Foo Fighters, Royal Blood deliver

There were no signs of disappointment as the capacity crowd filed out of Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater following a two-night stand by the Foo Fighters.Nearly 36,000 fans packed into the venue for each of a pair of high-energy shows Aug. 16 and 17. With a successful first night in the bag, the Foo Fighters came out of the gate like a Kentucky thoroughbred on night two, playing hits “All My Life,” “Times Likes These,” “The Pretender” and “Learn to Fly” within the first five songs.Front man Dave Grohl — ever the crowd favorite with his affable personality and knack for impromptu banter — narrated a video clip on the big screen of the header he took off the stage during a show in Sweden earlier this summer. Grohl broke his leg in the fall, but finished the show as Johan the Swedish medic set his leg on stage. After his injury, Grohl requested and received a throne, complete with a sliding track, guitar accents and laser beams. It was on this elaborate pedestal that he sat for both nights.Grohl, the former drummer for Nirvana, introduced each member of the band, including always-smiling guitarist Pat Smear and drummer Taylor Hawkins, whose frantic but controlled flailing behind the kit suggests hints of Animal from “The Muppet Show.”There were points in which the Aug. 17 show seemed to drag. The band took a break while Grohl — accompanied by guitarist Chris Shifflin on the concertina — played the acoustic song “Skin & Bones.” The subdued moment caused some audience members to shuffle out for a bathroom break or a drink. A few onlookers appeared bored during drawn-out washes of fuzz and feedback.But the vibe was overwhelmingly positive, with the audience standing for the Foos’ entire two-hour set. Die-hards belted every lyric, and even in the farthest reaches of the lawn seats, people were still into it. Grohl’s affection for fans was palpable, and the band’s effortless ability to re-create moments in time through song has never been stronger.Royal BloodThe show opened with the piston-thump drumming of Ben Thatcher, 26, and frenetic thrashing of singer/bassist Mike Kerr, 25. The duo make up Royal Blood, a U.K. product that marries the angst-ridden grunge of the early 1990s with the blues-based rock of their forefathers and fellow countrymen, Led Zeppelin.With punchy timing and effects pedals that make Kerr’s bass sound like a screaming electric guitar, it didn’t take long for those filing into their seats to take notice. The two members of Royal Blood sound like four, and with catchy melodies, heart-surgeon precision, anticipatory build-ups and undeniable chemistry (see the band’s debut single, “Out of the Black,” for an example), these guys will be a welcome guest on stages worldwide for years to come.