Foo Fighters was in Gothenburg for the first time to play a sold out Ullevi Stadium.
After the Swedish opening-act Ghost made an appreciated warm-up it was time for Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters to take the stage to an almost deafening cheers from the audience. Dave ran out on the catwalk during the first song, Everlong and seemed to be in the best possible moods.
It’s gonna be a long f * night, he screamed excited and everyone cheered.
Dave Grohl falls from the edge of the stage
When the band kick off their second song, Monkey Wrench from The Colour and the Shape album, Dave takes a few quick steps toward the edge of the stage, with a focus on the audience and does not realise he steps outside edge of the stage till it’s too late. He falls straight down while waving his arms to gain control. The band continues to play but looks at each other in surprise and seemingly unsure what happened. Guitarist Chris Shiflett are the closest one and walks up and looking distressed down from the edge of the stage. The band stops and drummer Taylor Hawkins looks really shocked and quite worried. The audience does not understand anything since only the ones closest to the stage can see what’s going on. The big screens goes black and it is completely silent while there’s a lot of activity around the stage.
Dave Grohl announced from a stretcher that he had broken his leg
A voice speaking from a microphone appear in the speakers and a camera sweeps down on Dave Grohl on a stretcher still down in the stage pit. Dave explains that he likely broken one leg and will not be able to continue. He needs to go to hospital, but he promises that the Foo Fighters will return to the Ullevi Stadium. Then he urges Taylor Hawkins to take over – “Taylor Hawkins you gotta do it”.
The audience and the band is somewhat shocked and it is difficult to really grasp what had just happened.
Foo Fighters offers to do a few songs without Dave
When Dave Grohl had been carried away the band gather by the stage edge and Taylor Hawkins explains that they will play a few songs, but not an entire concert.
He says it’s for Dave’s sake who asked for it and hope we the audience are ok with that. A few of the audience begins to move towards the exits but the vast majority remain for these songs and see how things develop.
First song is Cold Day in the Sun, a Foo Fighters song that Taylor Hawkins always sings and it’s followed by a cover of Stay With Me by The Faces.
Dave Grohl returns onstage again
Just before starting the third song, a cover of Under Pressure by Queen, staff approach Taylor Hawkins and says something to him that makes him raise his eyebrows and asks the audience “Wait A Minute”. Dave is coming back on stage… but no one could guess what would follow.
The band starts the song and during the music Dave is carried onto the stage, put in a chair and given a microphone and his guitar. His jeans are severed and a doctor sits by his side and keep his leg fixed on another chair.
Dave tells the audience that while he was carried out he told the doctors that he really wanted to get back on stage. They shook their heads and said that Dave must keep the foot in a certain position. Dave then asked the doctor if he could come with him on stage to make sure all was fine which he accepted, and so he did.
Dave Grohl continues, and plays a few songs
They finished the song and then explains Dave that he will do a few songs. As long as the doctor allows him to play, he would.
They run three Foo Fighters songs. We could tell that the doctors wanted to him to give it up and the stage manager was discussing with one of the doctors by the side of the stage. The go onstage and have a few words with Dave. As if this was not already an really strange situation, Dave ask audience to wait and that the band should run some songs while he gets his leg in plaster backstage.
Taylor Hawkins and the band continue with a cover of the Rolling Stones song Miss You.
On crutches with a leg in plaster – but Dave Grohl rocks on
After the song Dave Grohl recurs on stage, now on crutches, with some support and a leg in plaster. He sits back in the chair with a guitar in his lap. He thanks the doctors who now goes off the stage and take the opportunity to wave to the crowd.
None of the doctors could have imagined ending up in the middle of the scene onstage next to the evening’s main character in front of a packed Ullevi.
Foo Fighters now continued with their setlist. The band does a few of their favorite songs by bands that inspired them when they grew up. The song Walk is perhaps fitting since thats what Dave would love to but unable to. Both the band and the audience is smiling and a few are laughing now and then considering how unlikely event this actually is.
Powerful singalong with Dave on crutches in the middle of audience
Dave staggers slowly and somewhat unsteadily on his crutches onto the catwalk that leads out in the middle of the audience for a short acoustic set which now only consists of Chris Shiflett on guitar and Dave on crutches and vocals. Pat Smear comes along only to help Dave if necessary. When they kick off the song My Hero it’s probably many in the audience that are thinking of Dave when they sing with their hearts out.
Foo Fighters manage to perform the full show
They are able to perform the full show. A lot longer than one could have expected all things considered. Pat Smear gives Dave a bottle of Champagne that a took a big sip of celebrating the fact that they are still performing.
By the end of the concert Dave Grohl thanked the audience for it’s patience and support, staying even though he sat on a chair the whole concert. He pointed out that this is a show he will never forget. The audience probably realize that goes for them too.
We’ve all had a really unique and special evening and hope Daves leg soon is fine again. Later that night Foo Fighters posts a picture of Dave’s x-ray picture of the broken bone.
