It was around eight years ago that Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons delivered music’s most dreaded address – ‘rock is dead.’ Simmons’ proclamation sent tremors through the industry and was unfortunately met with some agreement. As many came to realise, however, it was not exactly the case. For on September 3rd 2022, Wembley ROCKED!
As ‘super Dave,’ Pat, Chris, Nate, and Rami took to the stage under rapturous applause, both the great sadness of Taylor’s passing and the sheer giddiness for what was about to happen were palpable. After an emotional introduction, the show kicked off with Oasis legend Liam Gallagher belting out hits like ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll star’ and ‘Live Forever’. By the first ‘sunshiiine’, you knew it was going to be an almighty gig. Next up was Chic guitarist Nile Rogers, performing some classic Bowie tracks from Let’s Dance.
After a few more covers, such as ‘Psycho Killer’ or ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ the show quickly transitioned into a ‘who’s who’ of rock, starting with the Coattail Riders (one of Taylor’s side projects), followed by Eddie Van Halen, Supergrass, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones (yes, the bassist from Led Zeppelin!), the Pretenders, Gap Band, a performance from Canada’s finest – Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson – and everyone’s favourite drummer, Stewart Copeland, bringing some Police classics. The tone mellowed briefly after this when Mark Ronson performed a stripped back rendition of ‘Valerie’, accompanied by Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet on vocals.
Soon, however, the gig took another explosive turn: ACDC frontman Brian Johnson and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich emerged from the wings and proceeded to shake the very core of Wembley stadium with anthems like ‘Back in Black.’ At this point it genuinely seemed the show had reached its zenith; how could it possibly have gotten any better? Then out came Brian May and Roger Taylor and everyone immediately realised: ‘okay – this is how you make it better.’ The Queen rockers were joined again by Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins, who gave a near flawless performance of ‘Under Pressure.’ Afterwards, Brian May picked up his twelve-string and led Wembley in chorus with ‘Love of My Life.’
Photos taken by Ciaran.
If this concert taught me anything, it is that good songs are bigger than any one band. Music does not exist in a vacuum; one must pay homage to all those who came before and inspired them. The Foo Fighters only played for a comparatively short period of time because, clearly, they get this. After a surprise performance from Paul McCartney and Chrissie Hynde, all the performers took to the stage and, together with the audience, took a moment to soak up the momentousness of what had just happened. The mix of bands old and new highlighted both the legacy and the future of a genre of music that is still very much alive.
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