The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in London on Saturday served as a moving sendoff for the legendary drummer, who died in March of this year. It also marked the first Foo Fighters performance since Taylor Hawkins’ death. And while the band, their families and the fans are still getting over the shock of his loss, many might be wondering: did the show point a way forward for the band?
The loss of Hawkins is a huge one: besides being an incredible drummer (), he had a very tight bond with Dave Grohl. As Grohl wrote in his book The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, Hawkins was “My brother from another mother, my best friend… Upon first meeting, our bond was immediate, and we grew closer with every day, every song, every note that we ever played together. I am not afraid to say that our chance meeting was a kind of love at first sight, igniting a musical ‘twin flame’ that still burns to this day. Together, we have become an unstoppable duo, onstage and off, in pursuit of any and all adventure we can find. We are absolutely meant to be, and I am grateful that we found each other in this lifetime.”
You could see the pain on Grohl’s face multiple times during the show. You saw it when Dave and the Foo Fighters welcomed the crowd. Then, there was the moment when tears ran down his face at the beginning of the Foos’ opening number “Times Like These.” And, of course, during Grohl’s solo “Everlong,” which closed the show.
Hopefully, the concert provided some healing, for the band and for the fans. And there’s a second tribute show with a similar lineup taking place on September 27 in Los Angeles. But will that be the final Foo Fighters appearance? If not, what comes next? The show might have provided some clues about what the band might do, moving forward (even if the band wasn’t thinking about it at the time).
