Culture 4 min read By Trevor Kendall
Foo Fighters to open for AC/DC in St. Louis after last-minute lineup change
Foo Fighters will step in as the support act for AC/DC's September 8 show in St. Louis after The Pretty Reckless had to pull out. Dave Grohl called the one-night-only opportunity "literally a dream come true," tracing his rock inspiration to AC/DC's 1980 concert film.
Foo Fighters are stepping in as the support act for AC/DC's upcoming St. Louis show, a last-minute lineup change that frontman Dave Grohl described as "literally a dream come true." The one-night-only performance is set for September 8, when AC/DC brings their 'Power Up' world tour to Missouri.
The Pretty Reckless had been serving as the supporting act for all dates on the tour, including the 2025 UK and European legs, but will not be able to play the St. Louis gig. AC/DC confirmed the switch on social media, announcing that Foo Fighters would take a "special one-off detour" from their own 'Take Cover' global stadium tour to fill in for their friends.
The announcement noted that the performance brings "two generations of rock's biggest live acts together for a one-night-only event." It marks the first time the two bands have ever toured together, though they have shared a stage before: AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson joined Foo Fighters as a special guest in 2021 during the VAX LIVE charity concert, performing a rendition of 'Back In Black' with the band.
In a personal post shared with fans, Grohl explained the deep significance of the opportunity. He recalled watching AC/DC's 1980 concert film Let There Be Rock as an 11-year-old, describing it as the moment that "truly introduced me to the raw, primal power of rock and roll performance for the first time."
"It was like nothing I had ever experienced before," Grohl wrote. "How could five human beings conjure and possess such intensity on stage with just their instruments, and do so with such swagger, such groove… and such danger? My mind was blown. Melted. Changed forever. And my heart felt like it might explode with passion and inspiration."
Grohl credited that viewing experience with reshaping his approach to music and performance. He said the film set an exceptionally high bar, adding that if a drummer did not have to change a snare drum between songs from hitting it too hard, they were not hitting it hard enough, and that any frontman not drenched in sweat by the end of a show was not giving the audience what they deserved.
"All I have ever wanted was to someday live up to the awe inspiring fury of AC/DC, live on stage (an impossible task, by the way)," he wrote. "And now, for the first time since that fateful night in 1980, my band Foo Fighters will share a stage with the gentlemen who are single handedly responsible for my determination to give every audience everything I have, every night."
He closed his message with a nod to the band's classic track: "So, if you want blood… you've got it. Let there be fucking rock, St Louis."
The St. Louis date comes amid a busy stretch for Foo Fighters. Their current North American headline run features Queens Of The Stone Age as support, with shows continuing in Los Angeles on August 22 before a festival slot at Rock In Rio on September 4. After the AC/DC appearance, they will resume their 'Take Cover' tour with dates in North Dakota, California, Kentucky, Nevada, and other states throughout September and October, followed by an Australian leg at the end of the year.
The recent European portion of their tour included two nights at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, where NME awarded the band a four-star review, noting that the "laid-back rock club vibe is what makes this work" and that the Foos rely on "tunes and banter" rather than elaborate special effects.
AC/DC's 'Power Up' tour continues with a show in Atlanta on August 27, followed by dates in Texas, Indiana, New Jersey, and other markets. All remaining shows on the tour, with the exception of the St. Louis stop, will feature The Pretty Reckless as the opening act.
