The Foo Fighters are, at this point, one of the all-time greatest rock bands to ever live. You can absolutely put them up there with The Rolling Stones, U2, and AC/DC.
Initially founded in 1994 in Seattle by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters started out as a one-man project. The band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett, keyboardist Rami Jaffee, and drummer Ilan Rubin.
The Foo Fighters have toured the globe many times, recorded 12 studio albums (the newest, Your Favorite Toy, is out on April 24), and garnered endless acclaim. Over their 30-plus years playing rock ‘n’ roll, the band has delivered some killer performances, and we should talk about some of the best ones.
“Arlandria”, Live on Letterman
Back in 2011, the Foo Fighters dropped their seventh studio album, Wasting Light. This is a record I will go to bat for every single day of my life. It’s easily one of their most energetic, creative, and powerhouse projects.
One of the singles on that record is “Arlandria”, a heavy garage-rock tune that the band played live on Letterman as part of their promotion cycle. There’s no question in my mind that this is one of the best late-night talk show performances they delivered. It might honestly be THE best.
“Darling Nikki” (Prince cover), at The GRAMMY Salute To Prince
I’ve brought up the Foo Fighters’ cover of Prince’s “Darling Nikki” before. Click here to read more about the history of how it all came to be.
In 2020, the Recording Academy put on The GRAMMY Salute to Prince, a special honoring the iconic music legend. The event was recorded in January 2020 and aired in April 2020.
As part of the tributes, the Foo Fighters turned up and played a fiery version of their “Darling Nikki” cover. Not only is it one of the best FF performances of all-time, but it’s also one of the best live covers ever. Full stop.
“My Hero”, with Shane Hawkins at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert.
In March 2022, the Foo Fighters suffered a terrible loss. Their drummer and friend, Taylor Hawkins, suddenly died while the band was getting ready to play a show in Colombia, South America.
After taking the next several months off to mourn and regroup, the band held a massive tribute concert honoring Hawkins at Wembley Stadium in England. (They also later played on at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.)
During the Wembley show, Dave Grohl brought out Hawkins’s son, Shane, to play drums on “My Hero”. It’s a deeply emotional performance, full of passion and intensity.
“Everlong”, At Wembley Stadium (2008)
So, when we talk about the Foo Fighters’ greatest performances, at least in terms of what we have evidence of, we come right back to Wembley for the best one.
Jumping back to 2008, the band performed two sold-out shows at the renowned stadium. Those shows were recorded for the Live at Wembley Stadium concert film, which was released on DVD the same year.
Unequivocally, the performance of “Everlong”—the Foo Fighters’ biggest song by a long shot—in this film is the best they have ever been live. It begins with Grohl playing the song alone, just him and his Gibson. Then the whole band comes in for the musical climax, and it is *chef’s kiss*
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