Taylor Hawkins on being "Team Liam" and swearing in front of Dave Grohl's mum in our 2019 interview

28 March 2022, 15:22 | Updated: 28 March 2022, 15:24

Taylor Hawkins on "jerk" Noel Gallagher, Foo Fighters, and solo music | FULL Interview | Radio X

The late great Foo Fighters drummer joined Gordon Smart in the Radio X studio three years ago -w watch his hilarious, revealing chat here.

The late great Taylor Hawkins - who died last weekend, aged just 50 - was a huge part of what made Foo Fighters one of the greatest live bands around.

Back in October 2019, Taylor joined former Radio X presenter Gordon Smart and comedian Matt Morgan in the studio to discuss his new side project, The Coattail Riders. The musician was charmingly self-deprecating about the prospect of a drummer with a huge rock band heading out solo.

"I know that Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders might be able to do The Scala if we're lucky," he laughed. "I know my lane, I stay in my lane.

"I know when I'm gonna play a stadium, it's gonna be because Dave Grohl's up front. I know that."

He added: "Half the reason I'm still in the Foo Fighters is 'cause Dave knows I need to make a living. He could have got someone better a long time ago."

Read more: Stars pay tribute to Taylor Hawkins, who has died, aged 50

Hawkins' easy-going charm comes across in the 2019 clip, which sees the Foo Fighter discuss everything from the awkward moments when he's been caught swearing by Dave Grohl's mum and whether he's "Team Noel" or "Team Liam" in the great Gallagher brothers debate.

Taylor was very much Team Liam - he arrived at the studio wearing a Pretty Green parka and claimed: "He's my mate. He's my bro. I love him."

But Hawkins came out strongly against Noel Gallagher, explaining: "When we played the Reading Festival, I had a picture of the Gallagher brothers on my kick drum."

Taylor Hawkins slams Noel Gallagher as "jerk"

"Then I went up front to sing a song and Dave went back to the drums, and I looked back and said, 'Isn't it great to have the Gallagher brothers back together again?'

"And then I said, 'Let's all sign a petition to get Oasis to do a song again'. Out of love for their music. Nothing else."

Hawkins continued: "So Noel Gallagher, who was opening up for Smashing Pumpkins in America, and first night he goes, 'Let's start a petition to get the Foo Fighters to break up.' And I'm like, OK that's kinda funny, whatever..."

"And then next night he goes, 'If the drummer from Nirvana - now Noel, if you're hearing this, [Dave] didn't say it I said it - wants Oasis to get back together he can come up on this stage right now and suck my you know what...'

"But I'm hoping now that he will lighten up a little bit and come to his senses and get the good singer back for his band. That's what I'm hoping. I just think that would be really nice, because everybody wants to see that."

Taylor concluded: "Liam's having a lot of success. I mean, he's doing two nights at The O2 Arena. Do you think that Potato Gallagher and the Low Charting Turds could do two nights at The O2 Arena? He was really mean. He was really a jerk."

Dave Grohl Reveals How He And Taylor Hawkins First Bonded

Taylor also revealed the story behind Foo Fighters' worst gig.

He recalled: "We were opening up for the Chilli Peppers. This is back in the 90s, late 90s, maybe 2000.

"And we decided since it was the last show first of all we dropped a thousand golf balls on their heads, and then pasta... like all over the band...

"But before we went on stage - this is when I got hammered all the time - we got so frigging hammered before we went on stage, we just couldn't even play."

"I think that we literally played like three songs and then just laid on the stage... People were like booing us. It was really a low point."

Asked how Anthony Kiedis and co took to having a thousand golf balls dropped on their heads, Hawkins replied: "They were fine with that, it's when the pasta landed on them..."

He added: They were good sports about it. [Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer] Chad [Smith] is still one of my best friends."