TORONTO - Let's just say they're not like the others and certainly not pretenders.

Relying on passion instead of costume changes, backup dancers or other time-killing eye candy, Foo Fighters played a marvellous, marathon-like 150-minute set. And the grin on singer/guitarist Dave Grohl's face throughout looked like he was the cat that swallowed the cage, not just the canary.

Coming on a few minutes before nine and to rather thunderous applause, the group tore into Bridge Burning with the capacity crowd – including behind the stage – on their feet. Led by the manic Grohl – pacing himself as if it was a sprint – the quintet (and touring keyboardist) eased up slightly with Rope, the lead single from the latest album Wasting Light.

Roaming the stage with a Springsteen-esque zeal, Grohl was often drowned out by the crowd as he ventured out on the lengthy catwalk which went deep into the floor for the foot-stomping early favourite The Pretender as visuals of bombs appeared on the illuminated floor.

With images of the audience mixed with band close-ups, Grohl returned to the small platform briefly for My Hero whose sing-along – probably one of the loudest the venue's ever seen – ended with a mammoth ovation. And trust me, it was the first of many during this “long, long, long, long” show.

Whether it was the hard-driving approach to White Limo or Breakout which concluded with a fine flurry by drummer Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters did no wrong. And while Hawkins took over lead for the slightly tamer Cold Day In The Sun, Grohl played off guitarists Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and bassist Nate Mendel. Even a softer Let It Die resulted in a communal clap from start to finish.

Following a brief stop for introductions 45 minutes in, the band rarely let up on the gas during Long Road To Ruin and the lengthy Stacked Actors, the latter featuring a guitar duel between Grohl and Shiflett as if they were two gunslingers. It was a contest Grohl won thanks to the platform rising high above the crowd.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the reaction to the new material from the crowd, belting out the uplifting, spine-tingling Walk as if it was an old warhorse like Monkey Wrench or This Is A Call. Another highlight had to be All My Life whose lyric definitely symbolized the set: done, done and onto the next one.

One amusing moment came when a backstage camera showed Grohl and Hawkins arguing over how many songs to do in the encore, with Hawkins holding up his hand for five tunes and Grohl shaking his head. The encore certainly didn't disappoint with Wheels and Best Of You performed alone acoustically by Grohl before everyone returned halfway through Times Like These. A rollicking rendition of Young Man's Blues preceded the infectious, boisterous closer Everlong.

So just long was the show? The beards Grohl, Shiflett, Mendel and Hawkins sported weren't there when they kicked things off.

SET LIST

Bridge Burning

Rope

The Pretender

My Hero

Learn To Fly

White Limo

Arlandia

Breakout

Cold Day In The Sun

Long Road To Ruin

Stacked Actors

Walk

Generator

Monkey Wrench

Let It Die

One Of These Days

Skin And Bones

This Is A Call

All My Life

Wheels

Best Of You

Times Like These

Young Man Blues (Mose Allison)

Everlong