Foo Fighters kick off first tour without late drummer Taylor Hawkins, thank followers for support
Taylor Hawkins of The Foo Fighters performing in Los Angeles in February 2022.
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — The Foo Fighters are showing love to their fans after kicking off their summer tour.
In a photo of a handwritten note posted to the band’s Instagram page on Tuesday, frontman Dave Grohl said he “felt compelled to reach out and thank you all for being there for us.”
The summer tour that began on May 24 marks the band’s first set of live performances following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March of 2022, with the exception of two tribute shows they performed later that year.
“Every night when I see you singing, it makes me sing harder. When I see you screaming, it makes me scream harder. When I see your tears, it brings me to tears. And when I see your joy, it brings me joy,” Grohl’s note continued.
Hawkins, the Foo Fighters’ long-time drummer, died at 50 years old while on tour with the band in Colombia. The shocking news reverberated through the music industry and caused the band to press pause on creating music and continuing their world tour at the time.
The band confirmed in January that they planned to continue on without Hawkins, noting in their statement that “without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were,” and they’ll be a different band going forward.
In May, just days before the start of their 2023 tour, the Foo Fighters announced that veteran drummer Josh Freese has joined them in place of Hawkins. The band released their newest album “But Here We Are” on June 2.
On Tuesday, Grohl’s message extended his heartfelt gratitude to the band’s loyal followers for their support in times of turmoil and beyond.
“I see you… and it feels so good to see you, churning up these emotions together,” Grohl’s note read. “Because we’ve always done this together. Time and time again.”
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