One can never go wrong with a night of rock music playing full blast through the speakers, whether it be in the car, through the phone or, on this particular occasion, at a bustling 20,000 seat stadium in the heart of Los Angeles. The bill was star-studded from top to bottom with the iconic Foo Fighters being supported by Australian punk outfit Amyl and the Sniffers and Swedish rock band The Hives.

The adoration of frontman Dave Grohl was palpable, many fans donned personalized Grohl t-shirts which were worn with unspoken pride. A particularly notable iteration came in the form of Grohl’s face superimposed onto the body of Jesus, exemplifying the Foos’ highly dedicated and free-spirited fanbase.

Even so, early birds were in for an evening of thrills before the headlining icons were scheduled to set foot onstage. Amyl and the Sniffers brought the noise, triumphantly walking out to DEVO’s “Whip It” blaring over the loudspeakers. The Aussies wasted no time, immediately bursting onto the stage with an undeniable amount of energy. Frontwoman Amy Taylor lead the band’s 30 minute opening set to victory, bopping around the stage in a guitar-inspired tube top which fit the evening’s rock and roll agenda to a tee. Lead guitarist Declan Mehrtens’ solo during “Security” was impeccable, driving the song forward while complementing Taylor’s intriguing vocal delivery. In a speech to the audience, Taylor urged attendees to live in the moment, shouting: “Make a point to enjoy it because you can drop dead at any fucking moment.” That sentiment is inextricably linked to the band’s sound and approach, which is lively and unapologetic both in the studio and on the stage. During their final song, “Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled),” Taylor took a break from vocals to do a set of push ups onstage before launching into a strongman pose serving as a testament to the band’s incredible stamina and undeniable passion.

Amyl and the Sniffers Setlist

Facts
Balaclava Lover Boogie
Guided By Angels
Security
U Should Not Be Doing That
Got You
Hertz
Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled)

The Hives took a different approach when greeting the crowd with lead singer Pelle Almqvist and co immediately diving into the anthemic opening track from last year’s The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, “Bogus Operandi.” The single, which made our 2023 Song Of The Year list, was punctuated by Almqvist swinging the microphone cable around in the fashion of a death-defying yoyo trick. The band offered up a new definition of commanding the stage with each member decked out in matching black and white attire, the backdrop adorned with a large white light-up “HIVES” sign. Their confident Swedish charm translated exceptionally well to the stage with Almqvist leading the charge, interacting verbally and physically with the audience, at times, in close proximity. Almqvist jumped down into the pit on multiple occasions, personally serenading concertgoers and, at one point, even taking a sip from a patron’s cup in a truly entertaining act of showmanship. The band weren’t afraid to lean into humor and theatricality, taking a comical pause in the middle of their wild performance of “Good Samaritan” to bask in the cheers of approval from the audience. Like Amyl, the group aimed to keep focus on the here and now, exclaiming “put your hands up for Foo Fighters and clap for The Hives! If you don’t clap now, when the fuck are you?” Their delightful tongue-in-cheek comedy paired with their electrifying, hard-rocking tunes made for a successful opening slot for The Hives, leaving fans hyped for the main event.

The Hives Setlist

Bogus Operandi
Main Offender
Rigor Mortis Radio
Walk, Idiot Walk
Good Samaritan
Stick Up
Try It Again
Hate To Say I Told You So
Trapdoor Solution
Countdown To Showdown
Come On!
Tick Tick Boom

By the time Foo Fighters hit the stage, the crowd was eager to welcome them with open arms, descending into piercing screams and enthusiastic cheers. The band treated each and every song as an opportunity to showcase their top notch musicianship, especially during the covers section of the set which saw each member perform a solo or two on their respective instrument. The medley consisted of snippets ranging from Van Halen’s “Eruption” to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop,” DEVO’s “Whip It” and Nine Inch Nails’ “March Of The Pigs.” The setlist boasted a balance of both faster-paced, high-energy tracks and reflective, heartfelt ballads. The choice was undoubtedly deliberate, making space for both the headbang worthy bops and grief-stricken dedications to their longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins and Grohl’s late mother Virginia. Hawkins had tragically passed away back in March 2022 in a hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia hours before the band was set to hit the stage at Estéreo Picnic Festival for a headlining performance.  Since then, the Foos have taken to the studio and recorded But Here We Are, their first album since losing Hawkins. The band had also hosted a pair of tribute concerts in Hawkins’ honor at London’s Wembley Stadium and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. The Foos have continued to remember Hawkins through their music, adding “Aurora” to their nightly setlist as it was, as Grohl explained, “Taylor’s favorite Foo Fighters song.”

The emotions behind these performances were deep and powerful, especially when factoring in Grohl’s impassioned and self-assured delivery of the lines “I never wanna die” from their 2011 hit “Walk.” There were many instances where these sentimental moments were allowed to shine through. Stripped-back, acoustic renditions of “Times Like These” and “Under You” enabled moments of somber tenderness. The aforementioned “Aurora” was also made deeply poignant with a brief opening monologue introducing the song as a tribute to Hawkins. “This one’s for T,” Grohl declared before launching into the track, a sea of ambient royal blue and turquoise stage light setting the tone as fans throughout the stadium held up their phone lights in a candlelight vigil of sorts. The 10-minute epic “The Teacher” also made a breathtaking centerpiece during the encore which saw Grohl on a double-neck guitar, switching between fretboards halfway through the performance with flair. And of course, no Foo Fighters concert would be complete without their mega-hit “Everlong,” which had the audience on their feet, marking another successful date on their ‘Everything Or Nothing At All’ U.S. tour.

Foo Fighters Setlist

All My Life
No Son Of Mine
Rescued
The Pretender
Walk
Times Like These
Generator
La Dee Da
Breakout
(Medley) Eruption/Thunderstruck/Sabotage/Blitzkrieg Bop/Whip It/March Of The Pigs
My Hero
The Sky Is A Neighborhood
Learn To Fly
Arlandria
These Days
Skin and Bones (Acoustic)
Under You (Acoustic)
Nothing At All
This Is A Call
Monkey Wrench
Aurora
Best Of You

Encore

The Teacher
Everlong

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz