Raging With The Machine

It was once America's outlet for political and cultural rebellion, but now rock and roll has taken a disturbing new direction, endorsing censorship, Covid mandates, and, worst of all, predictability.

Watch: Taylor Hawkins' son brings down the house at Foo Fighters concert, Dave Grohl breaks down to tears at all-star tribute show



On Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London, the Foo Fighters held their first concert since the death of the band's drummer Taylor Hawkins in March. There were dozens of musicians joining the legendary American rock band in the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert. The music show was full of emotion that caused Dave Grohl to break into tears. The passionate concert climaxed when Hawkins' son played the drums on an iconic Foo Fighters song.

The all-star concert featured esteemed musicians from Metallica, AC/DC, Queen, The Police, and Rush. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert began with Grohl playing drums and Oasis singer Liam Gallagher on vocals. After they played the Oasis song "Ronk N' Roll Star," Grohl honored Hawkins with a speech.

Tonight we’ve gathered here to celebrate the life, the music, and the love of our dear friend, our bandmate, our brother Taylor Hawkins. For those of you who knew him personally, you knew that nobody else could make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could. For those of you who admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing. So tonight we’ve gathered with family and his closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations to bring you a gigantic f***ing night for a gigantic f***ing person. So sing and dance and laugh and cry and f***ing scream and make some f***ing noise so he can hear us right now. Cause you know what? It’s going to be a long f***ing night, right?

Grohl became emotional while singing the Foo Fighters classic song "Times Like These." The Foo Fighters frontman was forced to pause the performance as he attempted to choke back tears and regain composure to finish the song.

\u201cDave Grohl breaks down mid way through Times Like These - I\u2019m bawling my eyes out too #taylorhawkinstribute\u201d
— Benjamin Wright (@Benjamin Wright) 1662235585

Another sentimental moment happened later in the show when Hawkins' son joined the Foo Fighters. Shane Hawkins took over for his deceased dad and played the drums on the song "My Hero."

\u201cTaylor Hawkins' son, Shane Hawkins, performing "My Hero" with Foo Fighters \u2764\ufe0f\u201d
— Ethan Shanfeld (@Ethan Shanfeld) 1662240296

Taylor Hawkins, 50, died on March 25 in Bogotá, Colombia. Hawkins reportedly had 10 different substances in his system at the time of his death, including marijuana, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Proceeds from Saturday's concert will go to charities Music Support and MusiCares – which were chosen by the Hawkins family.

A second Taylor Hawkins Tribute concert will be held at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 27.

Foo Fighters - Everlong (Dave Grohl solo) - Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert (09/03/22) www.youtube.com

Foo Fighters: Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert www.youtube.com

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins had 10 different substances in system when he died, authorities say



Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins had 10 different substances in his system when he died, Colombian authorities said on Saturday.

Preliminary toxicological tests on Hawkins' body found 10 psychoactive substances and medicines, according to Colombia's attorney general. The urine toxicological test performed by Colombian officials discovered marijuana, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines, the statement from the Colombia Prosecutor's Office said.

Taylor Hawkins' exact cause of death was not announced by authorities.

The National Institute of Forensic Medicine continues to investigate the death of the immensely popular musician who died at the age of 50.

The Bogota municipal government said the city's emergency center had received a report of a patient with "chest pain" on Friday night and sent an ambulance. However, a private ambulance had already arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel Bogota Casa Medina located in the neighborhood of Chapinero in Bogotá.

A health care professional attempted to resuscitate Hawkins, "however, there was no response, and the patient was declared deceased," said Bogotá's District Department of Health.

"The District Department of Health mourns the death of this talented musician and drummer, widely recognized internationally for his work," Colombian health officials said in a statement. "Besides, the entity sends its message of condolences to the family, colleagues and followers."

The band issued a statement calling Hawkins' death "tragic and untimely loss."

"His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever," the remaining members of Foo Fighters said. "Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family."

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform at the Festival Estéreo Picnic on Friday night in Bogotá, but the concert and the band's South American tour were canceled due to the sudden passing of Hawkins.

Tributes to Taylor Hawkins poured in from rock royalty – including Ozzy Osbourne, Ringo Starr, and Billy Idol.

Hawkins was the drummer for the Foo Fighters for 25 years, and before that, he was the drummer for Alanis Morissette.

In his 2021 book "The Storyteller," Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl described Hawkins as a "brother from another mother, my best friend, a man for whom I would take a bullet."

"Upon first meeting, our bond was immediate, and we grew closer with every day, every song, every note that we ever played together," Grohl wrote. "We are absolutely meant to be, and I am grateful that we found each other in this lifetime."

He was born Oliver Taylor Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972, but was raised in Laguna Beach, California.

Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.

Hawkins overdosed on heroin in 2001 and was in a coma for two weeks.

"I was partying a lot. I wasn't a junkie per se, but I was partying," Hawkins said in a 2018 interview with the online radio station Beats 1. "There was a year where the partying just got a little too heavy. There's no happy ending with hard drugs."

Hawkins remembered the moment that he had the desire to get sober, "Thank God on some level this guy gave me the wrong line with the wrong thing one night and I woke up going, 'What the f*** happened?' That was a real changing point for me."

When asked about his sobriety, Hawkins replied, "I don't really discuss how I live my life in that regard. I have my system that works for me."

Foo Fighters to reopen Madison Square Garden, but only vaccinated can attend concert – fans are furious: 'I'll never buy another ticket'



The Foo Fighters are performing at Madison Square Garden on June 20, which will be the first 100% capacity concert in a New York arena since March 2020. However, only music enthusiasts who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be admitted into the concert. This has some Foo Fighters fans furious, some vowing never to buy another ticket to one of the band's concerts.

In order to attend the Foo Fighters concert at MSG, guests will need to be fully vaccinated, which means that at least 14 days before June 20, concertgoers must have had the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine. The only exception is that children under the age of 16 may provide proof of a negative antigen COVID-19 test instead of the coronavirus vaccine. The minor's antigen COVID-19 test must be taken within six hours of the event start time, or the PCR COVID-19 test must be taken within 72 hours of the day of the event.

"Guests will have to provide proof of full vaccination along with an appropriate ID matching the name on your documentation," a statement from Madison Square Garden states. "Your documentation needs to be directly from the healthcare provider that performed the vaccination and you can display proof on your smartphone, present a physical copy or through the New York State Excelsior Pass."

The Excelsior Pass, which was developed by IBM, allows New Yorkers to show an electronic passport on their phone in the form of a unique QR code that is scanned by businesses to confirm COVID-19 vaccinations or recent negative COVID tests before they will be permitted to enter theaters, stadiums, or other businesses.

"The Garden is ready to rock," James Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, said in a statement of the iconic NYC arena that has a capacity of 20,789. "We've been waiting for this moment for 15 months and are excited to finally welcome a packed house of roaring, fully-vaccinated Foo Fighters fans to Madison Square Garden."

The stipulation that all attendees be vaccinated to go to the concert is an order from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The Democratic governor issued an order that gatherings or events without social distancing that exceed 250 people indoors or 500 outdoors must require proof of vaccination.

However, many Foo Fighters fans who don't want to get the coronavirus vaccine feel slighted that they will be shut out of the concert. Fans lashed out at the band for playing a gig that would "discriminate" against those who were not vaccinated.

Reactions from Foo Fighters fans and internet commentators to the vaccinated-only concert:

  • "Imagine being a fan of the @foofighters but you're allergic to the vaccine or unable to get it due to a medical condition."
  • "I'll never buy another ticket to a @foofighters concert. Not all people that choose to NOT vaccinate are conspiracy theorists. Some people, very close to me, have autoimmune conditions that make the vaccine a high risk proposition."
  • "Ridiculous that people have to be vaccinated to go to MSG! Everyone's situation if different and being vaccinated is up to the individual. Total discrimination! Big thumbs down to MSG!"
  • "Foo Fighters, a band I've long admired, just held a concert for the jabbed only. That's every album & play list with them on, consigned to the bin."
  • "No Jab, no gig! The Foo Fighters play Madison Square Gardens but only for the vaccinated. Discriminating against all those who can't have a jab as well as those who choose not to, inc pregnant women, immune suppressed and children. Papers please!"
  • "Beyond disappointed to hear the Foo Fighters are leading the way in health discrimination."
  • "Never thought the Foo Fighters would support suppression, segregation, and discrimination. It's strange times."
  • "Foo Fighters are playing at Madison Square Garden, but only for the vaccinated! Rock artists used to question things and stick it to the establishment, but not anymore; and some even accept and promote discrimination."
  • "The Foo Fighters will play to a fully packed Madison Square Garden on June 20. Later that week, Tottenville High School will have to hold six separate graduation ceremonies because they're limited to no more than 500 people on their outdoor football field."

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl commented on the reopening of Madison Square Garden, "We've been waiting for this day for over a year. And Madison Square Garden is going to feel that HARD. New York, get ready for a long ass night of screaming our heads off together to 26 years of Foos."

In April, Grohl teamed up with fellow rocker Mick Jagger for a collaboration song titled "Easy Sleazy," which hits on the banality of life during the coronavirus pandemic and mocks anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories.

"Shooting the vaccine, Bill Gates is in my bloodstream. It's mind control," the rock stars sing. "The Earth is flat and cold, it's never warming up. The Arctic's tundra turned to slush, the second coming's late, there's aliens in the Deep State."