“Everlong May We Rock” – A Night of Legends, Laughter, and Loudness
If Cardiff wasn’t ready for the Foo Fighters, well… they are now.
On a rain-dodging Tuesday night in June, Dave Grohl and his merry band of rock ‘n’ roll legends turned the Principality Stadium into a cathedral of chaos, and we were all disciples in the church of the riff. From the moment Grohl set foot on that stage to the last echo of “Everlong,” it was pure electricity ⚡.
🏟️ The Scene – Stadium Shooketh
The Principality Stadium is no stranger to epic nights, but this one? Next level. With the roof shut and the crowd packed to the rafters, it felt more like a furnace than a stadium – a sweaty, deafening, gloriously chaotic furnace of rock.
Fans poured in from all over Wales, the UK, and beyond – donning Foo Fighters tees, waving flags, even a few Diolch Dave banners waving in the nosebleeds. You know it’s special when even the security staff are singing along.
And the beer queue? An Olympic sport. You needed the reflexes of a cat to get a pint and still catch your favourite song – but hey, totally worth it.
🎸 The Setlist – Banger After Banger
The Foos didn’t just dip into their back catalogue – they blew the doors off it. The show opened with a thunderous rendition of “All My Life”, which hit like a sledgehammer to the soul. From there, it was a whiplash-inducing journey through two decades of anthems.
Here’s just a taste of the madness:
- “No Son of Mine” – heavy, gritty, glorious
- “Learn to Fly” – the entire stadium basically levitated
- “The Pretender” – Grohl roared like a man possessed
- “Times Like These” – stripped-down acoustic to start, then exploded into fireworks
- “Breakout” – pure nostalgia and absolute mayhem
- “My Hero” – dedicated to Taylor Hawkins – not a dry eye in the house 💔
- “Best of You” – felt like every single person was screaming the chorus back
- “Everlong” – because how else do you end a show this epic?
Even a few deep cuts and cheeky covers got in there. Grohl teased some AC/DC and even a few seconds of “Never Gonna Give You Up” – yes, the crowd got Rickrolled, and yes, we loved it.
🥁 The Band – Tighter Than Your Nan’s Knitwear
Let’s give it up for Josh Freese, the new Foo behind the kit. Big shoes to fill doesn’t even cover it – but Josh? Smashed it. Machine-like precision, wild energy, and enough flair to keep the spirit of Taylor alive without trying to imitate. A proper class act.
Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett were guitar gods for the night, trading riffs like it was 1999 and throwing in enough face-melting solos to set off smoke alarms. Nate Mendel on bass held it all together, low-end thunder rattling the very bones of the stadium.
And Dave Grohl? What can we say that hasn’t already been screamed by 70,000 fans in perfect unison? The man is a force of nature. Shouting, strutting, storytelling – and somehow still managing to belt out song after song like he’s not even out of breath.
👨👩👧👦 The Crowd – A Sea of Legends
From metal dads with Slayer tattoos to teenage fans seeing their first proper gig, the crowd was one giant rock ‘n’ roll family.
Highlights included:
- A kid on someone’s shoulders air-drumming every track like their life depended on it
- A fully kitted-out Welsh dragon suit surfing the crowd during “Monkey Wrench” 🐉
- A spontaneous group cuddle/moshpit during “My Hero” – pure vibes, pure emotion
Grohl interacted with the audience like we were old mates down the pub. He spotted signs, dedicated songs, and even invited a lucky lad up to strum a few chords. Bet he didn’t sleep for a week after that one.
💬 Grohl-isms of the Night
You don’t go to a Foo Fighters gig just for the music – you go for Dave Grohl’s running commentary. And he didn’t disappoint.
Some gems:
“You beautiful Welsh motherfers sing louder than my amp!”
“I don’t care if it’s a Tuesday night – this is a Saturday night in my book.”
“How do you say thank you in Welsh again? Deal…dilk…delicious? F it, DIOLCH!!”
💸 Merch & Mayhem
The merch stand was absolute chaos. The limited-edition Cardiff show shirts were flying out faster than a pint of warm Carling. There was even a tour poster featuring the Welsh dragon playing a Flying V – proper collector’s item, that.
If you didn’t get there early, your only chance now is the resale market. And that t-shirt? Already going for £100+ on eBay. Madness.
🏁 The Verdict – 1000% Worth the Tinnitus
This wasn’t just a gig. It was a celebration. Of rock. Of life. Of Taylor. Of Cardiff. Of the Foo Fighters doing what they do best – bringing us all together with nothing but six strings and a dream.
10/10
5 flaming dragons out of 5
One hell of a Tuesday night
Call your mam, tell her you witnessed history. Tell your mate you finally heard “Everlong” live. Tell yourself you’re buying tickets again the second they’re back.
📸 Were You There?
Tag your pics with #FooFightersCardiff and #RiffReportLive – we’re hunting for the best crowd shots, wildest signs, and any video of that guy in the inflatable T-Rex suit during “Breakout.”
Final Word:
Cardiff – you brought the fire.
Foo Fighters – you brought the thunder.
Together – we made the roof melt.
Lush, loud, and legendary. Only in Wales, mun. 🏴🤘
