Foos deliver a hit packed show including a guest spot by Alice Cooper

The first part of this jam packed Foos weekend at the National Bowl sees a lovely hot sunny day in Milton Keynes, and three great acts before the main band. The bowl is full to bursting not long after the gates open at 2pm, the front area has been filled with people queuing to gain access to the all important mosh pit, and the beer is most definitely flowing. Some people are absolutely leathered by 4pm! The queues for the bar and toilets before the penultimate act Biffy Clyro are crazy… half an hour I queued for the loos. This would need to be sorted for another show; there are not enough facilities, although they are kept very clean. Plus the bars are in an awkward place… people could have been stood there watching the show but had to stand behind them up the bowl hillsides and further back. That is my only moan, apart from the constant green flies, but only ladybirds can help with that! The fun fair to the side is okay for the odd fan, but their crap music drowns out the stage music (which is buffered by the surrounding trees anyway), although they do stick the odd Foos track on to entice people. It doesn't really work. Though, and they look to have a quiet day.



The first band to take to the stage at 4.30pm are Tame Impala from Perth, Australia (Impala means antelope, for your general knowledge quiz minds!). They have a psychedelic rock sound, which fuses their tracks together so you have no idea where one song ends and another starts. The four piece have many famous fans over here and played last year's Reading festival, along with sold out shows in the US. The crowd give them the time of days and they have an excellent soundtrack for this hazy afternoon.

Death Cab For Cutie have a frankly rubbish long name but great rock sounds. Opening with 'Doors Unlocked and Open' the four piece band have a ten track set to waken everyone from the psychedelic trance Tama Impala have left them in, featuring 'Crooked Teeth', 'You Are A Tourist' and 'Soul Meets Body'.

Biffy Clyro have a huge fan base here. After a set at Glastonbury last week and their headline slot at Sonisphere this week, you would think that nearly everybody had heard of the Scottish trio (who now have an extra guitarist Mike Vennart). I recon they now have. Simon Neil is out as usual with loose hair, tattoos out and neat trousers, and the Johnston twins Ben and James are giving 110 percent.

Never ones to disappoint, the band wow the crowd with tracks from mainly their newer albums 'Puzzle' and 'Only Revolutions', which is a shame as I love the first two albums, but they do play 'Justboy' from debut 'Blackened Sky' which is fantastic. There is a new song included which I have not heard before too. The crowd go mental for last track 'Mountains' with it's sing a long chorus. Another triumph by Biffy, roll on their headline slot this Saturday.

Now time for the Foo Fighters' first MK outing. Starting at an early time of 8.15pm, the band put in a 2 and a half hour set, well worth the ticket price. Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett and touring keyboardist Rami Jaffee all appear to a roaring applause and it's straight into 'Bridge Burning' from the new album 'Wasting Light'. From then on in it's hit after hit, with anything from 'Nothing Left To Loose' and 'The Colour And The Shape' classed as old school. I was gutted there was nothing from the debut album 'Foo Fighters', as that is old school. 'My Hero' is the first real sing a long with it's moshing tempo, along with 'Breakout'.

The band have a few special guests up their sleeve, the first being Queen's Roger Taylor, who takes over from the other Taylor on drums to let him sing 'Cold Day In The Sun'. The second guest is Bob Mould, formally of Husker Du and Sugar, helping with 'Dear Rosemary'. 'Monkey Wrench', 'Generator' and 'Best Of You' all kick off sing a longs too, and 'All My Life' tramples the end of the set.

After a short encore Dave Grohl, who's voice is sounding a little hoarse, performs 'Wheels' and the start of Times Like These on his own before the band rejoin him. After a cover of Mose Allison's 'Young Man Blues' the biggest surprise is upon us… the third special guest is Alice *fucking* Cooper!! Hence airings of 'School's Out' and 'I'm Eighteen'. Grohl jokes that they should just leave the show to end there but they play 'Everlong' after much crowd chanting. Followed by fireworks, this is on almighty show. As with all two day events by one band at the Bowl, we'll have to wait and see which day was better, but my money is already on this one.

Bridge Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn to Fly
White Limo
Arlandria
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Long Road to Ruin
Stacked Actors
Walk
Dear Rosemary
Monkey Wrench
Let It Die
Generator
Best of You
Skin and Bones
All My Life

Wheels
Times Like These
Young Man Blues
School's Out
I'm Eighteen
Everlong

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