Foo Fighters / Courtney Barnett / Honeyblood - Hampden Park, Glasgow 17th June 2024

The motorway gremlins were working against us. A 50 minute trip turned into a two and half hour journey. We did get parked but, but the time we found our seats, all we got of Honeyblood was from outside the stadium.

Yup, stadium. I’m not generally a fan of those. We couldn’t get standing tickets so we were seated in the east stand, without the best view of the stage. Perhaps having a screen pointing at the sides would help make it a bit more inclusive for those of us on the fringes.

Courtney Barnett came on sharp at 6:45, just as I was finishing my overpriced nachos and Fanta. I’d never heard Courtney before but was really impressed. Eilidh thought she had a bit of Joan Jet feel to her. Her music was rocking and certainly got the crowd bouncing.

The sun was still shining when the Foo Fighters came on sharp at 8 o’clock.

2002’s “All My Life” got us started and did the band start as they meant to go on! This was punch in the gut rock and roll. Dave Grohl, asked if we wanted to see a rock and roll show, well, there was only one answer and “No Son of Mine” blasted off. This was peppered with a bit of Paranoid and huge chunk of Enter the Sandman.

The benefit of sitting in the stand was getting to watch the crowd. Tonight, there was a golden circle thing going on, that led to two very big, very visible and very happening mosh pits moving up and down from the get go. It was great to see. The energy from the crowd to the band and back was really visible and neither was going to give up first without a fight. By the time we got the “The Pretender” the crescendo has risen even further. The crowd took it upon themselves to act as a greedy group of backing singers taking not just the chorus but stealing the verse as their own too. It was evident the band loved it.

The night was filled with the hits, a cut from every album and a lot of smiles coming from the stage. One thing about watching the big screens, something I try really hard not to do when I’m standing, is that you get to see the band close up. It certainly looked to me that they were loving it. Then again, what’s not to love, playing music in the sunshine to 65,000 very happy people who were loving your work!

By the end of the first hour the intros were made. These often lead to a bit of self-indulgent solo work, but not tonight, cause tonight was the Foos; in Scotland. The band knew their audience and Flower of Scotland came winging out the keyboard. The patriotic fervour of the community singing, being undertaken by the musical wing of the Tartan Army, was only surpassed by the excitement of seeing Grohl drink from a bottle of Buckfast. He did point out that when he’d previously been pictured with Scotland’s other, other, other national drink, his manager called him from California and asked “why the f*^k” was he was drinking that? I’m in the mangers camp!

Once the Corries cover had come to an end the blast of Blitzkreig Bop they played made me smile too.

The next three “My Hero”, “The Sky is the Neighborhood” and “Learn to Fly” were the stick outs of the night for me.

There was the obligatory runway, you can’t have a stadium show without one. Grohl and keyboard player Rami hit the end of that clutching acoustic guitar and accordion to sing “Skin and Bones” a song, Grohl tells us was, written at T in the Park 20 years ago. This was one of the many occasions across the night that made me realise just how good a performer the ‘leader aff’ is. Grohl connects with his audience in a genuine and thoughtful way. I think, certainly on the evidence before me, that is reciprocated in spades. That ability to connect is one of Grohl’s USPs and a very nice one it is too.

The “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners” started off. For me, the story behind it is a cracker. A group of miners were trapped underground. When they were reached they were asked what they needed – water and an iPod of Foo Fighters songs came the reply. No messages home to family, no demands for cigarettes or alcohol, just the chance to sit with a drink of water and listen to the Foos – that’s what I mean about connection. The song, which started as an acoustic and ended as full band rocking number, is really good too!

Eilidh was pleased to see Violet Grohl come on to join her dad and his mates to play a new song “Show me How”. I really enjoyed this one. Violet can sing and her lilting female voice very much and very positively complimented her dads growl.

“Aurora” was Taylor Hawkins favourite, and it was not surprise this got an outing by way of tribute to the bands late drummer. The song was nice but what was really special was the crowd. From where we were sitting, Hampden looked like a field of bright snowdrops.

The phone cameras, all turned on and swaying in time to the music, made it all quite emotional actually.

“Best of You” took us to the end and the band disappeared for a much needed sip of the Buckie.

After they returned, new song “The Teacher” opened the encore. This was the only down bit for me. I thought, with the two necked guitar and lengthy solo work, it was a little self indulgent for that time of the night. However, all was forgiven when “Everlong” kicked in to end the show. The crowd were singing and the band smiling.

We took the long walk from stadium to car. The crowd were still singing “Everlong” as we wandered along. Eilidh had loved it. It was her first stadium gig and she had managed to tick this particular band of her own wee bucket list. It was great listening to her talk about how much the band meant to her, how much she enjoyed the big stadium and how good the set list was. This was a night, and a band, that just captured everyone who was there.

Dave said he did not plan to say goodbye as he’d be back, and I believed him. The Foo’s are one of the biggest bands in the world and tonight showed why. Their energy was outstanding and they write a good song; but that’s not why they’ll be back. They will return because of that connectivity, that ability bring a crowd together and to make them smile. They will be back, I think, because of the energy they get back from the fans on nights like tonight.

Where else in the world can you find 65,000 people to remind you that without Scotland, there can never, really be a party. If you drink the Buckie, you by definition, love a party. These Californian Buckfast drinkers will be back!