Tribute concert to Foo Fighter will livestream Sept. 3

FUNDRAISER

More acts added to this and a second show in remembrance of drummer Taylor Hawkins

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died this year at age 50 while the band was preparing for a show in Bogotá, Colombia. PHOTO BY AXEL KOESTER

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Two tribute concerts in honor of late drummer Hawkins will be held in September with performances by numerous musicians, from Gene Simmons to Miley Cyrus. Proceeds from all merchandise and ticket sales will go to Music Support and MusiCares, Foo Fighters have announced. HANS GUTKNECHT — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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By Kelli Skye Fadroski

kfadroski@scng.com

Rock band Foo Fighters announced that fans will be able to tune in to at least one of two sold-out tribute concerts to the group’s late drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

Paramount will livestream the band’s benefit show from Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 3. The concert will be available on Paramount+, Pluto TV and MTV brand YouTube channels starting at 8:30 a.m. It will also be available for on-demand viewing on those platforms, with special editions of the concert airing in prime time across Paramount’s broadcast and cable channels, including CBS and MTV. The band also revealed that proceeds from all merchandise and ticket sales will benefit Music Support and MusiCares.

Foo Fighters vocalist-guitarist Dave Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear and keyboardist Rami Jaffee will come together to celebrate the life and music of Hawkins, who was 50 when he died suddenly March 25 while the band was in Bogotá, Colombia, preparing to perform at Festival Estereo Picnic. These tribute shows will mark the first time the band has played together since Hawkins’ death and the cancellation of its world tour, though various members have been popping up at random concerts to perform with other artists.

Following the announcement of the tribute shows back in June, Hawkins’ wife, Alison, shared a message from the family: “Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created. In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us.”

Wembley Stadium’s livestream will include performances by Nandi Bushell; Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney; The Police’s Stewart Copeland; Oasis’ Liam Gallagher; Omar Hakim; The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde; Alain Johannes; Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones; Krist Novoselic of Nirvana; Rufus Taylor of The Darkness; Chic’s Nile Rodgers; Mark Ronson; Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee; Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen; Wolfgang Van Halen; Supergrass; Greg Kurstin; and Hawkins’ band Chevy Metal; plus an appearance by comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock.

Newly added acts include Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker; AC/DC’s Brian Johnson; The Pretenders’ Martin Chambers; Vandals drummer Josh Freese; James Gang; Kesha; Justin Hawkins of The Darkness; Luke Spiller of The Struts; Metallica’s Lars Ulrich; Dave Grohl’s vocalist daughter, Violet Grohl; and Taylor Hawkins’ son, drummer Shane Hawkins.

The second tribute show, at The Forum in Inglewood on Sept. 27, will feature performances by Chaney; Copeland; May and Roger Taylor; Miley Cyrus; Hakim; Jones; Spiller; Lee; Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Kiss’ Gene Simmons; Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe; Ronson; Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Jon Theodore; Alanis Morissette; Novoselic; Pink; LeeAnn Rimes; Rufus Taylor; Wolfgang Van Halen; Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk; Heart’s Nancy Wilson; Weezer’s Patrick Wilson; and Chevy Metal.

Newly added acts include Sebastian Bach; Barker; Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler; Ulrich; Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen; Freese; Joan Jett; Johannes; Mark King; Violet Grohl; and Shane Hawkins.