Foo Fighters to continue as a band following the death of Taylor Hawkins
3 January 2023, 10:14 | Updated: 17 February 2023, 16:04
Dave Grohl and co shared a lengthy post on Instagram on New Year's Day addressing the future of the band after the loss of their beloved drummer last year.
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The Foo Fighters will continue on as a band following the death of Taylor Hawkins.
The Learn To Fly rockers mourned the loss of their late drummer, who died at the age of 50 on 25th March 2022, but remaining members Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee took to social media on New Year's Day to share their plans to carry on.
Taking to Instagram, they shared a statement, which began: "As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us."
They continued: "Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together.
"A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music. Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were-and without Taylor, we know that we're going to be a different band going forward. We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again -and we will soon-he'll be there in spirit with all of us every night."
READ MORE: The celebrities and public figures we lost in 2022
Dave Grohl and co played two tribute shows for the late drummer in London's Wembley Stadium and LA's Kia Forum respectively.
The London leg of Foo Fighters and the Hawkins Family Present Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert saw an opening performance from Liam Gallagher of Rock N' Roll Star and Live Forever.
The six-hour long gig also saw performances from the likes of Josh Homme, Nile Rodgers and Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen.
Foo Fighters - My Hero at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert
The LA gig was opened by Grohl's daughter Violet, who gave a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. It also included performances from Queen, Alanis Morissette, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Wolf Van Halen, Them Crooked Vultures, Def Leppard and Joan Jett.
Grohl ended the incredible 53-set gig with an emotional performance of Everlong, accompanied on the drums by Taylor Hawkins' close friend, Chad Smith.
Meanwhile, Foo Fighters' publicist Steve Martin reflected announcing the death of Taylor Hawkins, revealling "it was really rough".
The publicist - who founded Nasty Little Man in 1992 has worked with the likes of Gorillaz, Nirvana, Metallica and David Bowie over the years - and has been responsible for announcing a three celebrity deaths, but says Hawkins was the most challenging.
"It was really rough, he told Variety. " I’m very pragmatic about who amongst the clients becomes an actual friend, but Taylor was one.
"If the band didn’t work for four or five weeks and we didn’t have any contact, he’d call me just to say ‘What’s up?’
"He did that with a lot of people he considered friends, which I didn’t really learn until after he died. He had so much energy and positivity to share."
Flea pays tribute to Taylor Hawkins
READ MORE: Here's what was played at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute gig in LA
