FOO FIGHTERS
w/ The Pretenders & Alex G.
BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, Ca
Sunday, August 11th, 2024
Review and Pictures: Marie Randall
I told myself I wasn’t going to see the Foo Fighters in L.A. I was still bumming from having to miss their Boston show at Fenway. Thanks to Delta’s tech meltdown, my flight was cancelled and I had to eat my tickets.
But when more tickets were released two days prior, I got myself a GA pit ticket. Then I started strategizing. Many of you know the drill- if you get a pit ticket, it’s because you want the rail-or reasonably close. You know you’ll have to get in line early. But how early? 10am? 8am? I chose 6am.
I’ve seen the Foo Fighters many times, and waited early many times, but this would be my first time seeing them in a stadium. So the night before, I charged my little point and shoot, charged my back up battery for my phone, packed snacks, water, sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses in anticipation of a long, hot August day.
When I got to the stadium there were already fans in line for the show and for the merch (especially the much coveted foil posters). There were fans that had lined up overnight, fans from the UK, Italy, and all over the US. There was a fan in charge of giving out numbers. I got # 31. Another fan occasionally went down the line and sprayed people with water. People couldn’t have been nicer and it was fun hearing everyone’s stories of seeing FF on previous tours and of how many shows they’d seen on this summer tour, “Everything or Nothing At All“.
The first few hours in line were ok. Then came the stretch between noon and 3. That’s when I started questioning my choices: why am I putting myself through this? But when staff came by telling people it was time to put the tents and chairs and umbrellas in their cars, the adrenaline kicked in.
I was impressed that fans respected their numbers and lined up accordingly, lining up based on whose side of the stage they wanted to be on. I chose Shifty’s side. Staff walked (!!!!) fans down to the pit. There was only one guy that tried to jump the line, but he was summarily put in check by this one Scottish woman. She was having none of it! I got myself a good spot in the nook of the rail and the ramp, next to a cute couple in wheel chairs.
BMO staff were attentive and handed out water. When the sun went down behind the stadium, it felt 30 degrees cooler. The first band, indie rocker Alex G. came out at 5:30. Props to them- its gotta be tough playing to a sparse stadium during daylight.
At 6:30 legendary rocker Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders came onstage. At 72, Hynde looked amazing, slinging her Fender Telecaster and wearing thigh-high black leather boots, punky hair and sunglasses. Her voice is still as strong as ever. James Walbourne’s explosive guitar playing was a highlight. Their set list was a mix of new songs off of 2023’s Relentless and classic Pretenders tracks.
If I could have added any songs, it would have been “Message of Love” and “Talk of the Town“. Hynde dedicated the song “Kid” to the late James Honeyman-Scott and the late Pete Farndon, founding guitarist and bassist of the Pretenders. Hynde mused, had it not been for them, she wouldn’t be here. Or was it perhaps had it not been for her, they might still be here? There was one odd moment when Hynde asked the crowd if anyone wanted to dance. She then pointed to the couple in wheelchairs next to me and said, “I know they don’t.”
Just after 8:00 the Foo Fighters – guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, keyboardist Rami Jaffe and drummer Josh Freese took the stage. Dave Grohl walked out with a double-neck Gibson SG and instead of going into an anthem like “Times Like These”, they opened with slow burner “The Teacher” from their latest But Here We Are. The band proceeded to rock a sweaty and wet (well Dave was sweaty and wet) 3 hour show. The band went through the radio hits for the casual fans and deep cuts for the hardcore, longtime fans – what Dave called the 50-somethings.
Always a highlight are the band intros, especially Shifty’s guitar solo. On this night he incorporated Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen and Angus Young. 2/3 of the way through, Dave and Shifty walked out onto the ramp and played an acoustic set, which included “The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners“. Dave mentioned that he hadn’t fallen once on this tour.
Back on the main stage Grohl was joined by his daughter Violet, whom he called his favorite singer, for the song “Show Me How“.
For the first encore, the band was then joined by Taylor Hawkins’ son, Shane for the song “I’ll Stick Around“. He’s a monster drummer, just like his dad.
As a way to say “so long”, the band ended the evening with “Everlong“. Dave reassured his audience that the Foo Fighters weren’t going away any time soon.
Circling back, would I ever again put myself through waiting all day in the sun for a band? For the Foo Fighters…Hell yes!
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