Shane Hawkins, the 18-year-old son of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, has revealed his father’s favourite Foo Fighters song to play live wasn’t the widely believed “Aurora”, but rather “Low” from the band’s 2002 album One by One.
Shane made this revelation during a Drum Clinic appearance in Newquay, England, on Thursday, where he set the record straight on a common misconception about his father’s preferences (as per Rolling Stone).
“People say that song ‘Aurora’ was his favourite to play,” Shane told the audience. “That’s a lie. Dave [Grohl] never let…Dave did let him play it with them, but it’s a fuckin’ hard one to do all together.”
The young drummer then proceeded to demonstrate his father’s favourite song, delivering a note-perfect rendition of “Low” to the delight of those in attendance. Shane’s performance showcased not only his technical prowess behind the kit but also the musical legacy his father has passed down to him.
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According to performance records, Foo Fighters played “Low” a whopping 125 times in concert, most recently at the September 2022 tribute concert for Taylor in Los Angeles. The band last performed it with Taylor himself on August 26th, 2018, at a free pop-up show at the Hollywood Palladium Parking Lot where they performed under the alias the Holy Shits.
In comparison, “Aurora” received significantly more performances, with 284 recorded renditions. The final time Taylor played this song with the band was on March 15th, 2022, at Mexico City’s Foro Sol, just 10 days before his untimely death.
Foo Fighters’ drummer situation has been in flux recently. Veteran drummer Josh Freese, who initially replaced Taylor Hawkins, parted ways with the band last month under unclear circumstances. Freese expressed his surprise at the development on Instagram, writing: “In my 40 years drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry – I’m just a bit shocked and disappointed.”
The band have yet to announce who will take over drumming duties for their upcoming October tour through Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan. Speculation has naturally turned to Shane potentially stepping into the role, though no official confirmation supports these rumours.
Shane has, however, assumed his father’s position in Taylor’s long-running side project, Chevy Metal. The new-look band with Shane at the drums will begin a brief tour on July 19th in Denver, Colorado, concluding on August 31st in Agoura Hills, California.
This schedule would theoretically allow Shane time to prepare for the Foo Fighters tour, though fans will likely have to wait until the band takes the stage in Jakarta on October 2nd to discover who has secured the drummer position.
