Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin (ok 2 out of 4, but still...)
Bloody hell, that was amazing. Cynical old sod that I am, I don't often get too excited about big gigs, let alone ones that involve me having to stand up outside with 86,000 of the great unwashed, but oh my God, on Saturday night the Foos were beyond almost everything else I have ever seen live. OK, nostalgia will always prevent me from saying it was better than AC/DC at Donington or Motley Crue at the Marquee, but that was right up there with them.
Just over 2 and half hours of the Foo Fighters PLUS Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (10 days earlier I saw Robert Plant over at the Arena, typical, just a slight adjustment in touring schedules and......). Grohl is the most charismatic frontman I think I have ever seen (remember that I am not old enough to have seen Bon Scott or the real Van Halen, but I have seen the likes of Mick Jagger). Maybe not the showman of Steve Tyler, but more personable and in touch with the fans.
They put on the most incredible show, but not in a Muse/Pink Floyd dazzle 'em with lights and lasers kinda way, but a proper, engage the crowd, work hard, plays great songs and look like you are having the time of your life kinda way. I think Springsteen is the only person I have seen work harder on stage.
OK, so next time they probably won't have 2/3rds of Led Zeppelin to help the night along or Radio 1 to make sure they put in the full show that started and finished on time, but I would not hesitate to go back and see them again.
The eldest of the BathroomWall kids came out of the show and had to phone Mrs BathroomWall to tell her that it was the best night of his life. Now I know I get all proud of him when he turns the music up too loud or rips through a drum solo (he ditched the over-earnest emo indie band and has now formed his own called 'Swankers' and plays stuff like California Uber Alles, God Save The Queen and Anarchy in the UK), but last night seeing him get so into it with such a smile on his face, I really felt so proud that I had passed a love rock n' roll on to him. I was getting all misty-eyed when he went piling into the heaving crowd screaming the words to The Pretender, then I realised that I better not lose him.... When they started Best of You, I thought he was going to explode.
And if it was possible to top all that, at the end of the gig, our time table went like this:
10:30 encore finished and house lights go on.
10:35 we are outside the Stadium
10:38 we are in the car
10:45 we are on a clear road on the A40 heading home
I kid you not, I have never got out of a theatre show that quick before. 15 minutes from show ending to us not even being in traffic. At the old Wembley Stadium we would not have been outside until nearly midnight. In fact I think the last gig I went to at Wembley Stadium was probably Guns N' Roses in the early 90s and that must have taken us 2 hours to get to the tube station, by which time the last train from Charing Cross was long gone and we had to crash in some squat. Even last year getting out of Aerosmith, which was in a park with no walls, no doors or anything other than the odd tree to negotiate took an hour to reach the car. I may have been dubious about the need for Wembley to be re-built (National Stadiums are in general a stupid idea born out of nothing other jingoism and ego), but I have to say they have done a magnificent job. Loads of space, clean plentiful loos, easy to get to refreshments. It almost makes me consider going to see other bands there and I never thought I would willingly want to return to a Wembley concert again. Shame there are not many bands good enough to fill it. In fact, given that Springsteen last week, although good, is struggling to reach the heights of previous tours I am struggling to think of many people playing today that could do that place justice. AC/DC maybe, although they are more likely to do Donington than Wembley. Led Zeppelin would do it, but after that I am really struggling to think who could have come close. Admittedly before last night I had major doubts whether the Foos could do it. Maybe Green Day or the Chilis could pull it off, but I am not convinced. I know Muse do a grand job there, but without knocking them, they do rely pretty heavily on their light show.
Anyway, total respect to Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters.
Just over 2 and half hours of the Foo Fighters PLUS Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (10 days earlier I saw Robert Plant over at the Arena, typical, just a slight adjustment in touring schedules and......). Grohl is the most charismatic frontman I think I have ever seen (remember that I am not old enough to have seen Bon Scott or the real Van Halen, but I have seen the likes of Mick Jagger). Maybe not the showman of Steve Tyler, but more personable and in touch with the fans.
They put on the most incredible show, but not in a Muse/Pink Floyd dazzle 'em with lights and lasers kinda way, but a proper, engage the crowd, work hard, plays great songs and look like you are having the time of your life kinda way. I think Springsteen is the only person I have seen work harder on stage.
OK, so next time they probably won't have 2/3rds of Led Zeppelin to help the night along or Radio 1 to make sure they put in the full show that started and finished on time, but I would not hesitate to go back and see them again.
The eldest of the BathroomWall kids came out of the show and had to phone Mrs BathroomWall to tell her that it was the best night of his life. Now I know I get all proud of him when he turns the music up too loud or rips through a drum solo (he ditched the over-earnest emo indie band and has now formed his own called 'Swankers' and plays stuff like California Uber Alles, God Save The Queen and Anarchy in the UK), but last night seeing him get so into it with such a smile on his face, I really felt so proud that I had passed a love rock n' roll on to him. I was getting all misty-eyed when he went piling into the heaving crowd screaming the words to The Pretender, then I realised that I better not lose him.... When they started Best of You, I thought he was going to explode.
And if it was possible to top all that, at the end of the gig, our time table went like this:
10:30 encore finished and house lights go on.
10:35 we are outside the Stadium
10:38 we are in the car
10:45 we are on a clear road on the A40 heading home
I kid you not, I have never got out of a theatre show that quick before. 15 minutes from show ending to us not even being in traffic. At the old Wembley Stadium we would not have been outside until nearly midnight. In fact I think the last gig I went to at Wembley Stadium was probably Guns N' Roses in the early 90s and that must have taken us 2 hours to get to the tube station, by which time the last train from Charing Cross was long gone and we had to crash in some squat. Even last year getting out of Aerosmith, which was in a park with no walls, no doors or anything other than the odd tree to negotiate took an hour to reach the car. I may have been dubious about the need for Wembley to be re-built (National Stadiums are in general a stupid idea born out of nothing other jingoism and ego), but I have to say they have done a magnificent job. Loads of space, clean plentiful loos, easy to get to refreshments. It almost makes me consider going to see other bands there and I never thought I would willingly want to return to a Wembley concert again. Shame there are not many bands good enough to fill it. In fact, given that Springsteen last week, although good, is struggling to reach the heights of previous tours I am struggling to think of many people playing today that could do that place justice. AC/DC maybe, although they are more likely to do Donington than Wembley. Led Zeppelin would do it, but after that I am really struggling to think who could have come close. Admittedly before last night I had major doubts whether the Foos could do it. Maybe Green Day or the Chilis could pull it off, but I am not convinced. I know Muse do a grand job there, but without knocking them, they do rely pretty heavily on their light show.
Anyway, total respect to Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters.
posted by Sleazy Rock n' Roll at
16:46
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