Music
27 Apr 22

Founding Frames drummer Binzer Brennan on Taylor Hawkins: "They put on this really theatrical rock show, and that all came from Taylor being a fan of Queen"

On March 25, 2022, the terrible news went out across the wires, the cables and the routers that Taylor Hawkins had died in his room in the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota, in the capital city of Columbia, Bogotá where his band Foo Fighters were on tour. As part of a special tribute in the current issue of Hot Press, some of Ireland’s greatest drummers pay tribute.

Binzer Brennan

The Frames

Taylor was a real drummer’s drummer. He was a huge fan of people like Stewart Copeland from The Police and Rodger Taylor from Queen, and that showed in his playing. A lot of guys who are drummers in a band, they’re happy to be just that. Whereas Taylor loved the whole world of drums, and I’m the same way.

As a drummer, he was always one to look at: he was so animated. He wasn’t a hard hitter, but he looked like one: he bared his white teeth and looked like he was playing with every inch of his life. And that’s great to watch. He was responsible for when the Foos did one of their first arena tours back in 2003 – they put on this really theatrical rock show, and that all came from Taylor being a fan of Queen.

He was the last person that I expected to hear had passed away. He was so young, so fit. And him and Dave Grohl were such good companions. Dave appreciated a wild, flamboyant drum fill as much as the next drummer, so Taylor had free rein, to do what he pleased. I’ll remember him as somebody who played a huge part in putting the Foos where they are now.