The late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins loved performing for Scottish crowds including Aberdeen during his time with the rock gods.
Hawkins, who has died aged 50, was his usual engaging and energetic self when the band played headline sets at T in the Park in 2002, 2005 and 2011.
Before the closing set in 2011 the drummer described the Scots fans he would be performing for as “some of the wildest crowds around” and “real dudes”.
Taylor Hawkins also performed with the Foos in Aberdeen on their first visit to the Granite City in 2007.
Scotland top
Hawkins spoke of his love of Scotland which he described as “beautiful”.
Conditions underfoot were sludgy in 2011, bad enough to leave shoes stuck in the mud, but the Foo Fighters kept spirits high when they closed the festival, with four-sixths of the band emerging on stage wearing kilts which prompted rousing cheers.
Hawkins plumped for a less revealing classic Scotland football top, leaving just frontman Dave Grohl unsuitably clad for their closing set.
It was all good, though, and fitted in perfectly with their hard rocking (sometimes too much) banter-filled performance on the main stage.
The horror rain that threatened to engulf the Sunday of the festival and make the whole day close to a write-off even subsided for most of their set.
The band blasted through the wet weather and brought the whole weekend to a crescendo with classic anthem Everlong and working the fans into a frenzy for a big fireworks display and rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland.
Aberdeen gig in 2007
Taylor Hawkins performed with the band on their maiden gig in Aberdeen in 2007.
The Foo Fighters were committed from the first chord of the first song to giving fans a night to remember.
Frontman Grohl said: “Why did it take us so long to get here?” The crowd erupted with chants of “Aberdeen” – just to make sure they remembered to come back.
The P&J review said: “With an impressive catalogue of classics to draw from, the band gave each and every drumbeat, guitar pluck and lyric their absolute attention in an almost primal performance from the singer and his men.
“The arena’s lighting and sound were spot on, with a special runway addition to the middle of the stage which allowed Grohl to strut his rock guitar-driven solos along, taking the fans with him.
“The ecstatic crowd responded to every song, with hits like My Hero and Best of You, bringing the voices of Grohl and the audience together, as one.
“At the end of the night the singer thanked the crowd for turning out and making it an awesome evening.”
Life and times
Hawkins was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972 and raised in Laguna Beach, California.
Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after original drummer William Goldsmith was kicked out of the band after their second album, The Colour and the Shape.
Prior to joining in 1997, Hawkins was a touring drummer for Alanis Morissette on her Jagged Little Pill and Can’t Not tours.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Foo Fighters in 2021 by Sir Paul McCartney.
Following the release of their most recent album, Medicine At Midnight, the band filmed a spoof-horror film titled Studio 666, in which Hawkins starred alongside his bandmates.
The 50-year-old was playing on the South American leg of the band’s world tour when his sudden death was announced on Saturday.
The band said it was “devastated by the untimely loss” and asked for the privacy of his family to be respected.
Infectious spirit
Tributes have been pouring in from music industry heavyweights, describing the news as “heart breaking”.
Queen drummer Roger Taylor compared Hawkins death to “losing a younger favourite brother”.
In a tweet from their Foo Fighters official account, they said: “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.”
He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.