Rolling Stone: Inside Taylor Hawkins' Final Days as a Foo Fighter (quotes from Matt Cameron and Chad Smith saying he was uncomfortable with touring)

[Deleted member 110527]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-hawkins-foo-fighters-tribute-1347073/

this is a pretty intense article, to be honest. considering how positive Dave and Taylor's relationship was, i would have never guessed that there'd be tension behind the FF tour schedule and that it seemed like Taylor wasn't entirely down to do a full tour but maybe got pressured into it?

multiple people, including Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, are quoted saying Taylor was uncomfortable with the upcoming tour schedule and had tried to talk to Dave about it, but Foo Fighters' management claims this isn't true and no such conversations happened. it's important to note that Taylor often expressed doubt about his own abilities, but this feels a little more dire in light of his passing.

also includes info about an incident where Taylor lost consciousness on a plane, but this is also disputed by Foo Fighters' management.

it's a long read, but worth it. i'll drop some highlights below.

"He had a heart-to-heart with Dave and, yeah, he told me that he 'couldn't fucking do it anymore' — those were his words," says Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, a close friend of Hawkins' for decades who recorded music with him recently under the banner Nighttime Boogie Association, one of Hawkins' many side projects. "So I guess they did come to some understanding, but it just seems like the touring schedule got even crazier after that." (A rep for Foo Fighters denies that Hawkins ever raised these issues, saying "No, there was never a 'heart-to-heart' — or any sort of meeting on this topic — with Dave and [Silva Artist Management].")

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"The fact that he finally spoke to Dave and really told him that he couldn't do this and that he wouldn't do it anymore, that was freeing for him," a colleague and friend of Hawkins', who asked to remain anonymous, says. "That took fucking balls. That did take a year of working up the guts to do." While Hawkins' friends are adamant that he wanted a change, exactly how big a shift Hawkins asked for is a matter of some dispute. A rep for Foo Fighters says, "He never 'informed Dave and [management]' of anything at all like that."

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Even though friends say Hawkins told Grohl and Foo Fighters' management he wanted to scale back, they believe he agreed to continue touring with them to be a team player. "[A band like that] is a big machine [with] a lot of people on the payroll," Cameron says. "So you've got to really be cognizant of the business side of something when it's that big and that has inherent pressure, just like any business."

The anonymous friend, who requested that Rolling Stone use the pronoun "they" to describe them, claims that Hawkins was being pressured to play more shows. "He said, 'I'm just gonna do a couple,'" they say, adding that they believe Hawkins didn't know fully how many shows he was expected to play. Foo Fighters staged roughly 40 shows last year, and already had nearly 60 more on the books for 2022.

When Hawkins learned that the group had added a one-off March date in Australia, the anonymous friend says that Hawkins was so upset he called them to vent about it. He told the friend he was given assurances the band would have a lighter schedule going forward. "And he had every reason to believe that would happen," they say. "He wanted to believe it." (The Foo Fighters' rep says Hawkins never indicated he was upset about the Australian date and denies that he expressed any misgivings about the tour schedule, saying there was "definitely no limit" on the number of concerts Hawkins agreed to play. Moreover, the rep says, "The touring schedule had been established and in place for well over a year.")

"He tried to keep up," Cameron says. "He just did whatever it took to keep up, and in the end he couldn't keep up."

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The situation escalated last December when multiple friends say Hawkins lost consciousness on board a plane in Chicago, though news reports from the time described him anonymously as "a member of Foo Fighters." "He just said he was exhausted and collapsed, and they had to pump him full of IVs and stuff," his friend, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, says. "He was dehydrated and all kinds of stuff." (If Hawkins did lose consciousness on the plane, it's unclear how or why it happened. When asked if Foo Fighters had comment on accounts that Taylor had lost consciousness on the plane, a rep said, "This is not true.") After the incident, Smith says, Hawkins told him, "I can't do it like this anymore."

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That show wound up being his final performance apart from the Foos. Around 10 days later, Foo Fighters traveled to Las Vegas for a gig at the Park MGM and followed it up with dates in Sacramento and Fresno. They were supposed to play at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec. 12, but Hawkins collapsed on a plane in Chicago on the way there.

"That was one of the straws that broke the camel's back," Smith says. "After that, he had a real important heart-to-heart with Dave and the management. He said, 'I can't continue on this schedule, and so we've got to figure out something.'" (Again, the band and its management deny that Hawkins ever approached them with these concerns.)

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UPDATE:

both Chad and Matt have both since come out and said Rolling Stone asked to speak to them under the guise of a tribute article for Taylor, and that they felt like their words were misrepresented and taken out of context.

 

[Indy in the Fridge]

Sort of reminds me of that James Hetfield thread where he had his own heart-to-heart with the audience about how he was feeling really down. Seems like Hawkins was grappling with getting older and feeling like his abilities behind the kit were diminishing. I hate that the band is first and foremost a business because it detracts from the human side of things. I get people are on a payroll, but Hawkins helped build this band to what it became. If he was upset or nervous about the massive tour schedule, his concerns should have been addressed and the tour pared down.

Instead he convinced himself to grind through it and it became too much.

 

[EggShen's6DemonBag]

That's messed up. I assume he had something going on mentally/emotionally. Honestly 40-60 shows in a year is not a lot at all especially when everything is taken care of for you by tour managers, roadies, techs, etc. Although then again these guys aren't young so I guess it just gets tedious.

 

[ClassAndFear]

I would say: the "he never spoke to management or dave about these issues" thing is not a good look at all. Don't make him out to be a liar here, when his friends clearly say he was exhausted and voiced such. It's a very HR at a big company response.

 

[Deleted member 110527]

I would say: the "he never spoke to management or dave about these issues" thing is not a good look at all. Don't make him out to be a liar here, when his friends clearly say he was exhausted and voiced such. It's a very HR at a big company response.

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yeah, that's the thing that really got me about this. if dudes like Matt and Chad are going on record about these events, they don't really have anything to gain by just making shit up here. but the fact that FF's management flat out denies that almost anything they're talking about took place is a weird move.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

I would say: the "he never spoke to management or dave about these issues" thing is not a good look at all. Don't make him out to be a liar here, when his friends clearly say he was exhausted and voiced such. It's a very HR at a big company response.

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Yeah, that idea that Smith and Cameron are just lying... come on.

 

[Kernel]

Kind of telling that Dave Grohl doesn't seem to be quoted in the story either.

 

[HammerOfThor]

Sort of reminds me of that James Hetfield thread where he had his own heart-to-heart with the audience about how he was feeling really down. Seems like Hawkins was grappling with getting older and feeling like his abilities behind the kit were diminishing. I hate that the band is first and foremost a business because it detracts from the human side of things. I get people are on a payroll, but Hawkins helped build this band to what it became. If he was upset or nervous about the massive tour schedule, his concerns should have been addressed and the tour pared down.

Instead he convinced himself to grind through it and it became too much.

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Which Hetfield thread? I must have totally missed it

 

[Fatoy]

That's messed up. I assume he had something going on mentally/emotionally. Honestly 40-60 shows in a year is not a lot at all especially when everything is taken care of for you by tour managers, roadies, techs, etc. Although then again these guys aren't young so I guess it just gets tedious.

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It's still spending every week of an entire year in a different city, which might not be a gruelling schedule for a 20-something, but when you're 45+ and have three children you seldom get to see, it doesn't sound like much fun to me.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Kind of telling that Dave Grohl doesn't seem to be quoted in the story either.

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Ehh. Someone in mourning doesn't owe the press their time. Has Grohl appeared anywhere since his passing?

 

[Disco Infernal]

Hmmmm are his close friends all lying or is the business that needed him to continue the money train chugging along lying? This will really hurt to find out that Dave ignored obvious issues Taylor was expressing verbally as well as physically, and it contributed to his death.

 

[Indy in the Fridge]

Which Hetfield thread? I must have totally missed it

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James Hetfield Gets Emotional on Stage as he Admits Insecurities.

James has always had a lot of demons. It’s never been a secret he struggled with alcohol. Well at the recent show in Brazil he had a tough moment where he felt like he just couldn’t handle it anymore. Felt too old and beaten. He shared it with the crowd, and how the band had told him “we’ve...

www.resetera.com

 

[Mancha]

And now I'm even more heartbroken.

 

[DanteSparda504]

It could be the case that both Chad/Matt are correct, but so are the Foo Fighters. Mental illness is often dismissed or not completely recognized. Particularly with really long time friends/coworkers. Taylor could have had these conversations with Foos, but the band not completely understanding/recognizing the extent of just how he meant it depending on how he brought it up, and in their minds no big conversation ever happened.

People don't always recognize mental issues, or take them seriously. A lot of time people bringing them up can just be seen as joking. Either way, it's a sad situation. I'm bummed it's gone this way and I wish he were still here.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

This will really hurt to find out that Dave ignored obvious issues Taylor was expressing verbally as well as physically, and it contributed to his death.

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I honestly imagine this feeling of burnout and desire to tour less isn't a very unique thing, for any band. I mean, the Foo Fighters have taken breaks before, with Hawkins "joking" in 2016 that they were goin on an "Ihateus." I'm sure the things Smith and Cameron say happened, happened. But, I imagine to everyone else in the band, it wasn't the first time they heard it, probably even coming out of their own mouths at times. The only unique thing is that sadly one of them died this time.

And I mean, people love how much of a partying rock star Grohl himself is (and I do love the Foo Fighters). But, is it really that cool that people watch a 53 year old man get hammered on stage every night? Not fucking really.

 

[saturnineCarrier]

That's messed up. I assume he had something going on mentally/emotionally. Honestly 40-60 shows in a year is not a lot at all especially when everything is taken care of for you by tour managers, roadies, techs, etc. Although then again these guys aren't young so I guess it just gets tedious.

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I think the article does a good job at describing why it was an issue. It wasn't simply "40 to 60 shows a year", these were three hour long extremely intense rock shows, and it's still months and months spent on the road.

Like he said, it's basically "running a marathon" every performance, and subpar downtime to recuperate.

 

[Indy in the Fridge]

One of the other things I thought about was what was the context in which Hawkins mentioned his burn-out to others--was it in passing conversation or was it an open heart-to-heart? Because management is being very coy in their response which speaks to me as, "Oh Taylor never sat us down in a scheduled meeting and brought these issues to our attention."

It could have been Hawkins telling others in passing, "Man I'm sick of touring, I just don't know if I can do it anymore. I feel tired, I miss my kids..."
So what could be considered venting to some may have been a very concerning admission to others. I feel like Hawkins's concerns were just handwaved and never taken seriously. And that sucks.

 

[Deleted member 110527]

I think the article does a good job at describing why it was an issue. It wasn't simply "40 to 60 shows a year", these were three hour long extremely intense rock shows, and it's still months and months spent on the road.

Like he said, it's basically "running a marathon" every performance, and subpar downtime to recuperate.

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this is a great point, and one i hope people realize! i used to drum in a band where we would do shows anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour long with no breaks between songs, just marathon through the whole thing, and doing just one or two of those a week could destroy me, and i was in my early 20's. i can't imagine doing 3 hour long shows multiple times a week while also traveling all around the world, doing interviews, photo ops, etc. regardless of your age.

 

[Juturna]

Not saying this is why, but it could have played a factor. Taylor struggled with drugs in the past, I'm not sure if those struggles continued recently. But I know from other bands who have had members with drug dependence that touring could be extremely stressful, especially over seas.

Not knowing how you're going to get your supply to keep you "well" is a major issue. Can't take drugs with you internationally. Even just US touring must be stressful making sure you have what you need to keep you going in different cities every night. Coheed and Cambria's drummer Josh was struggling with opioid dependence and they had a European tour starting. He flew over with the band, started withdrawing, freaked out and immediately flew home and was out of the band for a good while until he got clean.

Just total speculation, but just something I pondered.

 

[digitalrelic]

Really odd that Foo Fighters management denies literally everything here despite multiple people from different backgrounds claiming different things. And even the news reports back in December that a "Foo Fighters member was rushed to the hospital".

Really bad look for FF management as far as I'm concerned, and it seems much more likely that they're lying vs everyone other person/news articles lying.

 

[EggShen's6DemonBag]

this is a great point, and one i hope people realize! i used to drum in a band where we would do shows anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour long with no breaks between songs, just marathon through the whole thing, and doing just one or two of those a week could destroy me, and i was in my early 20's. i can't imagine doing 3 hour long shows multiple times a week while also traveling all around the world, doing interviews, photo ops, etc. regardless of your age.

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Drumming is absolutely a workout, the rest of the band really doesn't know how easy they have it in comparison! Barring a singer like Iggy Pop or someone like that who is super high energy. Taylor was an extremely hard hitter as well and that's a crazy long time to play; granted, their sets had lots of downtime for fucking around and stuff.

I was kind of the opposite of you though, if we played a one-off show I would be sore for days afterward, but on tour after a couple days, I'd be fine playing every night, I guess because I stayed warmed up or something. Our sets were about 40-45 minutes with no downtime.

 

[Fisty]

I dont want to try and place blame here, but being in an "organization" that big means a LOT of people have jobs riding on you being in place, and sometimes other people will use that as a means to keep you doing things you no longer want to or can do.

Hopefully that isn't what happened, but Hawkin's friends certainly think he may have been pressured one way or the other...

 

[krazen]

Not saying this is why, but it could have played a factor. Taylor struggled with drugs in the past, I'm not sure if those struggles continued recently. But I know from other bands who have had members with drug dependence that touring could be extremely stressful, especially over seas.

Not knowing how you're going to get your supply to keep you "well" is a major issue. Can't take drugs with you internationally. Even just US touring must be stressful making sure you have what you need to keep you going in different cities every night. Coheed and Cambria's drummer Josh was struggling with opioid dependence and they had a European tour starting. He flew over with the band, started withdrawing, freaked out and immediately flew home and was out of the band for a good while until he got clean.

Just total speculation, but just something I pondered.

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The article is pretty heavy that for all intents and purposes at least until the questionable toxicity reports he was clean as far as friends/family/Foos were concerned with a heavy hint that if it was a relapse it was because of the current tour.

 

[Disco Infernal]

I noticed in recent years they stopped playing Everlong with the full band. Had no idea if that was to give Taylor a break or not, but that's one motherfucker of a song to play on drums. Hard to see an already sad story get even sadder. It would have sucked to see Taylor leave the band, but it would be understandable. It's not like Pat hasn't left and rejoined the band numerous times.

 

[Dalek]

This really sucks to hear.

 

[Carn]

One of the other things I thought about was what was the context in which Hawkins mentioned his burn-out to others--was it in passing conversation or was it an open heart-to-heart? Because management is being very coy in their response which speaks to me as, "Oh Taylor never sat us down in a scheduled meeting and brought these issues to our attention."

It could have been Hawkins telling others in passing, "Man I'm sick of touring, I just don't know if I can do it anymore. I feel tired, I miss my kids..."
So what could be considered venting to some may have been a very concerning admission to others. I feel like Hawkins's concerns were just handwaved and never taken seriously. And that sucks.

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I dont want to try and place blame here, but being in an "organization" that big means a LOT of people have jobs riding on you being in place, and sometimes other people will use that as a means to keep you doing things you no longer want to or can do.

Hopefully that isn't what happened, but Hawkin's friends certainly think he may have been pressured one way or the other...

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Small note: I worked in the music business for a few years and these are just my own views on things; and as many people will probably be aware of: its not really a "normal working place". Especially for big profile bands like the Foo Fighters. On one hand you have a dream job; on the other hand you're part of a small business-unit where probably many people have their own agendas in what they want to achieve, with often a weird hierachy as a result (management / label / bandleader / etcetera); and a huge-ass responsibility to others (as mentioned in the article; many people on your crew payroll who need to feed their families just as well); and also have to ride on the wave of whatever the current interests of your record label, booking agency and management company are. I've seen many things mentioned in this article happen 'in real life'; fortunately not with such a sad ending. But there is a reason many bands 'burn out' after just a handful releases and/or tours.

A guy like Hawkins, as far as I know and from what people like Matt Cameron mention in the article, held himself to incredibly high standards regarding his performances (his fears about joining FF are well documented) and it's probably one of the reasons why he saw that mountain of exepectations getting even harder to overcome with the increase in shows and maybe himself just getting a bit older and reflecting on his own life (which is very normal). After covid the world has been playing catch-up; while from the looks of things he just wanted to slow down a little. We don't know what has been said 'internally' and if Hawkins was able to clearly acknowledge his fears and anxieties to others, and I like many of you I feel that things could have gone differently if someone just stepped on the brakes a bit earlier.

 

[AustinJ]

This was a bummer to read, but I'm glad I did. If there was a heart to heart with Dave, denying it is a really bad look.

 

[Kill3r7]

I honestly imagine this feeling of burnout and desire to tour less isn't a very unique thing, for any band. I mean, the Foo Fighters have taken breaks before, with Hawkins "joking" in 2016 that they were goin on an "Ihateus." I'm sure the things Smith and Cameron say happened, happened. But, I imagine to everyone else in the band, it wasn't the first time they heard it, probably even coming out of their own mouths at times. The only unique thing is that sadly one of them died this time.

And I mean, people love how much of a partying rock star Grohl himself is (and I do love the Foo Fighters). But, is it really that cool that people watch a 53 year old man get hammered on stage every night? Not fucking really.

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As any Pearl Jam fan can attest, Eddie polishes off at least one bottle of wine during each show. Performing isn't easy and these guys have their routines.

 

[hydruxo]

Pretty messed up that the Foo Fighers reps are trying to claim that some of Taylor's closest friends would lie about these things. I know Chad Smith in particular was very close with him and there's no way he'd be making up that story of him going unconscious on a plane.

 

[Autumn]

Tours are insane. I was looking at The Killers schedule and they play all year constantly with city to city backs to backs.

 

[Calvin Leonard]

Nobody has heard from Dave since his death, so I don't know. Seems like a lot of heresay at this point. I don't think anybody is lying, but there is a lot of confusion about it.

RIP Taylor Hawkins 🙏🏽

 

[Truant]

Touring can be hard on anyone. I can't imagine how it would affect someone whos already struggling with stuff.

I see no issue with Hawkins opening up to people about these things in ways his own bandmates had no idea about. Sometimes you don't want to be a buzzkill or ruin a good vibe, so you keep shit to yourself just in case you just might have a few bad days or whatever.

 

[wenis]

So he finds out he has an enlarged heart after a collapse in Chicago and now his death in Bogota is being obfuscated because like they said the Foo Fighters is a massive machine with a lot of people making money and it would severely hurt the brand to find out they pushed one of their stars too hard after this medical news came out that could've attributed to his death. Explains why no one of the FF management team wants to talk, not even a general management statement and I refuse to believe his closest friends are lying about this either.

 

[DirtyLarry]

I would say it is very, very possible that he was talking to his other friends about being unhappy and indeed never mentioned it to anyone in or related the band.
Band dynamics are their own weird thing and entity. Doubly so when one of the band members also happens to be one of your best friends.
And I am talking from the perspective of being in bands for 35 years that were just small little bands that played clubs here and there over the years.
I cannot even begin to imagine how that dynamic changes when the band is basically a mega corporation like Foo Fighters.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I find it very hard to believe that Dave would push Taylor past his limit if they indeed had a discussion about it. They were best friends.

I'm not saying Taylor's friends are lying. But I've let off steam to people about situations involving others who genuinely have no idea or are aware of the extent of the issue.

We'll hear from Dave when he's ready.

 

[Senator Toadstool]

God this whole situation sucks. Rip taylor

 

[Eddman]

So sad to read things that sound like a deja vu of the Nirvana '94 tour:

-Band member sick and tired of touring.
-Management adding more and more dates against band's wishes.
-Long leg of the tour scheduled overseas.
-Comments of close friends saying the band is treated like cattle by management.
-Band member feeling the pressure of people's jobs depending on their performances.

I really hope there's more to this story and Dave wasn't oblivious to the same thing happening all over again.

 

[Captjohnboyd]

Chad Smith and Dave Grohl had a dinner party at my job a week or so ago. Wonder if Dave knew about the article. They seemed all good

 

[Manicstreet]

Chad Smith and Dave Grohl had a dinner party at my job a week or so ago. Wonder if Dave knew about the article. They seemed all good

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I am sure Dave knew. With that said Chad didn't say anything out of line. Only thing Dave could be mad at is that Chad said anything at all.

 

[Wereroku]

Pretty messed up that the Foo Fighers reps are trying to claim that some of Taylor's closest friends would lie about these things. I know Chad Smith in particular was very close with him and there's no way he'd be making up that story of him going unconscious on a plane.

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The management has to say things like this. If they admit that he wanted to take it easy and they pushed him to do more his family sued them and admitting guilt like that would be very bad for them. However from the sounds of this his family should sue to see if there is written evidence of these meetings.

 

[cartographer]

Tours are insane. I was looking at The Killers schedule and they play all year constantly with city to city backs to backs.

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Notably, their insane schedule also contributed to two members taking extended hiatuses from touring.

 

[IggyChooChoo]

Now Matt Cameron is walking back his statements, although he doesn't specify how apart from saying he was taken out of context and that what he said may have caused some people harm. I'm guessing he's worried he might get roped into a lawsuit or something.

Instagram

www.instagram.com

 

[PumpkinPieAddict]

So sad to read things that sound like a deja vu of the Nirvana '94 tour:

-Band member sick and tired of touring.
-Management adding more and more dates against band's wishes.
-Long leg of the tour scheduled overseas.
-Comments of close friends saying the band is treated like cattle by management.
-Band member feeling the pressure of people's jobs depending on their performances.

I really hope there's more to this story and Dave wasn't oblivious to the same thing happening all over again.

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Exactly what went through my head. Even the Rolling Stone post mortem.

I feel for Dave (of course the family and friends). This is just the first of many articles that will come out.

 

[Dan]

That's messed up. I assume he had something going on mentally/emotionally. Honestly 40-60 shows in a year is not a lot at all especially when everything is taken care of for you by tour managers, roadies, techs, etc. Although then again these guys aren't young so I guess it just gets tedious.

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It's where those 40-60 shows are though. Actually performing is one thing, but your cycle on this tour is play concert -> go to hotel -> sleep -> get up, travel to next destination -> sound check -> play concert. Get a day off or two, but then again you have press + fan events to do, then repeat that cycle as per normal.

It's not so much tedious, it's down to physical and mental exhaustion of pure repetition.

 

[Deleted member 110527]

Matt Cameron just posted a statement on Instagram, distancing himself from his statements here and said it was taken out of context:

 

[EggShen's6DemonBag]

It's where those 40-60 shows are though. Actually performing is one thing, but your cycle on this tour is play concert -> go to hotel -> sleep -> get up, travel to next destination -> sound check -> play concert. Get a day off or two, but then again you have press + fan events to do, then repeat that cycle as per normal.

It's not so much tedious, it's down to physical and mental exhaustion of pure repetition.

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Well yeah but again that's spread over a year. For example my band did 42 shows in 43 days on one tour and that was driving ourselves in a 4 seater van, eating at gas stations, carrying and setting up our own gear, and sleeping on floors. The only downtime was on our 4-6 hour drives between shows.

Like looking at their tour dates they had a minimum of 1 day off between every single show, sometimes more. Then they're flying to the city and being driven around. Other people carry everything, set it up, tune up, etc.

Not saying it wouldn't get super old in your 50s but that's just not a crazy tour schedule by any measure.

 

[Deleted member 110527]

Chad Smith has said about the same as Matt as well, apologizing and saying their words were taken out of context. Sounds like some classic Rolling Stone bullshit then.



https://pitchfork.com/news/chad-smi...oo-fighters-over-quotes-about-taylor-hawkins/

 

[Dalek]

Chad Smith has said about the same as Matt as well, apologizing and saying their words were taken out of context. Sounds like some classic Rolling Stone bullshit then.



https://pitchfork.com/news/chad-smi...oo-fighters-over-quotes-about-taylor-hawkins/

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Unbelievable!

 

[painey]

Very odd. We'll probably get the truth eventually

 

[Lee Morris]

I'm halfway through the article and I think you can read how it was going to be a tribute piece but then the quotes from multiple people all say the same thing about him not wanting to tour must have skewed the piece slightly. Were they not supposed to report the things people said in, on the record.

Anyway a very sad read.