Dave Grohl promised two trapped miners a beer in 2006. On the night Todd Russell’s death was announced, he played their song alone

Stadium shows are not built for quiet moments, but Dave Grohl made one anyway.

Midway through Foo Fighters’ concert at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Tuesday night, the singer went to a small secondary stage, picked up an acoustic guitar and told the crowd the story of two Tasmanian miners. Then he played Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners, the instrumental he wrote for them 20 years ago, for Todd Russell, whose death had been announced that day.

“I met a few heroes in my life, but that was a big one,” Grohl told the crowd. “I’m doing this for him tonight, Todd Russell.”

How did a rock star end up writing a song for two miners?

On Anzac Day 2006, a rockfall at the Beaconsfield gold mine in northern Tasmania killed miner Larry Knight and trapped Todd Russell and Brant Webb almost a kilometre underground. They were presumed dead until rescuers found them alive five days later. For the next nine days, as a rescue tunnel was cut through hard rock, the nation followed every step.

Among the things the men asked to be sent down to them was an iPod loaded with Foo Fighters music. When word reached Grohl, he sent back a note promising tickets to any Foo Fighters show and a beer with the band once they got out. They were freed on 9 May 2006, after 14 days underground.

Grohl kept the promise. Later that year the band played the Sydney Opera House, and before the show he wrote an acoustic instrumental in his hotel room for the miners. He played it for them that night, and afterwards they shared the beers he had promised.

He told the Sydney crowd he had then made another promise, to put the song on the band’s next record. It appeared on the 2007 album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.

Was this the first time he had played it for them since?

No. When Foo Fighters played UTAS Stadium in Launceston in January this year, Brant Webb introduced Grohl to a crowd of about 26,000, and Grohl played the ballad again.

Who was Todd Russell?

Russell was 54. He had a long illness and spent more than eight months in hospital. A week before his death he announced he was going home to be with his family and “see out his days”.

“We went through something together all those years ago that will always connect us,” Webb said.

Where do Foo Fighters play next?

The Take Cover tour continues in Newcastle on Thursday 12 November, then moves on to Melbourne, Adelaide and New Zealand.