Foo Fighters cancel NZ benefit gig after truck crash

Foo Fighters had to cancel a sold-out charity gig in Auckland tonight (Feb 20) after a truck carrying essential equipment crashed on its way from Christchurch. The driver was injured, but “is expected to be OK”, promoter Frontier Touring said in a post.

The gear on the truck was so badly damaged it could not be used for the show at the Auckland Town Hall. However, replacement equipment is being flown out from Los Angeles for the show tomorrow night at Mt. Smart Stadium.

The last minute benefit, only announced earlier this week, was to raise funds for the New Zealand Music Foundation. It sold out in 30 minutes. It was to have been a sequel to the Foos’ benefit in March 2011, when they raised NZ $354,903 for Christchurch Earthquake Recovery. That instantly sold out show was also at the Town Hall. At that time, Dave Grohl called their three-hour set "one of the best shows we ever played.” He added, “You have my word that the next time we come back to this city, we’ll play that Town Hall again.”

The New Zealand Music Foundation receives no government support and relies on donations and memberships to fund projects and programs around the country. Last year it helped over 15,000 people, its GM Peter Dickens said. The charity had hoped to raise $750,000 this year to expand and develop its work changing lives through music.

The band’s first NZ show on the tour, on Wednesday night in Christchurch received ecstatic reviews. But the venue had to apologise to 6,000 of the 26,000 fans who attended. They were still stuck in two slow moving queues when the Foo hits the stage at 7.15pm. Earlier in the day, Grohl bicycled around town on his own, and stopped for an afternoon tea of scones at a cafe.

The Foo Fighters will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival in the UK, they announced at the NME Awards in London at which they won Best International Band.

The US band kicks off its Australian tour in Brisbane on February 24, followed by dates in Sydney (26), Melbourne (28), Hobart (March 2), Adelaide (4) and Perth (8).