Foo Fighters Bring ‘Baker Street’ To Brisbane

Foo Fighters opened the Australia and New Zealand leg of their Take Cover Tour on Thursday at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The band returned for the encore with a song Dave Grohl has loved since childhood: Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street.”

“This song is literally my favorite song as a kid,” Grohl told the crowd before talking about Rafferty and the other hits he wrote. Grohl ventured that this might be the first time Foo Fighters had played “Baker Street” at one of their own shows. The cover has turned up at several Foo Fighters concerts over the years, including a 2000 show at the Barrowlands in Glasgow and a 2007 arena date in Manchester, where it also appeared in the encore.

Rafferty released “Baker Street” on his 1978 album City To City. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, with Raphael Ravenscroft playing its signature saxophone riff. Foo Fighters recorded their version on April 30, 1997, at London’s Maida Vale Studios for BBC Radio 1’s Evening Session. The recording appeared as a B-side to “My Hero” in 1998 and resurfaced on the band’s 2011 Record Store Day covers compilation, Medium Rare.

The Foos brought the song back on October 17 at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music’s 25th anniversary benefit at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Grohl was billed as a solo performer, but his bandmates joined him for the set. Foo Fighters then played “Baker Street” to close out their four-night residency on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 29.

In Brisbane, the band moved to a second stage for a five-song acoustic stretch that included “Marigold,” “Window” and “Big Me.” Back on the main stage, Grohl took over on drums during the band introductions while drummer Ilan Rubin switched to guitar for his own “Tap Dancing In A Minefield.” The band dedicated “Aurora” to Taylor Hawkins and closed the main set with “Best Of You.” After “Baker Street,” Foo Fighters finished the encore with “Hey, Johnny Park!” and “Everlong.”

The tour continues Saturday in Townsville. Watch “Baker Street” from Brisbane and see the full setlist below.