Dave Grohl joined AC/DC on guitar and backing vocals at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and described the experience as deeply emotional, told The Rock.
Grohl stepped in for The Pretty Reckless, who were unable to perform. He spoke about the surreal feeling of being on stage with the Australian rock band and why he left the stage in tears during their set.
“It’s hard to believe because I can’t it’s almost like I’m watching this happen to someone else in a weird it’s like impostor syndrome or whatever they call it, where I’m just like, ‘it doesn’t feel real to me sometimes,'” Grohl said.
He then described what happened when the band played “Highway to Hell.” “It was so crazy because my wife was on the side of the stage as we played ‘Highway to Hell.’ I walked off stage, and I broke down in tears, sobbing like a baby. I was sobbing, like wailing, and I couldn’t believe it. I was, like, ‘That is one of the most full-circle moments of my entire life,’ and I will never forget it.”
Grohl also reflected on the sheer volume of the performance. “And just so you know that is the loudest stage I have ever stood on in my entire life. More than Motörhead, more than any other band. AC/DC is the loudest band in the world I think.”
The Foo Fighters frontman performed with AC/DC on October 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The performance came as part of AC/DC’s Power Up Tour, which supported their 2020 album Power Up and ran from May 2024 through October 2024. A nor’easter forced the original September 25 show to be rescheduled to October 2, and Foo Fighters were added as the opening act for the rescheduled date after The Pretty Reckless could not play. According to Grohl, the opportunity came thanks to his friendship with The Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen.
For Grohl, the chance to perform with AC/DC represented a lifelong dream. He told the MetLife audience that when he was 11 years old, he attended a midnight screening of AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock concert film and was struck by the raw energy and commitment he witnessed. The film, shot in Paris in 1979, showed him what rock and roll could be: sweat, blood, tears, and every ounce of energy a band could give. What stayed with him from that experience was how hard AC/DC played and the intensity they brought to every moment on stage.
Brian Johnson, AC/DC’s vocalist, told the crowd that the guest spot had come at Grohl’s request. Johnson also shared that “Highway to Hell,” the song that moved Grohl to tears during the performance, was written about the experience of touring on the road. The track’s title reflected what Angus Young had described as the grueling nature of the band’s tour schedule, a relentless commitment that defined AC/DC’s career.
