Live Review: Foo Fighters, Weezer

To say that Melbourne loves Foo Fighters is an understatement. It would take only one look at Cherry Bar's pop-up "The Fooie Bar" and its block-wrapping lines this week to prove that very point. Tonight Melbourne plays host to the final gig of Foo Fighters' Australian tour and the lines to get into Etihad Stadium snake well and truly from the door to deep into the street. Unfortunately, the need for extra security leads to ridiculously long lines and overly delayed entry into the venue. As much as we need to adjust our entry security, we need to make the process smoother and significantly faster.

The delays in entry lead to a significant portion of support act Weezer's set being enjoyed from outside of the venue. The delicious geek-rock sounds of LA's favourite sons wash over the ever-filling stadium, drawing existing fans closer and piquing the attention of new ones. Many in attendance bemoan the lack of a sideshow, but the band satiates the appetite perfectly during their hour-long set, which is dotted with old favourites. El Scorcho is a given singalong, and Thank God For Girls is nothing less than a hoot. A surprise Pixies cover in Where Is My Mind? goes down a treat and Beverly Hills has hands raised skywards. "Let's play one more, let's play two more," declares lead singer Rivers Cuomo, before launching into Say It Ain't So and closing with the mellow Island In The Sun. Weezer's set sounds like sunshine and Sundays, hopefully it will not be too long before we see them again on our shores (please, please Weezer, come back soon!).

The almost-capacity venue fills steadily, but slowly. The excitement is palpable and the closed roof of Etihad simmers like an unwatched pot. An early cheer goes up as a screen emblazoned with "FF" is lifted high above the stage. A number of punters lie down on the plastic tiles covering the turf, perhaps reserving their energy for the three-hour marathon set still to come.

The curtain drops as Foo Fighters hit the stage, opening with Run. Many of the seated crowd get to their feet and are immediately told to sit down by security. For those of us unlucky enough to be seated, it's about as rock'n'roll as a lawn tennis match. All My Life is an early swirl of aggression and an early fan-favourite. "We're gonna have to dance all fucking night, right? I'll have to get you warmed up!" says Dave Grohl, laying down the gauntlet for the crowd to go completely ballistic during The Pretender, a ravenous snarling beast of a song.

The Sky Is A Neighborhood from 2017's Concrete And Gold is a little more of a slow burner, as is Rope. A tight, weaving session between drummer Taylor Hawkins and Grohl evolves into a full-band jam, as Hawkins' riser gradually lifts him skyward for a lengthy drum solo and he takes on lead vocals for Sunday Rain. It isn't big enough of a song to carry off such an enormous intro, but at least it provides a good portion of the crowd with a bathroom-break opportunity. Hawkins' pipes carry the song along solidly, however.

Grohl hits the catwalk solo, finally greeting the frothing audience and stating that they have a "shitload of songs" to get through and will play "as many songs as we can before they tell us to get off the stage". He begins to play My Hero, one of the greatest songs (and videos) of the '90s, and it is nothing short of a goosebump-inducing moment, especially when the rest of the band joins him to finish up the tune.

Breakout is a gorgeously demented scoop of larynx-splintering screams and tasty riffs, and the band play surrounding Hawkins' kit, facing each other. For a moment they could be just a bunch of guys playing too loudly in a garage anywhere in the world.

It is important at this point to mention the outstanding stage set-up, although a screen perched behind the drum kit is occasionally lowered to such an angle that it appears the band are moments away from being sandwich-pressed.

Lead guitarist Chris Shiflett takes over vocal duties for Under My Wheels, an impressive Alice Cooper cover. For those who dispute Melbourne's title of Rock City, please see the circle-pit going full blast during a keyboard solo. Monkey Wrench threatens to tear the roof off the stadium, while Big Me is impossible not to smile and sing along to. In a night full of surprises, the biggest comes in the form of Weezer's Rivers Cuomo joining the band for a blistering cover of Detroit Rock City by Kiss, which they completely nail. Few things in life will give this writer more pleasure than the memory of seeing 'Foozer.'

Best Of You is explosive in its frustration and the crowd sings along at deafening volume. "It's official," says Grohl, "you guys are the fucking loudest of the whole tour. I'm not just sayin' it. You guys are putting it on."

The ground trembles under the stomping of feet and the screens shake as punters demand an encore, and we get another five tunes including a scorching cover of AC/DC's Let There Be Rock. Malcolm Young's face looks out at us from the screens and it's not a stretch to think that he would wholeheartedly approve of this frenzied rendition. Everlong, another one of the most important rock songs (and again, videos) of the '90s closes the show and it's easily the biggest song of the night, played ferociously from start to finish.

Tonight Foo Fighters put on a master class in how to be rockstars and, more importantly, a master class in rock'n'roll. They're a must-see band and only further cement their legacy as possibly the greatest touring rock band each time they take the stage.