Currently chugging round the country for a string of Splendour in the Grass sideshows before his festival appearance this weekend, alt country mainstay Ryan Adams took some some to pay tribute to the injured Dave Grohl by busting out a stunning cover of the Foo Fighter’s classic Times Like These at a solo acoustic show at the Sydney Opera House.
While it’s not the first time Adams has covered the track, having performed it before during a BBC Radio session, he told the Sydney crowd he thought it apt to play it once more as a tribute to “that bastard” Dave Grohl for being “able to do what he loved, even though he was totally broken”.
He is of course referring here to Grohl’s recent nasty fall which left him with a broken leg but not, as is seems, a broken spirit. Since the fall, we’ve seen Grohl unleash flaming leg-cast guitar solos, pre-concert jams with members of Blind Melon and Pearl Jam, facilitate a surprise cameo from Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and cover Seven Nation Army with his orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Lew C. Schon, MD.
Interestingly, fellow Splendour act Florence + The Machine covered this track a few weeks back at Glastonbury, after they took over the Foo Fighters’ headline slot.
So yeah, there’s a couple of good reasons for Adams to reel out his trusty tribute once again. Watch the restrained, yet moving, performance below.
Ryan Adams will play one more Splendour sideshow in Sydney tonight, before heading to Byron for his festival set on Friday night.
Watch: Times Like These (Foo Fighters) – Ryan Adams – Sydney Opera House 21-7-2015
