Foos perform for viral video fans

The Foo Fighters this week delivered on their promise to play for 1000 Italian fans who recorded a mass performance of classic track Learn To Fly.

Led by local musician Fabio Zaffagnini, the video was shot in Cesena in July, and it’s since been viewed over 26 million times.

Their aim was to persuade the Foos to play in their city, and mainman Dave Grohl quickly confirmed they’d do just that. The show went ahead on November 3 (Tuesday), where he thanked the audience for their commitment – and called on them to pull the same trick on other bands.

Grohl said: “This has never happened before, right? This is like a revolution. The whole world saw what you did. Millions of millions of people. It was a beautiful thing. Congratulations!

“When we make music we don’t think about the rest of the world. Then we see you people singing our song for the whole fucking world.

“So, of course, we couldn’t say no. You entrapped us. We had to come. You should do the same thing for fucking… do it for Pearl Jam, do it for Soundgarden, do it for Rage Against The Machine.”

Zaffagnini was invited on stage after crowdsurfing to the front as the audience chanted his name. Grohl climbed off the throne he’s been using while his broken leg heals, and let the fan take his place.

The Foos delivered a 22-song set at the Nuovo Teatro Carisport venue. The band are currently teasing fans with a countdown clock on their website, which reaches zero on November 23.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.