Foo Fighters Live @ Milton Keynes Bowl, 3rd June 2011

Foo Fighters are used to filling huge stadiums by now, but all that practice has made them one of the most consistently entertaining live acts in the world. The Foo’s graduated to one of the biggest live acts in 2006 following their first headliner slot at Hyde Park, before cementing their live reputation at the now legendary sold-out Wembley shows in 2008.

What makes the Foo Fighters such a popular and impressive live band is that they are not afraid to play their hits. In fact, Dave Grohl and Co. love returning to the live areas and playing classics such as ‘Everlong’ and ‘Best Of You’. So, with their new stadium-friendly album ready for another Foo’s tour, where better to perform than two nights at the Milton Keynes Bowl to over 140,000 fans.

After a strong supporting cast - including Jimmy Eat World and Scottish legends Biffy Clyro - kept the huge crowd more than entertained, it was time for the main event. And what an event it was. Kicking off with ‘Bridge Burning’ - the epic opener from Foo Fighter’s newest album, Wasting Light - the Foo’s proceeded to put on an unbelievable show, full of classics, newbie’s and some rarities.


The first single from Wasting Light, ‘Rope’, continued the high octane start to proceedings. The new material went down well, but ‘The Pretender’ from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace really got the crowd pumped up, with the riot-like chorus, thumping drum beat and killer riff setting up the rest of the gig perfectly. It was adrenaline filled, riff-heavy and in-your-face rock at its best from start to finish.



Classics ‘My Hero’ and ‘Learn To Fly’ led to hug sing-a-longs, before the raucous ‘White Limo’ strained every vocal chord in Dave Grohl’s throat. ‘Arlandria’, another big track from the Foo’s most recent album, sounded virtually made for this occasion with its anthemic chorus and huge riff. The five-piece put on a set that spanned the band’s long 17-year career, moving from Wasting Light material to old favourites such as ‘Breakout’, ‘Stacked Actors’ and Taylor-Hawkins spotlight moment, ‘Cold Day In The Sun’. ‘Long Road To Ruin’ provided another standard sing-a-long, although it is still one of their weakest singles. The strength of Foo Fighters’ critically acclaimed new album was clear in its seamless integration into the set, with second single ‘Walk’ and ‘Dear Rosemary’ - the latter including Bob Mould on backing vocals - proving their worth in a formidable setlist.

‘Monkey Wrench’ sent the thousands into a frenzy - whether they were in the mosh pit at the front or camped way back on the huge hills surrounding colosseum-like Milton Keynes Bowl arena. The first half of ‘Let It Die’ provided a beautiful calming break after the frantic ‘Monkey Wrench’, before building to a thunderous conclusion as Grohl screamed “WHY’D YOU HAVE TO GO AND LET IT DIE”.



There was still time for one more from their new album - the seventh song from Wasting Light to be aired - with ‘These Days’ slotting in perfectly among established oldies such as ‘Generator’ and the acoustic-led ‘Skin And Bones’. As the set neared the inevitable pre-encore break, Foo Fighter’s went into overdrive with huge versions of ‘Best Of You’ and ‘All My life’. It really is a testament to the endless quality of Foo’s back catalogue that they can get away with playing arguably two of their best songs before even reaching the encore.

After the chugging guitars of ‘All My Life’ had fizzled out, the Foo’s exited the stage to a rapturous applause. However, they were far from done yet - although not before an amusing video skit on the big screens kept the crowd entertained during the break. Grohl initially returned to the stage on his own, starting the encore with a beautiful solo version of ‘Wheels’, a bonus track on the band’s 2009 Greatest Hits album, before moving on to a solo version of ‘Times Like These’, which then evolved into a full-blown band version.



Dave Grohl then announced a very, very special guest, inviting his Them Crooked Vultures bandmate and the former Led Zeppelin bassist, John Paul Jones, to join the rest of the band on stage. Yet if that wasn’t impressive enough, Grohl then introduced another good friend of his, the lovable Seasick Steve, for an old fashioned jam, including Grohl on drums. It was an incredible moment to watch three legends go about their business, as they played Seasick Steve’s ‘Back In The Doghouse’.



With the end rapidly nearing, Foo Fighters closed another memorable gig with their first ever single, ‘This Is A Call’, and a full band version of their signature song, ‘Everlong’. Dave Grohl and Co. are clearly reveling in the new fan base built on the back of Wasting Light. Grohl, in particular, was in an energetic mood, his infectious enthusiasm and formidable all-round performance showing that he embodies everything Foo Fighters stand for. After 26 songs, almost 3 hours and a lot of tired - but satisfied - fans, the Foo Fighters walked off stage to a huge ovation, after yet another stunning performance.