The shocking untimely passing of Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, in March sent shockwaves through the rock world that are still reverberating even now. After months of quiet privacy and mourning, bandleader, Dave Grohl, announced two massive all-star tribute concerts for Hawkins, one in Los Angeles that just occurred last night, and an unforgettable, monster, 6-hour blow-out at London’s Wembley Stadium earlier this month. While the Los Angeles show is said to be available for fans to watch in the near future, the London show was given serious support and was carried (in part or in whole) on Paramount+, MTV, CBS, and other outlets around the world. Both cathartic and revelatory, this amazing concert reunited bands, saw friends and family jamming together for the first time (or the first time in a long time), and included a number of touching tributes from some of Hawkins’ many friends and famous favorites from his lifetime as a music fan, not to mention the half of his life he spent performing, touring, and recording professionally with a number of different projects beyond his most famous as the electrifying drummer of Foo Fighters.
Opening with the remaining members of the band on stage to welcome the hundreds of thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home, Grohl took on the responsibility of coordinating and participating in mini-sets with famous friends and rock heroes from throughout rock history over the course of the marathon event, with the other Foos playing a heavy supporting role starting around the show’s half-way point, concluding with a full set of their own, performing their songs without Hawkins for the first time, with the help of a host of guest drummers who sat in for one or two songs at a time before giving up the throne for another high profile guest. To say the event was heavy with emotion, for the audience and the performers alike, is a gross understatement, and many were seen to shed some tears or get temporarily choked up while singing or speaking, most notably Grohl himself who clearly loved Hawkins like the brother he never had.
Arranged in mini sets that averaged three songs each, the concert’s many guest performers alternated between significant and appropriate songs of their own, tracks known to be some of Hawkins’ favorites, and notable cover songs that touched on almost every era of rock history. Liam Gallagher started things off with Foo Fighters backing him on two classic tracks from Oasis’ debut album followed by Nile Rodgers and a modern version of Chic performing two highlights from David Bowie’s Let’s Dance album, which Rodgers produced in 1984. A re-emergence of Queens of the Stone Age singer, Josh Homme, to handle lead vocals on “Let’s Dance” was a perfect fit. Two of Hawkins’ many solo side projects, Chevy Metal and The Coattail Riders (essentially the same band that alternates between cover songs and originals), entertained with a run through Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and T.Rex’s “Children of the Revolution” with vocals from Kesha before switching to three Taylor Hawkins originals, primarily featuring vocals from Justin Hawkins of The Darkness (no relation). A surprise performance of two Van Halen classics with Wolfgang Van Halen on lead guitar (something he had previously said he would not do, obviously breaking his own vow for a special occasion) resulted in a roaring take on “Hot for Teacher,” which also featured Grohl on bass and metronomic drummer, Josh Freese. Partly because of its unexpected inclusion and partly because of the near perfection with which the song was musically executed, that song in particular ended up being one of the strongest of the entire concert.
After a short set of mournful Jeff Buckley covers featuring Grohl’s daughter Violet on lead vocals, Supergrass, one of Hawkins’ favorite bands, former tourmates, and close friends, ran through three spirited originals, followed by a three-song performance from a reunited Them Crooked Vultures, the late ‘00s supergroup featuring Grohl on drums and Josh Homme on guitar and vocals alongside legendary Led Zeppelin bassist, John Paul Jones, playing on stage again for the first time in 12 years. While Homme’s vocals didn’t quite hit all the notes in their opening cover of Elton John’s, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” a fierce run through their own, “Gunman,” and an emotional cover of QOTSA’s, “Long, Slow Goodbye” helped their short performance shine above many of the other greats who graced the day. A great set of three originals by The Pretenders, also featuring Grohl on bass, led into Joe Walsh and a reunited James Gang entertaining with their two most notable songs and a medley of other favorites in between, closing with “Funk #49” on which Grohl jumped in on a second drumkit. Violet Grohl then returned to the stage with producer/songwriter, Mark Ronson, to lead a loud singalong on Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” while the stage was set for the next in the line of amazing guests behind them.
For most of the rest of the concert after this point, the members of Foo Fighters remained on or near the stage to act as support for the remaining guests, beginning with two AC/DC classics featuring Brian Johnson and guest drums from Metallica’s Lars Ulrich. While the spirited run through “Back in Black” came off mostly well, Johnson was clearly winded as he began to sing “Let There Be Rock,” and whether due to age or being out of performance shape, it was a bit of a struggle to watch such a legend falter. Police drummer Stewart Copeland, one of Hawkins’ drumming heroes, joined the Foos next for a run through the lesser known but punky “Next to You” and their mega-hit, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” with vocals from Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes, performing for the third time that day. Next up were legendary Canadian prog rockers, Rush, performing for only the second time anywhere following the death of their longtime drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart, in 2020 (the first being at night two of the South Park 25th Anniversary Concerts at Red Rocks last month). While they did take a moment to include their earliest hit, “Working Man,” the Rush set was specifically focused on featuring two of the band’s most complex instrumentals, “2112 Part 1: Overture” and “YYZ,” clear favorites of Hawkins and of drummers everywhere. Vocalist, Geddy Lee, notably hit all of his (very) high notes compared to other ‘60s and ‘70s stars who weren’t quite able to do the same.
After so many high-profile guests, it was clear the concert was nearing it’s peak, and the final guest set featured Foo Fighters backing the remaining members of Queen and various additional performers to contribute vocals in place of the late Freddie Mercury, most notably Sam Ryder whose rendition of “Somebody to Love” evoked George Michael’s legendary performance of the song at Freddie Mercury’s own tribute concert, held on the same grounds in 1992. While it had been unspoken throughout the concert, this event was more than a tribute and remembrance of Taylor Hawkins; it also served as a reverential tribute to a host of other fallen players and singers who have passed, especially over the last decade. David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Buckley, John Bonham, Amy Winehouse, Malcolm Young, Neil Peart, Freddie Mercury, and George Michael were all remembered and included, directly or indirectly, over the course of the night.
Lastly, Foo Fighters focused on presenting a set of their own songs, the evening’s
longest, and it was both touching and awkward to watch them play those tracks
together for the first time without Hawkins backing them up though the many
guest drummers gave each song their all, creating additional emotional moments
within nearly every song. All-star, Josh Freese, took the throne first,
followed by Blink 182’s Travis Barker, a highlight performance of “Learn to Fly”
featuring social media sensation, Nandi Bushell, and two extremely emotional
songs with Rufus Taylor of The Darkness, son of Queen drummer and Hawkins’
other drumming hero, Roger Taylor. While it was sensible and somewhat
predictable to include songs like “Times Like These,” “All My Life,” “These
Days,” and “Best of You” in their set, it was somewhat surprising to see the
band chose to include all of those heavy but appropriate songs rather
than just some of them. A surprise appearance by 80-year-old Paul McCartney,
who led the charge on two Beatles classics (“Oh! Darling” with help from
Chrissie Hynde and “Helter Skelter”) was predictably a fan favorite, but his
vocals wavered at times, especially during his first song. Closing out the
night was a super-emotional rendition of “Aurora,” Hawkins’ favorite Foo
Fighters song, with drummer Omar Hakim followed by the much-shared performance
of “My Hero” featuring Hawkins’ 16-year-old son, Shane, filling in for his late
father and simultaneously announcing to the rock world his intentions to follow
in his footsteps. Lastly, Grohl took the spotlight solo as the other players
stepped offstage and performed a quiet “Everlong,” notably with no drummer at
all, drawing attention back to the reason for the concert, the loss of Taylor
Hawkins. The idea that many of the same guests, and many who were not present
in London, would assemble in Los Angeles to do it all again just a few weeks
later is a bit overwhelming in itself after such a strong concert, but it’s
also a testament to Hawkins’ influence and legacy. It’s nearly impossible to
imagine Foo Fighters moving forward with anyone else on the drums, and they
very well may not, but if they were auditioning potential replacements among
the many guests who joined them this day in London, they have no shortage of capable,
talented options to consider.
*Read the entire set list below!
*Click here to view a capture of the original live webcast (before it’s taken
down!)
*Watch the (slightly) edited, official concert on Paramount+
Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert #1
(London, England * 9/3/22)
Complete set list:
Foo Fighters (w/Liam Gallagher)
-“Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (Oasis)
-“Live Forever” (Oasis)
Nile Rogers (w/Chris Chaney and Omar Hakim)
-“Let’s Dance” (David Bowie) (w/Josh Homme)
-“Modern Love” (David Bowie) (w/Gaz Coombes)
Chevy Metal
-“Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads)
-“Children of the Revolution” (T. Rex) (w/Kesha)
The Coattail Riders (w/Justin Hawkins and Josh Freese)
-“Louise”
-“Range Rover Bitch”
-“It’s Over”
Wolfgang Van Halen (w/Dave Grohl, Justin Hawkins, and
Josh Freese)
-“On Fire” (Van Halen)
-“Hot for Teacher” (Van Halen)
Violet Grohl (w/Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney,
Greg Kurstin, and Jason Falkner)
-“Last Goodbye” (Jeff Buckley)
-“Grace” (Jeff Buckley)
Supergrass
-“Richard III”
-“Alright”
-“Caught by the Fuzz”
Them Crooked Vultures
-“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (Elton John)
-“Gunman”
-“Long, Slow Goodbye” (Queens of the Stone Age)
Pretenders (w/Dave Grohl)
-“Precious”
-“Tattooed Love Boys”
-“Brass in Pocket”
James Gang
-“Walk Away”
-“The Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the
Wind”
-“Funk #49” (w/Dave Grohl)
Violet Grohl (w/Mark Ronson, Chris Chaney, and Jason
Falkner)
-“Valerie” (Amy Winehouse)
Foo Fighters (w/Brian Johnson and Lars Ulrich)
-“Back in Black” (AC/DC) (w/Justin Hawkins)
-“Let There Be Rock” (AC/DC)
Foo Fighters (w/Stewart Copeland)
-“Next to You” (The Police)
-“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police)
(w/Gaz Coombes)
Rush
-“2112 Part 1: Overture” (w/Dave Grohl)
-“Working Man” (w/Dave Grohl)
-“YYZ” (w/Omar Hakim)
Foo Fighters (w/Queen and Rufus Taylor)
-“We Will Rock You” (Queen) (w/Luke Spiller)
-“I’m in Love with My Car” (Queen)
-“Under Pressure” (Queen and David Bowie) (w/Justin
Hawkins)
-“Somebody to Love” (Queen) (w/Sam Ryder)
-“Love of My Life” (Queen)
Foo Fighters
-“Times Like These” (w/Josh Freese)
-“All My Life” (w/Josh Freese)
-“The Pretender” (w/Travis Barker)
-“Monkey Wrench” (w/Travis Barker)
-“Learn to Fly” (w/Nandi Bushell)
-“These Days” (w/Rufus Taylor)
-“Best of You” (w/Rufus Taylor)
-“Oh! Darling” (The Beatles) (w/Paul McCartney and
Chrissie Hynde)
-“Helter Skelter” (The Beatles) (w/Paul McCartney)
-“Aurora” (w/Omar Hakim)
-“My Hero” (w/Shane Hawkins)
-“Everlong”
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