Pearl Jam pay tribute to Taylor Hawkins on opening night of Gigaton tour

5 May 2022, 18:48

Pearl Jam pay tribute to Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins. Picture: 1. Jim Bennett/Getty Images 2. Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for ABA

By Jenny Mensah

Eddie Vedder paid tribute to the late Foo Fighters drummer on the first gig of their North American tour.

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Eddie Vedder paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins with an emotional speech on stage on Tuesday (3rd May).

Pearl Jam kicked off their Gigaton tour dates this week and their frontman Eddie Vedder took time out to speak about the late Foo Fighters drummer, who tragically died on 25th March, aged 50.

The grunge band's drummer Matt Cameron had a close friendship with Taylor Hawkins and the band chose to honour it mid-way through their set at the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

"Hawkins emitted something very incredible and very special," said Vedder ahead of the band's Quick Escape track.

He added: "We’re all missing him, and so, Matt, I’m sorry again for your loss. But it just gives us another chance to say how much we appreciate you as well.”

Watch his tribute below:

PEARL JAM : "Quick Escape" - Viejas Arena / San Diego, California (May 3, 2022)

Flea pays tribute to Taylor Hawkins

It's not the first time Pearl Jam have been hit by the tragedy of a fellow rock star. The band also had close connections with grunge icon Chris Cornell, who tragically lost his life to suicide in 2017, aged 52.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the impact of his passing on the band, Jeff Ament revealed in 2019 how the passing of the grunge legend made an impact on them making new music.

"I think when Chris [Cornell] passed, that’s really been a tough one to wrap our heads around," he told the outlet.

In 2020, Vedder told Howard Stern about the Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman: "I’ve had to be somewhat in denial.

“I don’t even feel like I had a choice. I was just terrified where I would go if I allowed myself to feel what I needed to feel or what I was instinctively wanting to feel or how dark I felt like I was gonna go.

“And because I didn’t see him that often in the last 10 years – probably only, like, four or five times, and usually at a gig or something – I still haven’t quite dealt with it. I’ll get stronger as time goes."