Here’s a surprise that Montreal Foo Fighters fans weren’t expecting. With two weeks notice, Dave Grohl’s band announced this morning that they will be playing at the Verdun Auditorium on July 10!
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We already knew that the Foo were to play at the Festival d’été de Québec on July 8, as well as at the Ottawa Bluesfest on July 12. They therefore said to themselves that a short stop in Montreal between the two was in order.
The Foo Fighters will come to present the titles of their new album But Here We Are, released June 2. The band recently started touring again, after a long hiatus following the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022. It is now Josh Freese, who previously played with Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails and Sting, who officiates behind the battery.
Why did the rockers opt for the Verdun Auditorium, and its capacity of barely 4,000 seats, instead of the Bell Centre, where they usually go to play? Mainly for its nostalgic contribution. In 2003, the Foo had played there, for the tour One By One. And ten years earlier, in 1993, Nirvana gave one of his last career concerts there.
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In the borough of Verdun, we confirmed Log that discussions with the promoter evenko had been started in November to hold a show at the Verdun Auditorium on July 10. “The borough did not know the name of the group at that time, mentions communications officer Mathieu Robert-Perron. There were then several discussions until the final agreement last May. Evenko told us once the group was unveiled that it was the Foo Fighters’ desire to perform precisely at the Verdun Auditorium. No exchange was made with the group directly.
The potential for events
Recently renovated, the Verdun Auditorium was once the place of choice for many rock, punk and metal tours. Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Megadeth and Bad Religion played there in the 1980s and 1990s, as did Bob Dylan and the Backstreet Boys.
Since its reopening in 2021, the arena has not hosted a major concert. However, it was the wish of the former mayor of Verdun, Jean-François Parenteau, who held this position from 2013 to 2021, to bring back shows like in the good old days. “Basically, the City wanted to demolish the Auditorium and turn it into a neighborhood arena,” said Mr. Parenteau. I told them we couldn’t undo this. We fought, it was long.
To finance the renovation project, the former mayor of Verdun had then bet on the potential of the auditorium for events. “Between the Métropolis and the Bell Centre, a good 4,000-seat auditorium show, there is nothing better. It is popular today. We were the only ones to offer that.”
He hopes that the appearance of the Foo Fighters will have a snowball effect to attract other tours. “I’m no longer in the job, but I’ll tell you it’s a very, very popular place already. Maybe it will influence people, it’s an interesting income potential.
In the borough of Verdun, however, it was clarified that the orientation is “to first prioritize sporting events and organizations residing in the Verdun Auditorium. However, the borough is always open to hosting various shows or events at the Auditorium de Verdun when availability allows.
Tickets for the Foo Fighters concert, with Quebec band Les Shirley as opening act, will go on sale Thursday, June 29, at 10 a.m., at evenko.ca.