October 4, 2009

Every once in a while, the musical selection on Sunday is going to come full circle to the Foo Fighters again, and this week you get what is perhaps my favorite clip of all-time, along with a story.
In the spring of 2007, I got to see The Foo Fighters twice in concert in the span of 3 days. The second concert was at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and I was there with my friend, Jenn. We had heard rumblings in the seats prior to the show about a rumoured 'huge' group that was going to join the Foo Fighters on stage, so we were all trying to figure out who it could be.

The Foo Fighters have a tendency to bring out some of their favourite bands to perform a song with them. Less than a year earlier, when they performed in London, they brought out Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen, who are arguably my favourite band of all-time aside from the Foo Fighters. I nearly passed out when I heard that...what an amazing concert to have been at. And then, on top of that, they performed my favourite Queen song, '39. If you want to see the clip, here's a link.
So we were all wondering who it would be tonight, and the guesses that were floating around were essentially all Canadian, although some other big names were guessed as well. I told Jenn, "I don't care who it is...as long as it's not Rush. Anyone but Rush." For those of you that don't know, I'm a Rush hater...to the point that I have to change the station if it comes on. Poison for my ears.

So at the beginning of the show, Dave Grohl confirms that something big is going to happen later. Then, partway through the show, which is fantastic, Taylor Hawkins starts this massive drum solo, which I had seen 2 nights prior in London, but from our vantage point, I can see people buzzing around at the side of the stage getting people ready to come out. And then I see a silhouette of the tell-tale "McDonald's-Grimace-Like" hair of Geddy Lee, and I say to Jenn, "It's Rush." She goes "What?", and I point at the side of the stage and say "It's Fucking Rush!"...just as he and Alex Lifeson walk out on to the stage and the place goes nuts. I actually sat down while everyone stood while they performed YYZ. I mean, it's bad enought that they were there, but Neil Peart is the only tolerable part of Rush, and he wasn't even there. Well, at least they did an acoustic song and I didn't have to hear Geddy Lee's cat-screech voice.

So, if you think the clip I'm about to show you is the Foo Fighters and Rush, then you obviously don't know me too well. Here's the kicker of the story, when the Foo Fighters went to London a couple of months later to perform, they once again brought out someone to perform. Except in London, it was Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. AND they performed Rock and Roll and Ramble On. So, let me get this straight? I get Rush, and they get Led Zeppelin?????? Sometimes the world just isn't fair.

So today's video is a clip of Dave and Taylor introducing Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (be warned...significant profanity), and then the performance of Rock and Roll, which featured Dave on the drums again. There's a great shot of all four of them right before the song starts and Dave looks like a little kid pounding the drums for the opening of the song.