Classic Rock - Robert Plant - USA (2019-12)

and Surf Wax America with arena heft and
dotting major-league covers of Africa,
Paranoid, Take On Me, Happy Together and
Lithium between their own meaty, big and
bouncy garage-pop anthems. Their one
new song, The End Of The Game, includes
a suitably virulent strain of AC/DC too,
making them worthy RIR alumni. Even if
their inner geek-pop imps can’t help
gathering at the microphone for an
a-capella barbershop Buddy Holly towards
the end. Smart, sly and scorching, the set of
weekend one.
Dave Grohl, on the other hand, isn’t here to mock
the rock. He’s one of its most steadfast generals. Foo
Fighters have morphed over the decades into one of
the most dedicated advocates of stadium rock’s
extravagances and indulgences – the solos, the
endless band introductions, the Nashville sawdust
segments, the classic formula of starting every song
slow and heartfelt then kicking into a chorus that
sounds like Krakatoa caving in. It’s made Foo Fighters
a ponderous prospect, a post-grunge whale that’s

threatening to beach itself; 17 songs in two hours, by

turns passion and padding. When on fire, they’re

momentous: Learn To Fly goes brilliantly from the

gnarled to the aerodynamic; My Hero turns from limpid

to volcanic, like Yellowstone finally blowing; These Days

kicks in like a heart attack; The Sky Is A Neighbourhood

is a Beatledelic beast, like I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

being played at the great gig in the sky. When Grohl

get behind the kit to allow drummer Taylor Hawkins to

front the band for Under Pressure, it’s a noble tip of the

hat to Queen’s legendary Rock In Rio set of 1985. But

as Walk lumbers by and Best Of You enters its

umpteenth minute with a section resembling

Chris Rea and an on stage marriage proposal by

a fan with his ‘Will you marry me’ sign upside down,

you wish the Foos would rein in their desire to become

by-the-book stadium behemoths, and instead get to

more points far quicker.

They could take some lessons from Jon Bon Jovi,

who’s faced with a job to do to save the first Sunday

night. The Dave Matthews Band, America’s Mumford,

have set a sluggish pace with their swampy bluegrass

rock and extended funk workouts, enlivened only by

a slew of covers – Sledgehammer, Prince’s Sexy MF,

a mash-up of Back In Black and Stayin’ Alive – and

Tenacious^ D:^ ferocious^

bursts^ of^ shamanic^

voodoo^ rock.

Jon Bon Jovi arrives looking

like the New Jersey cousin of

Zelda from Terrahawks.

Anthrax:^ a^ noise^ like^

a^ tornado^ full^ of^ Harleys.

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