Grohl finds sunshine despite Rivers of rain
One converted a council rubbish bag into a jacket. Another went shirtless with a fully inflated lifejacket covering his chest. Many flagged their shoes and paddled around barefoot.
Others donned coloured ponchos and huddled under eaves and ledges to escape the driving rain that threatened to turn the biggest rock show of the summer into a washout.
But the person most prepared for last night’s stormy weather at Mt Smart Stadium was Weezer guitarist Brian Bell, who splashed about on stage in a full-length yellow raincoat and knee-high gumboots.
Standing among the 40,000-strong crowd, you couldn’t help but feeling, well, totally soaked.
Then Dave Grohl arrived.
“It’s a beautiful day for a rock show right?” he screamed, tearing down a slippery runway through the crowd, thrashing his guitar around and receiving a rapturous reception.
Grohl and co launched into the opening stomp of Run, and the rain started stalling. It completely cleared during All My Life, as Grohl crept around the stage during the song’s grinding riff. By the time they launched into Learning to Fly, you could even see the hint of some late evening sun. During The Pretender ,a full rainbow could be seen over the stadium. “We just made the rain stop,” declared Grohl.
They delivered a set packed with hits that showed why the Foos have become the stadium rocks vets they are.
During Breakout, the crowd sang so loudly Grohl called them “crazy . . . you need to chill out”. Other highlights were the slow-mo Sky is a Neighbourhood, and crowdpleasers My Hero and Best of You.
Next time, this rock god might be talking about the time he made the heavens clear and became — briefly — a weather god.
Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo showed his sense of humour too, donning a sombrero for several songs during a set packed with hits like Hash Pipe and Beverly Hills.
The night’s funniest moment came when they played Feels Like Summer, from their summery recent album Pacific Daydream, as rain splashed around the stage.