The 5 Greatest Moments From The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert

The surviving members of the Foo Fighters, and a collection of their famous musical friends, have paid tribute to the Foos' late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a spectacular concert at Wembley Stadium. 

On an emotional night that will live long in the memory, a who's who of rock music, both modern and classic, came together to celebrate the life and music of the beloved drummer, who passed away in March, aged 50. 

Featuring a marathon set list, some 50 songs in length, the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert provided an insight into Hawkins's rock legacy and his love of the genre, with many of his idols turned contemporaries featured.

There were contributions from many of Hawkins's childhood idols including Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, The Pretenders and even The Beatles' Sir Paul McCartney, with each showcasing just how respected Hawkins's role in rock had become. 

Performances from fellow modern rock titans Oasis's Liam Gallagher, Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme, blink-182's Travis Barker, Supergrass, and of course, the remaining Foo Fighters themselves, underlined the influence of Hawkins's work amongst his contemporaries, while nods from the likes of Billie Eilish and The Struts, as well as 12-year-old YouTube start Nandi Bushell, reinforced his continued cultural relevancy.

With such a star-studded affair, it is difficult to pinpoint a concise list of 'must-see' moments, because the whole thing proved to be a 'much-watch' affair. We've given it our best shot though, so for those about to watch, we salute you, with this list of the five greatest moments from the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert.

The Five Greatest Moments from the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert
 

Shane Hawkins performs My Hero with the Foo Fighters 

On a night full of performances from some of rock's biggest names, the biggest ovation was saved for a member of the Hawkins family, with Taylor's own teenage son Shane Hawkins stellar performance of My Hero, earning a raucous standing ovation from the crowd. The junior Hawkins's ability behind the kit and his composure in what must have been an incredibly emotional moment would have made his famous father very proud. 

Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor join the Foo Fighters to play Queen hits with help from some famous friends 

Queen were Taylor Hawkins's favourite band, so to see Brian May and Roger Taylor take the stage with the surviving members of Foo Fighters to play a selection of their biggest hits, was heartwarming. The incorporation of guest vocals from The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins on Under Pressure, and Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder on Somebody To Love provided the signature moments of their mini-set but the whole thing was truly a highlight. 

Dave Grohl fights through tears to play Times Like These

On a night honouring the life of a man he considered his brother, Dave Grohl had a number of roles to fulfil, from host to drummer, to music fan and of course, frontman for the Foo Fighters. It was understandably and evidently a roller coaster ride for him, with moments of pure joy and sadness. The most emotional and enduring of those moments came when Grohl took to the mic to start the Foos Times Like These. Dave fought through breaks in his voice and tears to get through the song, in a tribute to his musical brother, that'll live forever in the memories of those who saw it. His solo performance of Everlong to close the show was also iconic. 

Paul McCartney and Chrissie Hynde duet
For any rock muso to be given a tribute performance from a member of The Beatles is perhaps the ultimate mark of respect, so the presence of Paul McCartney's two-song set was always going to be a landmark moment in the evening and McCartney lived up to the billing. Backed by the Foos, he delivered a rampaging Helter Skelter and a stellar duet with The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde on Oh! Darling.  

Rush's Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee perform Rush classics with The Foo Fighters 

Surviving members of Rush, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson joined the Foos for performances of their classic songs 2112 Overture, Working Man and the instrumental YYZ. YYZ was reportedly Hawkins's favourite song of all time, and Grohl recounted Hawkins' telling him that guesting on a live version of the song in 2008 with the band was one of the best nights of his life. The combination of Rush, the Foos and the moment proved to be a holy triumvirate of its own.