  Chris Shiflett, left, Dave Grohl, centre, and Nate Mendel play a free set at Edge 102 yesterday. (Mark O'Neill, SUN)
|
There was a Foo fight on Yonge Street yesterday.
More than 200 fans jostled for position at a special live acoustic performance by the former Nirvana drummer and his bandmates at the Edge 102.1 studio.
All four Foo Fighters -- Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett -- turned up for the intimate appearance as part of a two-day publicity blitz to launch their new double album, In Your Honor.
"I think this will be the (record we are remembered for)," said Grohl. "After we finished touring for the last album, we thought it would be cool to do just an acoustic thing. Then I thought, 'No, we gotta rock.' That's how the double album came about... because it's hard to go back and forth on one album."
The six-song set included just two familiar Foo hits -- Times Like These and Learn To Fly, with the remainder, including Another Round, Miracle, Razor and Cold Day In The Sun (sung by drummer Taylor Hawkins) taken from the new mellow In Your Honor disc two.
"We haven't really gotten into the acoustic stuff yet," said Grohl. "This is the first time we've played some of these songs. We eventually want to play the acoustic stuff with a mini orchestra in a theatre where people can just chill out."
The casual performance included several impromptu mini jam sessions, including a "tango" version of All My Life, an abbreviated Led Zeppelin cover and bits and pieces of various Rush songs.
"Rush songs are so flippin' hard," said Grohl.
"And everytime you break into (Zeppelin's) Stairway To Heaven, it just totally f---ing bums everyone out."
Following the hour-long concert, fans fought for autographs from the group (despite a scheduled signing immediately afterwards at the HMV down the street).
"It was incredible and totally f---ing amazing -- I'm at a loss for words," said 19-year-old Ryan McCreight, an "extremely huge" Foo Fighters fan from Mississauga. "It was way better than I expected. This is the closest and most interactive I've ever been with any band. I got autographs, posters, a guitar pick and I even asked their roadie for their set list!"
The Foos played an exclusive small-venue show for contest winners at Lee's Palace last night.
For those who didn't get the chance to see them yesterday, Grohl offered some reassurance.
"I think we're coming back in August," said Grohl. "And we finally have a laser show. It's f---ing insane! You guys are going to love it!"
