A photo of Shane and his dad was shown on the big screen as the young drummer kicked off the performance of the 1997 single. Grohl cheered him on as Shane finished the song with an immense solo. Stewart Copeland has said that he “started crying” when he saw Shane drum “My Hero”. He told CBS “It is very emotional to be here and perhaps the most emotional moment of this whole thing, because we’re all staying in one big hotel together and laughing it up, talking about Taylor and enjoying the brief time he was with us, all too brief. But the most emotional moment for me was at sound check a couple of days ago here and to see young Shane Hawkins on the drums. I started crying. He’s got it. He’s got such power, enthusiasm. He’s got his father’s stance, musical language. That was really emotional to see young Shane up there.” You can view Shane’s performance of “My Hero” below.

At its opening on Saturday September 3, the event frontman Dave Grohl promised it would be “a gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person” spanning almost six hours with a set list of 50 songs. This was Foo Fighters first performance since Hawkins’ untimely death back in March. Liam Gallagher kicked off the night performing two classic Oasis songs with members of Foo Fighters, while Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith shared a touching video story. Later, Grohl’s daughter, Violet, took to the stage to perform some Jeff Buckley covers, accompanied by her father, Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures’ Alain Johannes and Jane’s Addiction‘s Chris Chaney.

Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson joined forces on a pair of AC/DC covers, while Mark Ronson and Violet Grohl covered “Valerie”. Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor then joined Foo Fighters for a five-song set, while The Eagles‘ Joe Walsh led a reunited James Gang in their first live performance in 16 years. Calling them the “one band that I always associated Taylor Hawkins with” Grohl joined the surviving members of Rush, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, on stage to perform some of the band’s biggest hits. The final set of the night featured Paul McCartney, Travis Barker, Nandi Bushell, Rufus Taylor (son of Roger Taylor), Josh Freese and Devo joining the Foo Fighters on stage for “Times Like These”, “All My Life”, “The Pretender”, “Monkey Wrench”, “Learn To Fly”, “These Days”, “Best Of You”, “Aurora”, “My Hero” and “Everlong” . Hawkins died aged 50 back in March of this year and was most known as the drummer with Foo Fighters, a second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

The talented drummer tragically passed in March of this year aged 50; a cause of death is yet to be announced. His band mates were left “devastated” by his passing and all upcoming Foo Fighters shows were cancelled. Three months later, the band, along with the Hawkins Family, announced two tribute concerts to celebrate his life and work. The first of which will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on 3rd September, followed by a show in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on 27th September.

The show will support two charities selected by the Hawkins Family. The first, Music Support, helps those who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction. The concert will also provide funding to MusiCares, which provides a “safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need”

The band also announced that they will be streaming the events live to those in the UK and US. The London show will be streamed on Saturday 3rd September at 4.30pm on MTV YouTube Channels (Globally) and Pluto TV (Internationally) along with Paramount +. Bob Bakish, president and CEO at Paramount said, “Music is a powerful connector, and we are honoured to commemorate Taylor Hawkins’ enduring legacy”. Paramount are set to present the entire concert live. The presentation has bn directed by Joel Gallen and Produced by Emer Patten at EP-PIC Films & Creative. The Wembley Stadium show will be available to stream live and on demand across Paramount’s streaming and digital platforms, including some special editions. CBS Television Network will broadcast an hour-long version of the on Saturday 3rd September  and MTV will offer air a one-hour special across its channels around the world, followed by an extended two-hour special that will air globally in September.

Taylor’s success behind the kit leaves a lasting legacy. He recorded nine studio albums with Foo Fighters and was the touring drummer for Sass Jordan and Alanis Morissette. He was voted Best Rock Drummer by drumming magazine Rhythm twice and was inducted, alongside his bandmates, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His final performance with the Foo Fighters Lollapalooza Argentina festival was on March 20th. The following month, Foo Fighters won three Grammy awards. 

He and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl had a special bond, which Dave wrote about in his 2021 memoir, The Storyteller, he wrote: “Upon first meeting, our bond was immediate, and we grew closer with every day, every song, every note that we ever played together,” “I am not afraid to say that our chance meeting was a kind of love at first sight, igniting a musical ‘twin flame’ that still burns to this day. Together, we have become an unstoppable duo, onstage and off, in pursuit of any and all adventure we can find.”