AC/DC/Foo Fighters @ Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 10/2/26
Venue: Metlife Stadium, 1 Metlife Stadium Dr., East Rutherford, NJ
Date: Friday 10/2/26
Ticket: $220 (Seat 4 Row 9 Seat 20 via Ticketmaster with 2 $25 off coupons)
8:30pm AC/DC
Active: 1973 (Sydney, Australia)
Latest Release: Power Up (Columbia, 2020)
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7:00pm Foo Fighters
Active: 1994 (Seattle, WA)
Affiliated: Nirvana, Sunny Day Real Estate, Germs
Latest Release: Your Favorite Toy (Roswell/RCA, 2026)
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It had been a good ten years since I last saw AC/DC, having skipped the tour Brian Johnson had to ultimately sit out due to hearing issues. I saw the one before at the same MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. I don't remember whether it was Giants Stadium then, but I was in the bowl of the arena. This time I got the front section of the floor to the left of the stage behind the GA Pit. It was funny listening to the people around me in deep analytical discussion saying they had no regrets of their seat purchase, but wish they were just a bit more center. Well, that was about right, but I don't think I've ever been closer for AC/DC even if it seemed kind of far away for a floor seat. All that went away when they came out and did "If You Want Blood, You've Got It." What a perfect opener! I had the sort of chills only my 13 year old self that saw them on the Flick Of The Switch tour might've gotten. It was that perfect. Then, out of the sack, came "Back In Black." Holy shit this show was good.
Unfortunately, after that about 6 people joined my row right next to me, the last of which was an annoying late elementary/Jr high kid that left his backpack on that kept bumping into me. The Latin guy behind me complained to them about "respect" because they kicked their seats back into him, so I straightened them out instead. I pointed the backpack obstruction out to him and he nodded saying "we'll see what happens." It was annoying to have to focus on this bullshit instead of the rock. To the left of me something hit me hard. I didn't bother to see what it was, since AC/DC were launching into "Shot Down In Flames," but later in the show I felt it again so I'm like what the fuck? It was a crippled guys crutch that fell over, so I couldn't be too angry, but was stuck in my stadium floor mini-space with all assholes surrounding me, including the guy that was sitting in my seat when I got there as Foo Fighters were playing.
Foo Fighters, I had convinced myself that I might like them live in their current state about 5 years ago, after seeing them suck right around when they went pop on RCA with Queens of the Stone Age opening at Roseland after sort've liking their first couple albums. They had teenybopper screams that night and in no way belong anywhere near an AC/DC show, but they were a last week add after last Friday was bumped a week from the Nor'Easter. Coming off the train, I could hear their set start at 7 sharp in the distance. Grohl was adamant that he was such a big fan he was just gonna watch the show, but unfortuately his ego couldn't keep him from coming back to sing gang vocals on stage for "Highway To Hell." As much as Brian Johnson says AC/DC are representing the music America invented, what makes AC/DC magical is they lack the baggage that comes with being American. They DON'T GIVE A FUCK. They don't cheerlead, they represent. That is the difference. Angus Young does his elderly (well, 71) shock gray haired schoolboy meets Chuck Berry thing, Brian Johnson does his salty sepegenerian swagger (now at 78) and the rest of the young guns that replaced the retired or deceased folk stay in the background and off to the side where they belong. Having middle age egos like Axl Rose & Dave Grohl on their stage just shows how insignificant they are, as big as they are, in the grand scheme of Rock 'n' Roll, when compared to Angus Young taking a vocal turn on "Sin City." His citation of the line "Ladders. And Snakes. Ladders Give. Snakes Take" blew away anything that came out of Grohl's mouth his whole career. Axl was a different case, because he was an emergency hired hand that had to deliver the goods last minute. Thank God Grohl got off quickly after his cameo.
True to not giving a Fuck with a capital F, AC/DC mostly ignored the last album Power Up nobody cares about except for "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark." They stuck with Bon Scott and Back In Black certainties. We got "Riff Raff" and "High Voltage" as well as "Dirty Deeds...," "...Rosie" complete with currency laden stripper backdrop lighting up the screens. I always thought Rosie was just a pleasingly er-shall we say-plump love interest of Bon Scott's lyrics, not an actual stripper. "Let There Be Rock" finished the set as expected for like 20 minutes before the "T.N.T" encore gave way to the cannons ready and aimed at you. Commemorative AC/DC confetti showered the audience and fireworks lit the sky. The people in front of me turned to slap high five because it was fireworks and hopefully because they just witnessed what was probably the best live band you could possibly see in a stadium. How could I not slap them five?
FOR FURTHER REVIEW:
If You Want Blood You've Got It (1978)
Nirvana-Heart Shaped Box (1993)
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