Well, this was a tremendous show. Highly anticipated and only announced a few days before, it sold out within a few hours. Understandable when the house band is the Foo Fighters! As Dave Grohl said, with tongue firmly in cheek, “ The Forum!, we used to play the enomo places, now look at us”
What we had in store as the band took the stage at 7.50pm was two hours twenty minutes of American Rock n Roll in tribute to the legendary recording studios, ‘Sound City’ in LA.
Each set was backed by Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins and various other members of the Foo Fighters, plus Alain Johannes from Queens of the Stone Age / Them Crooked Vultures also played all night on guitar and vocals
Alain Johannes took stage centre first up covering Queens of the Stone Age, Eleven and as with other artist’s on the night, a song written for the "Sound City: Reel to Reel" soundtrack.
As the band shuffled around, Chris Goss from Masters of Reality was next up and the evening continued down a rockin’ road. Dave was having a great time, playing with heroes and friends pulling all the classic poses and striking the guitar with a vengeance.
Fear’s leader and chief punk rocker, Lee Ving, along with the Foos own Pat Smear were next out front. First time in the UK for Lee’s Fear songs and he still went down a storm.
The hardest gigging man in showbiz? Rick Springfield was up next and yes, he brought ‘that song’ with him which, was a major success for the studio as well. But before we got to Jesse’s Girl there was a storming’ twenty minutes of other tunes.
Dave really gave Rick the Star treatment all in good humour. There were so many smiles on that stage last night; they could have generated their own sunlight. A classic moment came when Rick broke a string and then threw his SG sky high across the stage to a roadie, who caught it (thankfully) and delivered it back to Rick for the next song.
The finale came with Rick Nielsen, and Krist Novoselic coming onstage. Dave took to some powerhouse drumming and Taylor Hawkins became the singer and front man for four of a five-song set of classic Cheap Trick concert covers.
Final song on the night with Taylor back on drums and Dave with Rick Nielsen’s trademark chequed Cheap Trick guitar was ‘Surrender’.
As the band said goodnight, everyone applauded and surrendered to a great night out. Then, the house lights went up and the show was over, but what a show it was!
Pete
Set List
Alain Johannes
A Trick With No Sleeve
Why (Eleven cover)
All My Friends (Eleven cover)
Making a Cross (The Desert Sessions cover)
Hangin' Tree (Queens of the Stone Age song)
Reach Out (Eleven cover)
Chris Goss
Third Man On The Moon (Masters of Reality cover)
She Got Me (Masters of Reality cover)
It's Shit (Masters of Reality cover)
Time Slowing Down (Original song written for "Sound City: Reel to Reel")
Domino (Masters of Reality cover)
The Blue Garden (Masters of Reality cover)
Lee Ving, Pat Smear
Your Wife Is Calling (Original song written for "Sound City: Reel to Reel")
I Love Livin' in the City (Fear cover)
Gimme Some Action (Fear cover)
Beef Bologna (Fear cover)
I Don't Care About You (Fear cover)
Foreign Policy (Fear cover)
Rick Springfield, Pat Smear
The Man That Never Was (Original song written for "Sound City: Reel to Reel")
I've Done Everything for You (Sammy Hagar cover)
Love Is Alright Tonight (Rick Springfield cover)
Love Somebody (Rick Springfield cover)
Jessie's Girl (Rick Springfield cover)
Rick Nielsen, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear
Hello There (Cheap Trick cover)
Stiff Competition (Cheap Trick cover)
I Want You to Want Me (Cheap Trick cover)
Ain't That a Shame (Fats Domino cover Cheap Trick Concert Fave)
Surrender (Cheap Trick cover)