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Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Riga (Latvia) - The Concert Series - Part 3 - Foo Fighters

RIGA (Latvia)
21 June 2017

I'm on Foo Fighters mailing lists, I'm also constantly on the look out for bands that I like playing near to where I live. The Foo Fighters are one of my favourite bands, in fact, on my list they're only second to U2. You would think therefore, if they were to be playing in Riga, Latvia, that I would have been ALL OVER IT.

Looking back to Christmas 2016 in Belgrade, Serbia. Inga and I are exchanging gifts and in a moment of inspired Pictionary Inga decided to draw a vision of my gift on a piece of paper.


That's pretty much what it looked like, and then she added, they're playing in Riga!

In fact, just rolling through my various folders I managed to find the actual drawing that Inga did!!

My Christmas present before my eyes  - Belgrade - Serbia

Foo Fighters on paper - Belgrade - Serbia


I think I fumbled few several words before coming out with this gem, WHY? I was literally dumbfounded. My response encapsulated several elements, the fact that I'd not picked up on the band actually setting a gig for Inga's hometown, and then, the fact that actually decided to do a gig in Riga! I mean as much as I love Riga it's not an enormous city, in fact estimates say that it's home to about 650,000 people. Although with that said, it is the largest capital in the Baltics and sits in between Estonia & Lithuania, so as a location for a Baltic show, it made sense.

Foo Fighters in their way - billboard in Riga - Latvia


So we were set. The only issues that we had was logistical. Guns N' Roses were playing in Gdansk on June 20th, what this meant for us is that we would need to do a 700km+ run from Gdansk on the day of the show. We estimated that including stops it would take in the vicinity of 11hrs. In order to get back home, have a bit of a sleep and head out to the show we set ourselves for a 5am departure from Gdansk.


The run to Riga actually progressed quite smoothly and I think we made it there by 4pm. Enough time for a bit of food, some sleep and a couple of inspirational drinks to get us ready for some good 'ole fashioned rock!

Now when I say that the Foo Fighters were going to be playing in her back yard, I'm saying that they were literally in the same suburb, within 2kms walk from her place. As a kid, living this close to a concert venue was just some far fetched dream, although these days we live within 1km of Marvel stadium, so perhaps that dream has become a reality for me.



What you need to know also about this time of year in Northern Europe is that the sun never sets in the conventional 'see you tomorrow' sense. In the height of Summer you always have the afterglow of the sun lighting up the horizon and its quite spectacular. What that also means for 'showtime' is that the starts are later. Little did we know that the Foo Fighters would be kicking off proceedings at 10pm!


Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia


....But when they came on, boy, didn't they just give it everything. The crowd estimate was in the 30,000+ vicinity, and hey, wasn't Inga absolutely correct with her drawing when she said that we would be right at the front. We were in fact 1st ROW!!! Right on the barricade. Close enough to have Dave Grohls' hair waving in front of us when he was head banging, close enough for me to give Pat Smear a thumbs up and for him to smile and return one to me, close enough to be jumping up and down like lunatics when they started All my life  and to look back at a wave of jumping Latvians going absolutely nuts also.


Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

What an experience it was. Despite the cold in the midst of Summer the boys cut through song, after song, after song. As midnight came and went they just seemed to be playing better and getting stronger. Amazingly to me the show didn't end until a little after 1am!!!! I've never been in a situation where the band playing has finished their gig the next day!


Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia

Foo Fighters - Lucavsala - Riga - Latvia


What a show!

What an EXPERIENCE

Thank you to my wonderful wife Inga for a fantastic Christmas present, and,
Thank you to the Foo Fighters for turning up and playing in our backyard!!!

Foo Fighters Set list

Performer: Foo Fighters
Tour: Concrete & Gold
Location: Lucasvala, Riga, LATVIA



  1. Play Video
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  6. (Ted Nugent / Queen snippets… more )
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  16. Play Video
  17. Play Video
  18. (Slow version)
    Play Video
  19. Play Video
  20. (sign request)
    Play Video
  21. Play Video
  22. Encore:
  23. Play Video
  24. Play Video
  25. (live debut)
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Note: first Foo's show in Baltics, 3hrs long

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Gdansk (Poland) - The Concert Series - Part 2 - Guns N' Roses

GDANSK (Poland) 
20 June - 21 June 2017


I recall heading to Soccer training back in 1987 and a friend of mine showing me a tape of a band he'd just started listening too. The tape was Appetitie for Destruction and the band, of course, was GNR. Like some other 'epic' failed calls that I'd made to myself, mentally, not out aloud, I thought that this 'garbage' band was just another demonic, shyster, gutter-trash type of hair band that had nothing going for them. Incidentally, another monstrously EPIC failed call I made was thinking back in '95 that the INTERNET  was just a passing fade....literally, W ..T.. F..


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


A relatively short drive north-east of Warsaw, a short 4 hour hop, brought us to the Baltic Sea city of Gdansk, previously known as Danzig.

Again, due to the short time frame that we allowed ourselves on the Concert Series tour, we didn't get to see a lot of this port town, but, we did get to see GNR do their thing after having been broken up for 20 years, during which time I came to the realisation that the garbage band was actually a diamond that only need a slight bit of polish.


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland


Guns N' Roses - Stadion Energa - Gdansk - Poland

Their concert, in all honesty, was perhaps a little underwhelming. They played what they needed to and performed the way that you'd expect - Slash with is unique guitar sound, Axl was additional weight still attempting to enough ground on stage, Duff kind of stoic on bass. It was ok, but not great.

Here is the setlist from the night

Performer:  Guns N' Roses
Location:     Stadion Energa, Gdansk, Poland
Tour:            Not in this lifetime


Setlist