Foo Fighters Announce Special Benefit Show

Update 20/02: Tonight's Foo Fighters benefit show has been regrettably cancelled due to a serious accident involving the truck carrying essential band gear for the concert. The driver is okay, however the equipment was damaged and new gear is being flown from Los Angeles for the Foo Fighters show tomorrow night at Mt Smart Stadium. People who purchased tickets for the benefit show will be automatically refunded by Ticketmaster.

Dave Grohl has made good on his promise to return to play at the Auckland Town Hall and has announced a last minute Foo Fighters benefit show at hall on Friday. The group, who in the country to play at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night with Rise Against, will forward profits from the sideshow to The New Zealand Music Foundation. It is not the first time the band have leapt to aid New Zealand causes, in 2011 the group played a three hour show at the town hall to raise money for Christchurch earthquake recovery. Not long afterwards, frontman Dave Grohl promised: "You have my word that the next time we come back to this city, we'll play that Town Hall again". Tickets for the show go on sale at midday tomorrow. Here are the details...

Foo Fighters Benefit Show
Friday 20th February, Auckland Town Hall, Auckland

Here's the video for 'Something For Nothing'...

PRESS RELEASE:

Foo Fighters to perform exclusive show in support of The New Zealand Music Foundation!

Frontier Touring has today announced that the Foo Fighters will play a last minute intimate and exclusive benefit show at the Auckland Town Hall this Friday February 20 with all profits going to The New Zealand Music Foundation. Tickets are on sale from 12pm tomorrow from Ticketmaster with a number of special conditions to ensure this is a unique, one-off, not to be missed event for any true fan of the band.

The Foo Fighters have a long history of supporting a variety of causes, including charities that seek to promote the role music plays in improving our lives and that help people in the music industry. In January, the band celebrated lead singer Dave Grohl’s 46th birthday with a sellout concert at the LA Forum benefiting music education and those experiencing hardship and distress in the US music industry.

Their commitment to good causes was vividly illustrated in New Zealand in March 2011, where they played an epic one-off three hour benefit concert to a sell-out crowd at the Auckland Town Hall to help raise funds for the Christchurch Earthquake recovery. Later that year Dave Grohl promised: "You have my word that the next time we come back to this city, we'll play that Town Hall again.”

General Manager of The New Zealand Music Foundation, Peter Dickens says: “Last year we were able to help over 15,000 people in towns and cities all over New Zealand. We work with music projects in hospices, hospitals, schools, youth organisations and many community groups. This concert will allow us to take our work to more people in need in even more places throughout the country and we are incredibly grateful to the Foo Fighters and Frontier Touring for making this possible.”

Chair of The New Zealand Music Foundation, Campbell Smith says: “We’re honoured and very proud that the Foo Fighters have chosen to perform in support of The Foundation this Friday night. Dave Grohl once said “I honestly feel like if music were more a part of our daily lives, this would be a better place”. We intend to take his inspiration and the Foo Fighters’ generous support and make a real difference through the magic of music to the lives of those in need in New Zealand.”

The New Zealand Music Foundation receives no government support and relies on donations and memberships to support projects and programmes around the country. The charity hopes to raise $750,000 this year to expand and develop its work changing lives through music.