Foo Fighters ask Liverpool "Do you like rock 'n' roll?" Anfield loudly answers "Yes" as Dave and co hit the North West
Anfield has played host to many a master in its 142-year history. Granted, they’re usually of the twinkle-toed variety, wearing a red shirt and representing the country’s most successful football club, Liverpool. But tonight, the master wears black. He’s probably the only one of them to ever refer to fans in the ground’s famous Kop stand as “the motherfuckers in the back”, too. He gets away with it, of course, because he’s Dave Grohl, a man with a Jedi-like ability to make every single person inside the 60,000-plus stadium feel like he’s their best mate and he’s doing this just for them.
Playing the first of only two shows in the UK here on this leg of Foo Fighters’ European Take Cover tour, your old pal Dave emerges onto the stage through a thick fog of red pyro smoke with his customary, shit-eating grin. Getting down to business, he lurches into the growling, stalking riff that teases All My Life before sending everyone into a frenzy when the band kick in and the chorus lands. For the next three hours, despite changes in pace, tone and intent, there’s little to no let-up. The energy spent is a sight to see and it comes back to the band in spades.
Ostensibly touring in support of their 12th studio album, Your Favorite Toy, Foos only play two songs from the record: a ferocious Of All People early doors, and an equally gnarly Caught In The Echo about midway through. For the rest of the set, it’s a career-spanning barrage of crowd-pleasers.
Ahead of The Pretender, Dave asks “Do you love rock’n’roll?” and gets the expected reaction. “Guess what?” he adds, “We love rock’n’roll too”, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Like, duh. The man lives to rock.
Sure, the patter may be rote, the setlist barely deviates from night to night, and the showmanship of it all is well-rehearsed, but that’s the beauty. Foo Fighters make this look easy when it’s anything but.
The words of My Hero swirling around the stadium in unison is a defining moment. Monkey Wrench – 30 years old soon – hits with an intensity here that makes it feel brand new. The countrified Wheels shows the band’s delicate side. Aurora, dedicated to late drummer Taylor Hawkins, underlines the make-every-moment-count spirit of the endeavour.
There are larks aplenty too, naturally. Mentos end up on stage after Big Me (“We’ll never escape these”). Band member introductions are followed by a short snippet of a song from each of their former acts. Dave's daughter Harper’s boyfriend, Max, comes onstage to complete a Rubik’s Cube (yep), before playing drums – no pressure, kid – on Rope. It’s his 18th birthday, no less, prompting Anfield to serenade him. As ever, it all wraps up with Everlong and fireworks, houselights and pure joy.
It’s fair to say that Dave Grohl has been through the wringer over the years. You know the reasons why. Yet for all of the carefully-curated ‘Saint Dave’ characterisations of old, he’s always cut a more fascinating figure when the fragile side is front and centre. It’s better when our heroes are human anyway; it makes their victories that much sweeter. Tonight, Dave Grohl once again proves he’s a total champ. Watching the master at work remains a privilege.
