Dave Grohl makes emotional return to the stage with surprising new Foo Fighters drummer

Foo Fighters returned to the stage on May 26 and were joined by late drummer Taylor Hawkins’ 17-year-old son Shane. “How about we do a song with one of my favorite drummers in the world? Ladies and gentlemen, Shane Hawkins!” Dave said to the crowds as the band, and Shane, performed ‘I’ll Stick Around’. 

Speaking of the decision to return to live performances after the tragic death of their drummer Taylor Hawkin in 2022, Dave shared with the crowd at the Boston Calling music festival: “I’m gonna do it for Taylor’s family, and I’m gonna do it for Taylor, because we used to sing it together.”

© Alberto E. Rodriguez

“Our band is truly like a family. Because we’ve been together for so long, we truly love each other. So tonight, all of our families are here because we have to do this together,” he added. 

The performance was their second with full-time new drummer Josh Freese, whose addition to the band was confirmed in a new video that saw friends including Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, Tool’s Danny Carey, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith all make appearances before Josh interrupts their chit-chat with the request to play some songs. 

Next month Foo Fighters will release their 11th album; their first since Taylor’s passing. A press release called the LP a “brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year,” as well as a “testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family”. 

Taylor died in March 2022 at the age of 50. 

Taking to the band’s official Twitter account, they wrote: “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”

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Taylor, who was married to his wife Alison, was a father to two teenage children, Oliver (who goes by Shane) and Annabelle. Taylor had drummed for the band for 25 years of the Foo Fighters’ 28 years of existence and performed alongside band members Dave , Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee and Nate Mendel. 

Three months after his death, the band announced two tribute shows in London and Los Angeles.

“For our dear friend, our badass bandmate, our beloved brother…Foo Fighters and The Hawkins family bring you the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts,” the tweet read, confirming the news. 

© Kevin Mazur

Taylor’s wife Alison also issued a statement thanking fans “for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor,” as well as the band: “We consider every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.” 

The London show featured a performance by Rush who reformed for the one-off show, an AC/DC and Metallica collaboration, and an appearance by Paul McCartney. 

Travis Barker also took to the stage along with other drummers including Rufus Taylor, Taylor’s son Shane, Omar Hakim and 12-year-old Nandi Bushell, and wife Kourtney Kardashian was spotted side of stage cheering him on through the emotional day.

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