JOSH HOMME On TAYLOR HAWKINS Tribute Concerts: 'That Was A Viking Funeral, If I've Ever Seen One'

In a new interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme spoke about why he performed a rendition of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" at the first Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at London's Wembley Stadium in early September of 2022. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think one of my dearest friends, Dave Grohl, he was trying to put together a concert that Taylor could hear from wherever he is, something that Taylor would have loved. And he just did a really — that was a Viking funeral, if I've ever seen one. And I think for anyone that's lost someone important, and then if you live in a time where it's multiple people, you start having to deal head on with just questions of, like, I can still love somebody even when they're not here. And so I think Dave just did a job that maybe only he could do. And so he was talking to me about wanting it to be a celebration and something Taylor would have wanted to be at, and Taylor wouldn't have wanted to be at, like, 'Oh,' some maudlin situation. And so he just threw 'Let's Dance' at me, and I was, like, 'Of course. Absolutely.' And what's funny is that walking out there, that's all I could think of, is that's what I wanna do."

He continued: "There's something about taking in the moment that almost makes me wanna move a little slower and a little more deliberate and just sort of, like… I was thankful for that moment because the sentiment of that song is — man, anytime that song comes on, anyone with half a brain goes, 'Fuck yeah. Thank God this is on.'"

Joining Homme for the "Let's Dance" performance in London were former Bowie collaborators Nile Rodgers and Omar Hakim, along with bassist Chris Chaney of JANE'S ADDICTION.

At the second Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in Los Angeles in late September 2022, Homme took the stage with the frontman of THE CARS, Elliot Easton, as well as the FOO FIGHTERS to cover some songs by THE CARS, including "Just What I Needed" and "Shake It Up".

Watched by 90,000 people inside Wembley Stadium and millions of livestream viewers across the globe, the six-hour Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London featured additional performances from Taylor's bandmates, friends, contemporaries and his then-16-year-old son Shane. Among the guest performers at the event were METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, AC/DC's Brian Johnson, LED ZEPPELIN's John Paul Jones, QUEEN's Brian May, BLINK-182's Travis Barker and THE BEATLES legend Paul McCartney.

Hawkins was found dead in March 2022 at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota, Colombia, where the FOO FIGHTERS were on tour.

Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.

Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2022 as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.