Foo Fighters & Weezer, Auckland NZ, 2018

Foo Fighters & Weezer 

3rd February 2018
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

When it comes to big guns a blazin’ rock shows that can fill a stadium, there are few bands that can do it better than the Foo Fighters; so it was no surprise that despite the torrential outpourings from the sky above that thousands of fans still trooped into Mt Smart Stadium last night ready to rock out with the boys.

Making the evening all the sweeter was the addition of Weezer in ‘support’. Last here in 2013 were they slayed Vector Arena, fans were eager to see them once again in the flesh. Unfortunately Auckland had other ideas and the heaviest rain of the evening came down throughout their set, prompting rhythm guitarist Brian Bell to don a rather sensible yellow raincoat. But the hideous weather could not dampen the power of the four piece led by the ever delightful Rivers Cuomo. Dressed in white jeans a fuzzy cartoonish hat atop his head, his trade mark black spectacles framing his face, Rivers gave a nod to Weezers humble beginnings back in 1994 when they released Weezer (Blue Album) by kicking off their faultless performance with ‘Surf Wax America’.

Weezer truly are the kings of nerdy punk rock that you can’t help but sing your lungs out to; whether it be the off kilter ‘El Scorcho’ or the grungy grinding riffs of ‘Hash Pipe’, there is something for every fan.  Tripping the light fandango back and forth across the timeline of their discography, fans were treated to the classics along with a few surprises that you wouldn’t expect to makes the cut such as ‘Thank God for Girls’. Following ‘Undone – The Sweater Song’ which saw many of the audience almost rupture their larynx with their gusto for singing, Bell thanked everyone for standing in the rain and then gave the most awkward yet genuinely endearing small fist salute before slyly smiling and stating “I wouldn’t have.”

A new track by the name of ‘Happy Hour’ gave the audience a taste of the direction Weezer may be taking next with their music; “Thank you children” Rivers addressed the audience “The awesomeness that is Weezer will continue through 2018” the crowd vocally declaring their approval of this statement. On tour with the Foo Fighters currently, Rivers advises that next they will be touring with alt legends The Pixies which draws an even bigger cheer from the audience. As if to celebrate this fact Weezer move straight into a pretty tight cover of the immortal ‘Where Is My Mind’, Bell mimicking the haunting call of Paz Lenchantin rather well. While there was a bitter irony to the track ‘Feels Like Summer’, faces in the crowd lit up as Rivers disappeared momentarily only to return wearing a giant sombrero for an angsty version of ‘Beverly Hills’.

But it was the bittersweet undertones of ‘Say It Ain’t So’ that brought Weezer to a standstill as thousands of voices chanted the chorus as if the saviour of their very souls depended on it; goosebumps proliferating by the second as the audience brought it home. A brave attempt to appeal to the sky deities was made with the final song of the set; ‘Island in the Sun’ the audience raising their voices to the skies as the band fell silent for a few moments. Despite the rain which had by now made the lengthy catwalk out into the middle of the stadium rather slick, Rivers and Bell draped their arms around each other’s shoulders and marched down towards the fans, genuinely joyous smiles upon their faces. Holding their hands in the air in the iconic winged ‘W’ formation, their smiles only grew wider as thousands of the audience members held theirs aloft in solidarity.

Concert camaraderie now at peak levels thanks to Weezer, fans were more than ready for Grohl and the team to take it to the next level. Hunkered down against the rain, those lucky enough to be seated high enough in the stands to have shelter thanked their lucky stars. However there is a rumour, one that has circulated for years, that Dave Grohl is indeed God himself. And as he stepped out onto the stage tonight to the raucous applause of forty thousand fans and the rain finally stopped, it appeared that there may just be some weight to that rumour after all. As if to seal it, a rainbow appeared, arching over the East Stand, the sea of coloured ponchos on the field mirroring it, but alas it was but a brief glimpse of hope.

Truth be told it mattered none, for as the Foo Fighters opened with the recently Grammy award winning song ‘Run’ from their latest album Concrete and Gold, the weather was forgotten. This was pure, unadulterated rock, the kind that flows through your veins and fills you with vigor. Plumes of smoke billowed from the centre of the field, imitating the visual atmosphere of the music video; Grohl dressed simply in black, his signature pale blue Gibson guitar in hand howled like a beast unleashed from its cage. Despite the rain he strode down that catwalk like he owned it. Ladies and Gentlemen, buckle your seatbelts; Mr Grohl has begun his ascent.

What followed over the next two and a half hours was the instructional guide of how to keep a stadium full of people glued to the stage despite the appalling conditions. Stepping up to the microphone after a particularly boisterous and extended version of ‘The Pretender’ Grohl asked the audience over and over again “Guess what?” until their reply of “what?” was loud enough to satisfy him; “I fucking love Rock n Roll! Do you want some Rock n Roll?” While the tried and true Foo Fighters tracks still hold up after all these years, their latest work from their ninth studio album shines tonight; in particular ‘The Sky is a Neighbourhood’ which saw a trio of young female back-up singers join the stage to add some depth to the vocals. ‘Rope’ took on a bluesy turn as Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins who was perched behind a slick looking Japanese themed drum kit that was almost as big as his expertise level, began a lengthy call and return game.

It has to be said that for years now Foo Fighters concerts are basically the Grohl and Hawkins show, with an obviously close relationship both on and off the stage, the two tend to feed off each other and are strangely interchangeable as demonstrated when Hawkins took over the mic for an impressive cover of ‘Under Pressure’ by Queen, Grohl happily pounding away on the skins. In fact the two have begun to eerily look like each other …

Of course there are the familiar faces of guitarist Pat Smear along with Nate Mendel, guitarist Chris Shiflett (who takes a spin on the mic himself, performing a very tidy cover of the Alice Cooper track ‘Under My Wheels’) and Rami Jaffee on keys. Together they are a formidable unit, and yet they still tend to be in many ways the backing band to the main performers. Sure Grohl has an ego, who wouldn’t at this level of the game. But it cannot be denied that he has earnt it and continues to do so each and every night, tonight’s show reaffirming that point as he delivers tracks such as ‘Let It Die’ and ‘Break Out’ (which saw the stadium lit up with thousands of cell phone lights) with next level ferocity, despite performing them countless times each and every tour.

“Did it stop raining?” Grohl at one point asked the audience, the resounding “NO!” shouted back making him laugh, “Oh…sorry”. Again it is Grohls ability to connect with a stadium full of people that has seen him rise to the top and stake his claim. Throughout the night he continues to playfully goad the audience, leaving them hanging just before the chorus drops or by just standing there regarding them while scratching his beard. And being Dave Grohl he has rock star friends, friends who like to get out on stage with him. So when Rivers Cuomo once again made an appearance, it was to a joyous reception; their version of the Kiss track ‘Detroit Rock City’ a bit of fun for all.

Closing the set on the heart pounding ‘Best of You’, the Foo’s bid the crowd goodnight, the fans happily playing the encore game safe in the knowledge that it couldn’t be over yet. But while spirits were still reasonably high, the band may have stretched the wait out just a little too long, hundreds beaten by the rain and the cold giving up and making a dash for the exit and a hot shower.

Suddenly the big screens lit up and there was Grohl and Hawkins, once again playing the ‘how many songs should we play game’ that many fans would recognise from their 2011 show at Western Springs, where funnily enough it downpoured also. Sadly, those who had arrived early to claim a coveted spot along the sides of the catwalk did not have much of an opportunity to see either Grohl or the rest of the band use it. The rain ensuring that no one really wanted to risk taking a tumble off the side thanks to the wet surface. Grohl had promised though that he would get out there and although it wasn’t his trade mark sprint (having broken his leg once on tour, he would be wary of not making the same mistake twice) he none the less made the journey down to the end to sing the first half of ‘Times Like These’ under a single spotlight. Heading into the finale, the Foo’s threw in an extra track in the form of ‘Wheels’, Grohl promising the fans that this won’t be the last time they will see them, and encouraging them to convince him they want him back by singing the chorus as loud as they could.

Everlong signaled the end of the show, as it does every Foo Fighters show; Grohl and the boys bringing it home in spectacular style before lining up on stage and waving goodbye, more than likely relieved themselves to finish the tour. Wet, cold, shoes squishy little containers of water, fans slowly made their way out of the stadium, exhausted but elated.

Grohls god status safely intact.

Weezer:

Foo Fighters:

Were you there at Mount Smart for this stadium rock extravaganza? Or have you seen Foo Fighters or Weezer perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below! 

Weezer Setlist:

1. Surf Wax America
2. Pork And Beans
3. El Scorcho
4. My Name Is Jonas
5. Thank God For Girls
6. Undone – The Sweater Song
7. Happy Hour
8. Where Is My Mind? [The Pixies cover]
9. Hash Pipe
10. Feels Like Summer
11. Beverly Hills
12. Buddy Holly
13. Say It Ain’t So
14. Island In The Sun

Foo Fighters Setlist:

1. Run
2. All My Life
3. Learn To Fly
4. The Pretender
5. The Sky Is A Neighbourhood
6. Rope
7. Sunday Rain
8. My Hero
9. These Days
10. Walk
11. Let It Die
12. Breakout
13. Under My Wheels [Alice Cooper cover]
14. Another One Bites The Dust [Queen cover]
15. Rio (snippet) [Duran Duran cover]
16. Blitzkrieg Bop (snippet) [Ramones cover]
17. Under Pressure [Queen cover]
18. Monkey Wrench
19. Detroit Rock City (feat. Rivers Cuomo) [Kiss cover]
20. Big Me
21. Best Of You
22. Times Like These [encore]
23. This Is A Call [encore]
24. Wheels [encore]
25. Everlong [encore]

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