Liam Bradley
Australian musician and composer

"I was really shocked, I heard that Taylor Hawkins had passed. I was really drawn to him as a person. I was a big fan of Dave Grohl, and I always thought about how it was such a big deal for him to choose a drummer – for one of the best rock drummers in the world to choose a comrade in arms. Now, when I think of the Foo Fighters, I think of the two of them.

I watched a masterclass Taylor did on BBC a couple of years ago – he just really enchanted and engaged me. What he was on the surface was this common man: a blonde, American Adonis playing for one of the biggest bands in the world. But what really came across was his humanity, a common story not just for drummers, but for so many great musicians.

A kid at home who is suddenly drawn to a particular instrument, and how he just becomes completely fixated by the sound, the noise. How he saves up his pocket money to buy a drum, then forms a little band. That’s a story that’s common to all of us. He was very self-effacing, a kid on the block who couldn’t believe his luck.

I think what makes him a really great drummer is that he’s a singer too. Because of that he has this empathy with the lead singer. For any drummer, to have that is to have great musicality. He’s not just a drummer - he’s an accompanist. And that’s what really stands him apart from your average ‘Thump it out as hard as you can’ rock drummer. That’s what made Taylor Hawkins special."

READ: In Your Honour - A Special Tribute to Taylor Hawkins.

Read the full Hot Press tribute in our new issue, out now