Foo Fighters to light up the Springs

Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters are coming back to play the full stadium show. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Foo Fighters first show in New Zealand this year was a small and rowdy Auckland Town Hall benefit concert for Christchurch - but in December Dave Grohl and his band are coming back for the full-blown stadium experience.

In the first big show of the summer they play Auckland's 60,000-capacity Western Springs Stadium on December 13 in support of their latest album Wasting Light.

The band have played in New Zealand many times (see below) since Grohl started the band in 1994 following the demise of Nirvana. But the Western Springs show is by far their biggest and proves their pulling power and current status as one of the biggest bands in the world.

Also on the bill are Tenacious D, actor Jack Black's band (with his mate Kyle Gass) whose 2001 self-titled album Grohl played drums and guitar on. He also starred as a demon in the video for single Tribute. There is the possibility another international support act will be announced soon.

It's a big year for Grohl; not only is the new album probably the best Foos' album yet, it is also the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's classic Nevermind which was produced by Butch Vig who also worked with the band on Wasting Light.

"I like that human raw element of music and that, plus Butch Vig, who I haven't made a record with in 20 years, all done in my garage, can only equal the f****** most rocking album we've ever made," is how Grohl put it in an interview with TimeOut in March.

Tickets go on sale at midday on July 18 through Ticketmaster but there is a Frontier Touring pre-sale for members (sign up at frontiertouring.com) from July 14-15.

In other tour news, 80s pop metallers Def Leppard return to New Zealand for a show at Vector Arena on October 12.

Sheffield's favourite hair metal sons were last here in November 2008 for a sold-out show at Vector following the release of 14th studio album Songs From the Sparkle Lounge - but this latest show is in support of three-disc live album Mirrorball.

So expect to be Leppardised all over again with songs like Pour Some Sugar On Me, Photograph, and Love Bites.

In support are 80s raunch rockers Heart. Led by the Wilson sisters (Ann and younger sister Nancy), they had their first chart success in the late 70s, but rose to greater prominence throughout the 80s (you might remember their 1990 hit All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You).

Tickets to Def Leppard and Heart go on sale July 18 at Ticketmaster.

Meatloaf is also out on the prowl again playing three NZ dates including Vector Arena on October 29 as part of his Guilty Pleasure Tour.

He will be playing all the hits, including those from his grand theatrical 1977 release Bat Out of Hell - the third biggest selling record of all time - and some songs from new album Hell In A Handbasket which is out in October.

Tickets on sale July 13 at Ticketmaster.

Meanwhile, a second Roger Waters' The Wall show has been announced for Feb 22 at Vector Arena. Tickets on sale July 11 at Ticketmaster.

Past Foo Fighters shows in NZ

January 1996: Sonic Youth support at Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre and Wellington Town Hall

February 1998: Headline Auckland Town Hall and Wellington Town Hall

January 2000: Big Day Out Auckland

January 2003: Galatos (pre Big Day Out show)

January 2003: Big Day Out, Auckland

November 2005: Mt Smart Supertop, Auckland and Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington

May 2008: Two nights at Vector Arena, Auckland

March 2011: Christchurch earthquake benefit, Auckland Town Hall

- TimeOut