UK Foo Fighters

Tribute bands are often hit or miss but it’s safe to say that when the UK Foo Fighters played Norwich’s LCR on Saturday night, it really did feel as though Dave Grohl himself and the Foos were right before our eyes. This world-famous tribute band can boast 15 years of awesome live performances, including sharing the stage with Grohl himself to sing White Limo. The UK Foos brought all the rock n roll grit of the Foo Fighters to the absolutely packed LCR and it was clear that the band were thrilled to be back in Norwich.

Fans were treated to an incredible setlist that lasted almost 2 and a half hours- an amazing feat from the band who assured the crowd that if able to, they’d love to play for even longer. The carefully crafted track list spanned the 27 years of music from the legendary Foo Fighters, with all the old classics raising the roof and some new favourites sprinkled throughout to keep the crowd on their toes. Learn to Fly kicked off a truly memorable night setting the crowd up for a night of belting our favourite songs. One of the standout tracks of the night has to be The Pretender, which generated such an amazing atmosphere, reflective of frontman Jay Apperley’s infectious energy. From the way in which he carried himself and moved around the stage, to the spot-on grittiness of his vocals (and of course the iconic hair) Apperley embodied Grohl seamlessly. Another favourite of the night was definitely My Hero. The band performed this track after drummer Ollie Button hit fans with a truly moving drum solo and there was a definite sense that this song was dedicated to the one and only Taylor Hawkins- this was especially emotional considering that Grohl usually dedicates this song to the passing of Kurt Cobain- it was clear that two legends were being honoured that night.

Monkey Wrench incited the crowd electrically, with the band leaving one of the choruses up to the crowd, in true Foo Fighters style, ramping up the energy before their incredible renditions of both All my Life and Best of You. Despite the switch to acoustic guitar for Times Like These, the performance remained electric. This track seemed especially emotional for the band, as it was a cover of the version of the song played at Taylor Hawkins’ tribute concert.

There was only one obvious end to the night and the band did not disappoint, as the intro to Everlong rang through the venue to everyone’s clear delight. I’ve not been lucky enough to see the Foo Fighters in concert, but The UK Foo Fighters were without a doubt the next best thing and their version of this track cemented them as one of the best live tributes I’ve ever seen. It seemed particularly poignant to see a tribute to the Foo Fighters a year on from the passing of Taylor Hawkins, it was clear this huge loss had simply added fuel to the UK Foo Fighters’ desire to pay homage to such an incredible band.