stadium after AC/DC And Guns N' Roses in the previous 2 years.

Managed to miss Starcrawler as trying to get in.It seems a no food policy as crisps,paracetamol and a packet of ginger biscuits were about to be confiscated by the over zealous twat on the gate.Left gate put the bits in my 15 year olds pockets and no problem getting the contraband in!!Funny how later I saw people swigging from M&S red and white glass wine bottles though.

Slaves were simply dreadful or I am getting old?Or both?A stand up drummer who appeared to be galloping whilst yelling and a guitarist who riffed and that was it.To start with I found them hilarious then realised they were supposed to be like that.Some peopel around us actually knew some of the words they were bellowing.

Normally if I see a band for the second time it is because I enjoyed the first time.In this case same venue and GNR support The Kills made me think they have got no better.

By just before 8 o'clock the crowd were in full voice with plenty of football chants.30 years of hurt is now 52 by the way!!!

As the Foo's ran on it was like a bomb had gone off.6 pound a pint but let's throw it to the skies and we were off as the 90000 crowd went nuts for 2 hours 35 minutes to as good a career retrospective you can get.

Here is what they played.

All My Life
Learn To Fly
The Pretender
The Sky Is A Neighbourhood
Rope (with drum solo)
Sunday Rain
My Hero
These Days
Walk
Under My Wheels (Alice Cooper cover)(Chris Shiflett on lead vocals)
Dragon Attack/Another One Bites The Dust/Waiting Room/Blitzkrieg Bop(band intros)
Jump (Van Halen cover mashed up with John Lennon's Imagine)
Under Pressure (Queen cover with Taylor Hawkins on lead vocals Dave Grohl on drums)
Monkey Wrench
La Dee Da (with Alison Mosshart on vocals)
Wheels
This Is A Call
Breakout
Dirty Water
Run
Best Of You
Everlong

Dave Grohl is the man.In far better voice than he was for the tv show in the UK last week and within seconds had the crowd eating out of his hand.

The crowd singing was as loud as I could ever remember with everyone word perfect for anthem after anthem.Dave was covered in sweat after minutes and never let up as he covered the whole stage including the long ramp centre stage too.

Huge light show with one part at one point ending about a foot above the band's head.Sound was good although the keys were lost in the mix.

Taylor Hawkins on drums had one of the best live drum sounds I have ever heard and he drove the band all night and possesses a great voice as he showed during his and Dave's swap session for Under Pressure.Who is the best drummer in The Foo Fighters?

Chris Shiflett also showed a good voice for his Alice Cooper Under My Wheels cover and would love to see a bit more of his guitar playing prowess as when he get's going it is a sight to see.

It was all a highlight even though Dave could have reigned in the patter at times with more songs played and he loved his NIGHT 2 line that he used constantly. 

No encore we just kept going and the Best Of You was sang hugely by one and all before Everlong with a firework accompaniment ended the evening on a high.

Dave said he loves small shows and huge ones to and said maybe next time a free gig to London for one million people.I'm sure his manager will be chuffed to hear that.

Stadium rock at it's finest.


Used with thanks to The Foo Fighters Facebook page.