29 November 2023, Wednesday

I woke up at 7:45am, feeling physically much better than the previous two days. Which is great, because tonight’s the night of the Foo Fighters concert – the reason I came to Perth in the first place! After consulting Google Maps, I decided on my breakfast venue and proceeded to rent a bicycle from my hostel again (for free). However, the nice yellow bicycle I used yesterday was already taken by someone else so I picked the light beige one. The brakes and gears of this beige bike weren’t as smooth but it was good enough for half a day of cycling.

After a short ride, I arrived at my breakfast pick, Duotone, located at 313 Hay Street, just after 9am. I ordered a ham & cheese toastie (A$8.50 / S$7.45), a homemade cinnamon roll (A$6.00 / S$5.26) and a cup of flat white coffee (A$4.90 / S$4.30). I noticed that whenever the staff called out the customers’ names to pick up the order, it was always accompanied by a “thanks” in front. For example, she would say “Thanks, Gary”, instead of just “Gary”. A small but nice touch.

Duotone was evidently popular with the locals and people working around the area. The clientele was more working professionals since it was close to the city centre. The décor was stylish and the food was good but I preferred the cosy, family business vibes of Little Willy’s, where I had my breakfast yesterday.

After finishing my meal, I walked over to the Perth Mint, directly across the road from Duotone. The Perth Mint was established in 1899 and it is wholly owned by the Western Australian (WA) Government. It manufactures and sells gold and silver bullion bars and coins, and is also a tourist destination. Visitors can join a one-hour guided tour for A$24.00 to learn about the history of the gold rush in WA, see the largest and most valuable coin in the world and witness a live gold pour. I didn’t join the tour so I just popped into the building for a quick look.

Next, I cycled a short distance to St. Mary’s Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Built in 1865, the cathedral has since undergone several rounds of expansion and restoration. The last major restoration was completed in December 2009 and the cathedral is now one of Perth’s most culturally and architecturally significant places.

The Gothic style exterior of the older building was beautiful and its façade of stone bricks conveyed a sense of heft and grandeur. I felt that the new curved design of the 2009 expansion with its two-storey-tall glass windows was a bit incongruous with the look of the rest of the building. However, the glass windows allowed plenty of natural light to enter and the seating capacity of the cathedral was increased to 1,100 after the expansion.

The interior was a combination of modern and traditional. The expanded seating gallery looked like an auditorium while the older parts of the building retained its original feel. The marble floors sparkled while the entire cathedral bathed in natural light. The cathedral was immaculately restored and it looked brand new. During my visit, the pipe organist was playing, filling up the cavernous hall with heavenly, spine-tingling music.

After the short visit, I left St. Mary’s Cathedral and stopped by a beautiful, old tree along Murray Street not far away. However, it wasn’t just any other tree – it was the Gnarly Old Tree. This Moreton Bay Fig Tree was planted in the early 1900s and it even has its own pin on Google Maps. In fact, the tree is listed on the National Trust register of significant trees (click here) because it is a landmark of Murray Street, it is associated with the historic buildings of the Royal Perth Hospital and it is a significant example of a Moreton Bay Fig Tree due to its sprawling growth habitat and widespread canopy in a city centre.

The National Trusts of Australia are community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia’s indigenous, natural and historic heritage through its advocacy work and its custodianship of heritage places and objects. The Significant Tree Committees in each state and territory assesses nominations for significant trees based on certain criteria. Over 30 years, more than 2,500 significant tree records have been compiled and uploaded into the National Register.

I am pleased to say that we have a similar programme in Singapore called the Heritage Tree Scheme (click here), managed by our National Parks Board (NParks). Anyone can nominate a tree to be a Heritage Tree. A panel will assess the tree to see if it meets the qualifying criteria: a girth of more than five metres; and/or botanical, social, historical, cultural and/or aesthetic value. Since its establishment in 2001, we have listed more than 260 Heritage Trees in the register.

I love trees, especially big, old, mature trees. This Gnarly Old Tree is more than 120 years old and it has witnessed the incredible transformation of Perth’s city over the decades. Yet it has stood here resolutely, not moving from its original spot, growing bigger and ever more gnarly. I am glad we are recognising these remarkable trees as significant icons of our nations. 

A stone’s throw away from the Gnarly Old Tree was the former Perth Central Fire Station. It was established in 1899 as the first purpose built fire station in WA and was in operation until 1979. After that, it was restored and converted into a fire safety education centre and museum in 1985. Today, it houses the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Education and Heritage Centre (click here), showcasing the history and heritage of the WA Fire Brigades. Entry is free.

On the ground floor was a heritage gallery with many information panels, photographs and objects from the past. However, most visitors, especially those with children, made a beeline for the two fire engines on display. One of them was a vintage 1921 Dennis Light Pumper fire truck, which was in service from 1923 to 1969. The other was a Scania Medium Pumper fire truck. Visitors can also dress up in firefighter uniforms and sit at the wheel of the Scania fire truck for a photo opportunity.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say that we have a similar heritage gallery co-located at our Central Fire Station in Singapore (click here). The Civil Defence Heritage Gallery is open to all visitors for free and it showcases the history as well as the latest firefighting and rescue technology developed and used by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Similarly, there are also objects and vintage fire trucks on display. The only difference is that our Central Fire Station in Singapore is a working fire station, whereas the one in Perth has been decommissioned.

During my visit, there were a few families at the centre and the kids were really having fun playing dress up and posing with the fire trucks. There was also a Touch Table where kids could touch the different nozzles and assemble them, so it was pretty interactive and kid-friendly. Even though I was there for only a short while, I enjoyed my visit very much.

Next, it was time for some serious business – record hunting! My first stop was Dada Records located at 36 Pier Street. This historic record store has been operating since 1970 and it’s a stalwart of the Perth music scene, selling new and secondhand titles. The front store window display looked like it had not been changed since the 1990s, with faded copies of classic albums like Michael Jackson’s Bad and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on display while others hung askew.

Stepping into the store, it really felt like Dada Records opened in the 1970s because it was as old school as it got. The ground level was mostly dedicated to vinyls and a small section of VHS tapes. There were many boxes of unsorted vinyls on the floor and the walls were adorned with posters and promotional displays. I even spotted part of an advertising display for MJ’s Dangerous album. I wanted to buy it, but the owner said it was not for sale.

The basement level was dedicated to CDs and a small section for cassette tapes. There were more posters here, and music was playing from the speakers. The lighting was also rather dim and dingy. In short, it was everything I loved about old record stores.

I went through the aisles and flipped through the CDs on the racks, hoping to unearth some gems. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to find anything I wanted. The staff saw my Foo Fighters T-shirt and asked if I was going to the show tonight. I said yes of course, and asked him the same question. He said he wasn’t going, but he lived near the concert venue so he could probably hear it. The owner and staff were very friendly and I could tell that they were really music lovers, which was great. If I haven’t mentioned this before, my childhood ambition was to work in Tower Records. Hopefully I’ll eventually get to work in a record store someday.

I went back upstairs and looked through the vinyl section again. But instead of vinyl, I discovered two MJ VHS tapes that I didn’t have in my collection – Dangerous: The Short Films and HIStory: Video Greatest Hits. I mean, I have these two titles already, but not in this version/packaging with slipcase. I got even more lucky when I found the This Is It Collector’s Edition 2DVD set. They were all in beautiful condition and I was so delighted to find them. I got even happier when the owner said there was a discount on the two VHS tapes, so I paid a total of A$55 (S$48.20) for the three items. This made my day!

I left Dada Records at around 11:30am and cycled down Barrack Street towards Elizabeth Quay. I soon caught sight of the iconic glass spire of the Bell Tower, one of Perth’s landmarks. After snapping some pics, I cycled past Barrack Square and reached the jetty area. This is where many cruise companies, private ferries and Transperth Ferries operate. I saw a ticket booth for Rottnest Express so I grabbed a brochure and a ferry schedule to do some homework.

I planned to make a day trip to Rottnest Island tomorrow so I wanted to see what was the best and most cost-effective way to get there. Rottnest Express offers departures from three locations – one in the Perth city centre (Barrack Street Jetty) and two from Fremantle (Northport or B Shed). Barrack Street Jetty is much nearer to where I am staying but the ferry ride to Rottnest Island is longer at 1½ hours. The ferry ride from Fremantle is shorter (30 min) but I’ll need to travel for about 30 minutes on the train from Perth to Fremantle station.

The ferry ticket from Perth is also more expensive than from Fremantle. The standard Adult return fare from Perth is A$119 (S$104.24) including the A$20 island admission fee, compared to A$78 (S$68.33) from Fremantle. All things considered, it was better for me to board the Rottnest Express from Fremantle (B Shed) instead of Perth as it was cheaper and faster.

While studying the brochure, I chanced upon a tiny blue box on the bottom right corner which said “Telethon Saver”, with a promo code for online discount on weekday travel. At the time, I didn’t notice this Telethon Saver on the Rottnest Express website so I did a Google search for it, and managed to find the webpage [Note: It is actually listed on the website, under Events & Offers –> Telethon Ferry Fares].

Telethon is a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for sick, vulnerable and disadvantaged WA kids and young people. Rottnest Express has partnered with Telethon and will donate part of the proceeds from every Telethon ferry ticket purchased back to Telethon. The special Telethon ferry fares are only valid for direct online bookings, and for same-day return travel on weekdays (Monday to Friday). It was perfect since I planned to go tomorrow, which was a Thursday.

I checked the FAQs to see if there were any restrictions for foreigners but there weren’t any, so I used the promo code “TELETHON” and enjoyed savings of A$25 (S$21.90) off the ferry fare, which was very substantial. The final amount I paid was A$53.75 (S$47.10), inclusive of the A$20 island admission fee and A$0.75 credit card surcharge. If anyone is planning a trip to Rottnest Island on a weekday, remember to use the Telethon Saver promo code! You can click here to access the webpage to book.

Feeling pleased with myself, I continued cycling around Elizabeth Quay. I remember this area was undergoing massive construction works during my last visit in 2015. Now that the construction was complete, the entire area was unrecognisable. Shiny, tall buildings like the glitzy Ritz-Carlton hotel and The Towers apartment have sprouted up beside the Bell Tower, altering the skyline dramatically and adding some pizzazz to the city. A manmade islet with a restaurant and playground offered recreational spaces with stunning views of the Elizabeth Quay and the Perth CBD.

A new 120-metre-long pedestrian and cyclist suspension bridge with a striking, double-arched design connected the islet to the western William Landings, providing sweeping views of the Swan River. I was very impressed with the redevelopment and I must say it was very well done. Elizabeth Quay has become a vibrant and exciting place, edging it closer to the likes of Sydney Harbour and other major cities with prominent waterfront districts.

After taking in the views of Elizabeth Quay, I cycled up William Street and parked my bicycle at Hay Street Mall. I then explored the area on foot, walking up and down the two main shopping streets in Perth – Hay Street and Murray Street. As it was lunchtime, all the office workers were thronging the streets or having lunch at the many restaurants here. It was 24 degrees C and very sunny, so I was happy to pop into the shops or stay in the shade along the leafy pedestrian boulevard.

At 2pm, I got hungry and I just wanted somewhere convenient so I went to Breve Café & Bar at Murray Street for lunch. I ordered a chicken schnitzel with chips and salad for A$29.90 (S$26.20). It was not the best restaurant but the food was decent and it filled me up well. After lunch, I continued walking along Hay Street Mall, admiring the different architectural styles of the buildings here. Many of them were heritage buildings and they were very beautiful.

At around 3pm, I left Hay Street Mall and cycled to the next record shop on my list – Safari’s Record Shack at 312B William Street. I was surprised to find that half the shop was selling records while the other half was selling potted plants and flowers. It was one of those hipster vinyl shops with plenty of jazz, hip-hop and indie titles.

I spotted a vinyl copy of MJ’s Blood On The Dance Floor album on the top shelf and asked the owner how much it was. He used a small step ladder to retrieve the record, and told me it was going for A$375 (S$328.50). I knew it was going to be expensive because I already have a copy and I paid quite a hefty sum for it. But my copy is not new and not in quite as good condition as this one, so for this sealed copy in such excellent condition, the price was expected. I would love to add it to my collection but I wasn’t prepared to pay that amount so I let it go reluctantly.

I then cycled to another record shop, Sgt. Peppers Vintage & Vinyl Collective, located around the corner at 241 Newcastle Street, but it wasn’t open. I peeked through the glass and saw that the store wasn’t very big. It had more vintage than vinyl, so it wasn’t a big loss for me. I then cycled to HBF Park to check out the merchandise stand and venue for tonight’s concert.

When I arrived at 3:30pm, I saw that there was already a long line of fans queuing up outside Gate 3. Gates were opening at 4:00pm, with the first support act Teenage Jones coming on at 5:00pm, followed by the second support act The Chats at 6:00pm, and finally the Foo Fighters at 7:30pm. I mean, I am a huge fan of the Foos but I am past the age where I need to be squeezing with other people right in front of the stage. I am happy to chill somewhere towards the back of the free-standing area where I can still have a decent view of the stage.

I went over to Gate 1 to check out the merchandise booth. I have a love-hate relationship with tour merchandise because I know I won’t really use or wear them very often. However, when you’ve flown all the way to Perth to watch a concert, the desire to take something back as a memento is so strong. It is really FOMO (fear of missing out) at work here, especially when you see other concertgoers wearing the T-shirts.

I prefer to buy tour T-shirts with the tour dates printed on them, rather than just generic designs with the band logo or album title. There were several T-shirt designs on sale but only one men’s T-shirt design had the tour dates so I bought it for A$55 (S$48.18), even though it wasn’t the nicest design among them. I bought the Small-sized T-shirt because the Medium looked big when I held it up. Happy with my purchase, I cycled back to my hostel to drop off my shopping and freshen up.

Back in my hostel room, I tried on the T-shirt I just bought, and was disappointed because it felt a little tight. I debated whether to bring it back to the venue later to exchange for a Medium-sized one, but I thought they might reject me since I didn’t exchange it on the spot at the point of purchase. Hence, I decided to stick with it. After my shower, I packed my bags for tomorrow’s excursion to Rottnest Island because I knew I wouldn’t have time to do it in the morning. At about 5:10pm, I left my hostel and walked over to HBF Park, a short 10-minute walk away.

The stadium was quite empty but the die-hard fans who were queuing earlier had already taken up position at the front of the stage, listening to Teenage Jones. It was still very early and the sun was blazing down hard so I walked around the stands to soak up the atmosphere and find something to eat. I settled on a steak & cheese pie by Mrs Mac’s (A$7 / S$6.13) and a cup of iced latte (A$6.50 / S$5.70). Due to safety reasons, hot drinks were not sold. Even the bottled mineral water I bought (A$5 / S$4.38) had its bottle cap removed. This is quite a common practice at concerts – the purpose is to prevent the bottle from becoming a projectile when it is being hurled on stage or at other people.

At 6:00pm, I took up position at the General Admission Standing pen 1, close to the back of the pen. The Chats came on. They were a three-piece punk rock band and they were quite good, but not my kind of music. As the sun started to set around 7:05pm, the temperature dipped to 22 degrees C and it started to get chilly. I was well prepared as I had brought along my sweater with me. The standing pen started to fill up as we drew ever closer to 7:30pm. The anticipation was killing me with every passing minute.

At 7:33pm, the house lights dimmed and the stage lights came on. The Foo Fighters walked on stage to rapturous applause from the 32,000-strong crowd. This was the opening night of their Australian/New Zealand leg of the tour and they were raring to go. So were we. Dave Grohl took centrestage with his trademark grin as the other members of the band took up their positions. He then switched on his rock face and launched into the urgent riff of All My Life, which sent the crowd crazy. It’s the perfect song to open a Foo Fighters concert.

I had my first look at their new touring drummer, Josh Freese. The original Foos drummer, Taylor Hawkins, passed away in March 2022 and the band took some time off to grieve and regroup. After a period of mourning, they returned with their strongest studio album in years, But Here We Are, with Dave Grohl recording all the drum parts. For the tour, they roped in Josh Freese to take over the unenviable task of filling in for Taylor.

Thankfully, Josh Freese is no slouch and he has toured and recorded with many incredible artists like Nine Inch Nails, Sting, Weezer, Paramore and even Michael Bublé. As the night went on, it was clear that Dave and co. had picked the right man for the job. Josh was excellent and I was very impressed. His drumming was ferocious and powerful, staying faithful to the songs while injecting freshness to the arrangements. The ending of All My Life was particularly dope. Of course, it was sad to lose Taylor, but life goes on, and hopefully, Josh will continue to play a big part of the Foo Fighters in years to come.

This was my fourth time watching the Foos in concert, and my third time watching them in Perth. I had watched them previously in 2008 at Burswood Dome, 2015 at nib Stadium (which has since been renamed HBF Park, the same venue as tonight) and 2017 at the National Stadium in Singapore. I am proud to say that they never disappoint. They truly embody the rock & roll spirit, giving their all in every show they do. They performed for a solid 2½ hours, entertaining the audience with their high-energy rock anthems, singalong choruses and impeccable musicianship.

They powered through 25 songs but could easily have done 40 with the extensive catalogue of theirs. I was pretty happy with the setlist. Every album was represented for except Sonic Highways, which was not a big loss for me since it is my least favourite Foos album. I could also have done without The Sky Is A Neighborhood, which they seem to enjoy playing for some reason.

I’m glad they performed a few seldom-played songs like Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners, which has a special connection to Australia because it was written for the miners who survived when the gold mine they were working on in Beaconsfield, Tasmania collapsed. The miners had requested for an iPod with Foo Fighters songs to keep their spirits up while they were being rescued. And for the first time ever, the Foos also performed Statues, an underrated gem from their 2008 Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace album. They also did a few of my favourite deep cuts like Stacked Actors, Arlandria, These Days and Aurora, which was Taylor’s favourite Foos song.

They performed four songs from the latest album, but I would have loved to hear more. I wish they performed Show Me How, my favourite song from the new album. Their performance of The Teacher was epic, but not many people were into it, sadly. The song is very special to Dave because it was written for his mother, Virginia, who also passed away in 2023. Virginia was a teacher, and she was very close to Dave.

Of course, they closed the show with Everlong, which like many other fans, is my favourite Foos song. When the last chord was played at 10:10pm, the entire stadium cheered and gave the Foos a well-deserved standing ovation. Thanks for keeping the rock & roll flame burning bright and for making our lives a little better with your music!

As I made my way out of the stadium along with the rest of the crowd, FOMO struck again. I decided to buy another T-shirt because I saw many other fans wearing the black tee with the compass design and it looked really nice. I bought a Medium size this time, and when I tried it on later at the hostel, it actually fit me better than the Small one I bought earlier. I kinda regretted not bringing my T-shirt back for exchange, oh well. I was back in my hostel before 11pm. As I lay in bed that night, I was still buzzing from the concert, thinking about how great it was. Long live the Foo Fighters!

Here’s the setlist for the night, as per Setlist.fm:

Foo Fighters at HBF Park, Perth, Australia
29 November 2023

1. All My Life
2. No Son Of Mine
3. Rescued
4. The Pretender
5. Walk
6. Times Like These
7. Under You
8. Stacked Actors
9. Breakout
10. Guitar Solo / Sabotage / Keyboard Solo / Blitzkrieg Bop / The Outsider / Whip It / March Of The Pigs [Band intros]
11. My Hero
12. The Sky Is A Neighborhood
13. Learn To Fly
14. Arlandria
15. These Days
16. Statues
17. Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners
18. Nothing At All
19. Monkey Wrench
20. Aurora
21. This Is A Call
22. Big Balls [AC/DC cover, with Fiona, the Aussie drum tech on vocals]
23. Best Of You
24. The Teacher
25. Everlong