Hello folks.
I write to you, on this the eve of the 23rd of June in the year of our lord 2011, covered in cold sweat and with a back that is kicking my ass (don't take that too literally) yet perfectly content.
I have just witnessed my 7th Foo Fighters concert.
The band was great but rather than get into a blow by blow account of the show, I thought I would take a slightly different approach.
I think it's fair to say a good time was had by all myself included. 30 thousand people give or take in a an arena on a sunny day. Beer is flowing like water and all is well. Being the cynic I in many ways am I felt the need to compare this experience with my first time seeing them. This is way back in..1999!
Yes I can feel the shock and awe that you now feel realizing that I am indeed what George Carlin would call an "old fuck".
A very excited young man sets off to a magical place apparently called "Fryshuset" where the event in question according to rumour will take place that very night.
This place was in uncharted territory seeing as the young man had not ventured in this part of town before.
Clenching his precious ticket in his grubby sweaty hand, he has arrived at the tube station his slightly older friend has informed him is the closet to the arena.
Where are the legions of Foo Fighters fans? Surely this is the music event of like.. you know.. forever!
Eventually, he spots someone who in his mind looks kind of "grungey" and follows. Luckily his instincts were correct and they arrive at the venue.
Let's jump ahead about 2 hours....
The house lights go off.. he can see something going on up there.. but what is it?
YES! THERE HE IS!! IT'S DAVE GROHL AND HE'S ONLY 2 METERS AWAY!
What followed was 2 hours of pure joy. They played all his favourite songs a few of which he later found out aren't played that often. One of them was played that night for the second time in Foo history!
He later walks home, with the latest Foo record playing very loudly on his portable cd player.
This has truly been the best night of his life and he will live of that high for a long time to come.
"Dave Grohl threw a beer into the crowd and some of it got on me!" he would tell people.
A truly magical night. You had to be there I guess...
The thing is this:
The young lad was obviously me and even I wasn't really there. Not in the way I remember it at least.
Sure, seeing them in front of barely 1000 people in my mind is cooler than 30 thousand people in a huge arena and yes, admittedly the setlist was more to my liking that first time BUT... I am of course looking back at that first night thru goggles of nostalgia .
I am sure everything was great.. but not as great as I seem to recall it being.
Had tonight been the first time I would without a doubt feel the same way about tonight.
I'm not in any way trying to knock tonight's show.
Tonight was a hell of a fucking show to say the least. Wow!
Those guys have not lost a step since I saw them way back in 1999 that's for damn sure.
So this is not really me in anyway complaining. Quite the contrary. I just as of recently become very suspicious as far as memories go. Any time I think back on a event or a time in my life and think "yeah..those were the days" I try to be aware that they in fact were not "the days" when I was living them and in fact these days and this period of my life will at some point also be "the days".
I am not trying to knock nostalgia either.
I just feel nostalgia was a hell of lot better back in the day...good times, good times.
/Beard
