Fortunately, this isn't a situation where I'm relating Taylor to myself. True, he was only 50, only about 5 years older than me. Of course, he'd lived a harder rocking life than me. This isn't judgement, but I know he'd had trouble with drugs in the past. Not sure yet if that was the situation here, but I know it messes with your heart. No, I'm not contemplating mortality.
More than anything, I'm thinking about the music, and the performance. I've been lucky enough to sew Foo Fighters twice. It's where I got this very cool t-shirt.
When you'd see the Foos, often you knew that Dave Grohl had been Nirvana's drummer. A lot of folks even know that he played all the instruments on the first album. Nerds like me love telling those who didn't know. And that he'd been deciding between joining Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers before going out on this crazy adventure.
During a Foo Fighters show, Dave gets on the kit, and quickly reminds you that this isn't a "Phil Collins became the frontman" situation. That's nothing against Phil, who I actually like. It's more that this band has (or had) two hall of fame drummers, veritable rock gods! It's as if you had Ginger Baker also playing rhythm guitar for The Who, and able to swap out with Keith Moon here and there!
Taylor was this amazing performer, who would get up and sing. He wouldn't just sing, though. Taylor would suddenly embody Freddie Mercury. He absolutely was a superior singer, and Dave would easily agree.
Part of what gets me is knowing that I'm losing this aspect of Foo Fighters. Taylor wasn't just a superlative drummer. He had this infectious enthusiasm during shows and interviews that, as a fan, you couldn't help but catch. There was that smile that always felt like he was letting you in on the joke, and maybe even the entire band wasn't in on it... you, the fan, you were.
I remember my dad talking to me about The Who after Moon died. Kenney Jones isn't a bad drummer; however, you can just hear the difference in the songs when he joined the band. It just feels different.
I sincerely hope that Dave Grohl will continue on. Things are, I hope, different than they were when Cobain passed. He's older, more able to handle the death of man who didn't just look like his little brother, but who Dave acted as if truly was his blood.
Eventually, with luck, my daughter will see Foo Fighters one day. This summer, in London, was slated to be her first concert. Now, that's gone. She'll never see Taylor. And while I'm certain the next show will be fantastic, there will be something missing. You don't just replace a guy like that.
RIP Taylor Hawkins. And thank you for the music and the energy, sir.
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