Watch Dave Grohl Join Paul McCartney for First Public Performance Since Taylor Hawkins’ Death
Paul McCartney continued the celebration of his recent 80th birthday onstage at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, U.K, Saturday night, bringing out both Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl as guests over the course of a 38-song set. It was Grohl’s first public performance since the March 25 death of his band’s longtime drummer, Taylor Hawkins. After McCartney introduced him as “my friend, your hero,” a smiling Grohl walked on stage. “Hi Paul,” he said into his microphone. “How are you?”
Grohl and McCartney kicked into the Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There,” with Grohl taking over some of the lead vocals, followed by Wings’ “Band on the Run,” which Grohl has previously covered with the Foos. Immediately afterwards, Springsteen reprised his Metlife Stadium appearance with McCartney on June 16, again playing his own “Glory Days” (with McCartney on bass and backing vocals) and the Beatles’ “I Wanna Be Your Man.” On the final song, the Beatles’ “The End,” both Grohl and Springsteen came back onstage to take part in its guitar showdown.
“I swear, I would never miss being right here with you, right now,” Grohl said between songs, after explaining that he’d made to Glastonbury despite two canceled flights.
McCartney’s set also featured another guest of sorts, as have all the shows on his current tour: He sang “I’ve Got A Feeling” accompanied by isolated, audio and video of John Lennon from the Get Back footage, as restored by director Peter Jackson. When McCartney – the oldest solo act to ever headline Glastonbury – first took the stage, the massive crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”