Foo Fighters Battle Back For Rock

While there are numerous venues across the length and breadth of this island which are steeped in musical history, when it comes to rock music, the hallowed stage of Slane Castle is virtually peerless. Up there with the likes of Knebworth in England, the County Meath-based spot has hosted them all over the decades. Tonight, Foo Fighters carry on a tradition which encompasses the likes of Thin Lizzy, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Guns 'N' Roses, U2 and The Rolling Stones.

But before we get to this evening's main feast of rock, there are some other tasty morsels to sink our teeth into. Due to a malfunctioning bus and – I kid you not – the multiple weak bladders of my fellow passengers, your humble correspondent arrives just in time to see Ash light up the stage (sorry Strypes, catch you next time). Sounding recharged and raring to go, Tim Wheeler and Co.'s punk and pop-infused arsenal is tailor-made for days like this. A man tired of 'Girl From Mars' is a man tired of life. They delivered on the big stage and then some!
Hozier might, at first, seem like an odd choice to support Foo Fighters, considering he's not exactly known for his penchant for turning the amps up to 11, but again, he was more than up to the occasion. Showing his chops as a blues man, to fine effect, he turns in a spell-binding, if slightly rain sodden performance. 'Take Me To Church' is an anthem no matter what the setting and sends asurge of emotion through the crowd. Next on are Kaiser Chiefs and despite the downpour they take the energy levels up a notch, with perennial pit favourites like 'I Predict A Riot'.
Before we know it, it's time for Dave Grohl and his merry men to take to the Slane stage for the second time in their career. Promising a mammoth set for their inaugural headlining show, Foo Fighters waste little time bringing out the big guns ('Everlong’, 'Monkey Wrench') and they sound every bit as out of this world as their band moniker suggests. Coming across as something of a plaid shirt clad metal Mr Motivator this evening, Grohl both encourages and excites the crowd. Now every inch the consummate rock frontman, the days when he was a bundle of nerves during those initial Foo-shows 20 years ago are nothing but a distant memory: he's well and truly grown into the role as everyone's best mate, as he prowls the catwalk like a warrior.

'The Pretender' and 'White Limo' are nice and meaty tonight and the band batter their instruments with machine-like precision, their fretwork satisfyingly face-melting. A canny cover of Lizzy's 'Jailbreak' is a welcome surprise and only endears the band to the already fawning crowd, as indeed does their rendition of Queen and David Bowie's 'Under Pressure.'

The final third of the set really shines and now the staples of the genre – 'All My Life’, 'This Is A Call' and 'Best Of You' – send the tens of thousands of soggy punters in attendance home with beaming smiles and (slightly) sore ears.

If recent pop and hip hop-based Slane headliners suggested that Ireland had fallen out of love with rock music, then Foo Fighters have helped debunk that myth with a well oiled, crowd-pleasing set full of plenty of old and new favourites. So...see you next year then?