On an emotional night at Wembley Stadium, Grohl fought back tears and had to hold back as he took the microphone to sing the first Foo Fighters song of the concert, Times Like These. the cheers of the audience pick him up again. Drummers including Travis Barker, Rufus Taylor, Omar Hakeem and young internet sensation Nandi Bushell were among the musicians who played behind the frontman on some of the band’s biggest hits – with Hawkins’ teenage son Shane, to take his turn for a sensational My Hero. And to an already star-studded line-up was the surprise addition of Paul McCartney, who played alongside The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and Grohl – who swapped drums, guitar and bass throughout the night. At the start of a six-hour concert, Grohl paid tribute to “our dear friend, our partner, our brother”. He continued: “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else can make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could, and for those who admired him from afar, I’m sure we all felt the same. ». The frontman then urged the crowd to “sing and dance and laugh and cry and scream and make some noise to hear us right now, because you know it’s going to be a long night, right?” After the introduction, Liam Gallagher opened the event with renditions of Oasis hits Rock ‘N’ Roll Star and Live Forever, with Grohl playing the drums behind him. Supergrass frontman Rush, AC/DC Brian Johnson, Nile Rodgers, Josh Homme and Kesha were among the other musicians to perform at the show, with Grohl’s daughter Violet also joining him to sing Grace by Jeff Buckley and, later, Valerie with Mark. Ronson. The event was also interspersed with footage of Hawkins and video tributes from stars such as Elton John and Stevie Nicks. As dusk fell, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor – one of Hawkins’ musical heroes – performed hits including We Will Rock You, Under Pressure and Love Of My Life, another emotional number as May remembered Freddie Mercury – and told the crowd. would be happy to share the song in memory of the drummer. Hawkins was known to switch places with Grohl at some of the band’s concerts, his renditions of Queen songs always a fan favorite. for this performance, the Queen stars were joined by different singers, including The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins and Eurovision star Sam Ryder. Image: Foo Fighters pictured in London before the gig, without Hawkins for the first time. Photo: Danny Clinch “When we first started talking about doing something for Taylor, we sat down and said, even if it’s his closest friends, it’s like 100 musicians,” Grohl told the audience during the show. “Because Taylor loved to jam and record with anyone and everyone. He loved playing music every day. And there aren’t too many people he’s never stuck with. “Well, this collection of friends and family and musicians, it was all brought together by him and we’re all connected here today by this one guy. “Bringing musicians who have never met, musicians who have never played together, all in one place, in one moment, with all you beautiful people to make noise for Taylor Hawkins.” Introducing Hawkins’ son later, Grohl said, “Let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody hit the drums as hard as that person, but beyond that, he’s part of our family.” Comedians Dave Chappelle and Jason Sudeikis were also among the actors who took the stage to tell anecdotes about their relationships with Hawkins and his music. Image: Hawkins was with the band for 25 years. Photo: AP And in his pre-recorded message, Sir Elton John told the audience: “He played on my last album, which I was excited about and he honored me. So tonight is about remembering him, honoring him and never forgetting him.” After hits like Best Of You, Monkey Wrench, All My Life and The Pretender, the night ended with Grohl performing a moving rendition of Everlong. Hawkins, 50, was with the rest of the band in the Colombian capital Bogota when he died in March, ahead of a scheduled performance at the festival. Speaking ahead of the gig, the band – Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee and Grohl – said they wanted to honor their partner by celebrating his talent. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts were organized by the band and Hawkins’ wife, Alison, and another concert is planned for Los Angeles later in September. Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997, taking over from ex-Nirvana drummer Grohl, having previously toured with Alanis Morissette. He first appeared with the band on tour in support of their second album The Color & The Shape before making his recording debut on 1999’s There Is Nothing Left To Lose. He continued to perform on every subsequent album and occasionally took on vocal duties on songs such as Cold Day In The Sun and Sunday Rain. As a member of the Foo Fighters, he was a 15-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and had numerous solo and side projects. Shortly before his death, he had starred with the band in the horror film Studio 666. Ticket and merchandise proceeds from the tributes will go to the charities Music Support and MusiCares.
